SEMINAR IN MODERN LITERATURE*

概要

The spaces and places of Japan are highly contested in contemporary media. Non-Japanese imaginaries about Japan typically focus on two major locales: Tokyo or Kyoto. If Tokyo is depicted as a vibrant megacity that is both Japan’s capital and its financial hub, Kyoto is instead conceptualized as a timeless repository of Japan’s traditional culture. Japanese media, while far more granular in its approach, is similarly invested in the process of crafting contemporary conceptions of place and space. As Japanese television and news websites readily reveal, nearly every inch of Japan has been segmented and commercialized, typically through the development of localized specialty goods and vistas that are complemented by advertising mascots. This class thus asks, how does modern Japanese literature and film interrogate typical assumptions and received narratives about its many regions? How are specific places and spaces used to craft novel and layered responses to the flattening effects of modern capital? What histories are buried there, and what techniques do authors and directors use to uncover them?

目標

Learn how different authors and directors have conceptualized the different regions of Japan Learn the cultural, historical, and sociopolitical factors that have influenced the construction of different ideas of place Practice literary analysis through class discussion and writing Improve one's writing skills

授業外の学習

Reading and consider the texts before class (120 mins) Complete writing assignments (70 mins)

所要時間: 190 minutes