Courses & Curriculum

JPNS 001-002. Introduction to Japanese

Students who start in the 001-002 sequence must complete 002 to receive credit for 001.

This intensive introduction to Japanese attempts to develop the four language skills of speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Spoken component will cover both formal and casual forms of speech; the written component will introduce the hiragana and katakana syllabaries; and about 200 kanji characters.

JPNS 001. Fall 2009. Jo, Suda.
JPNS 002. Spring 2010. Jo, Suda.
1.5 credits.

JPNS 003-004. Second-Year Japanese

Combines intensive oral practice with writing and reading in the modern language. The course attempts to increase students' expressive ability through the introduction of more advanced grammatical patterns and idiomatic expressions. Introduces students to authentic written texts and examples of Japanese expression through several media. The course will introduce approximately 300 new kanji characters in addition to the 200 covered in JPNS 001-002.

JPNS 003. Fall 2009. Gardner, Jo.
JPNS 004. Spring 2010. Gardner, Jo.
1.5 credits.

Review sheet for JPNS 003.

Web-based review exercises for Second-Year Japanese:

Web-based Kanji exercise for Nakama 1 & 2

Online exercises for Nakama

JPNS 012-013. Third-Year Japanese

This course aims to lead Japanese students into the intermediate-advanced level, deepening students' exposure to Japanese culture through the study of authentic materials and the application of language skills in diverse linguistic contexts. It will combine oral practice with reading, viewing, and discussion of authentic materials including newspaper articles, video clips, and literary selections. Students will continue to develop their expressive ability through use of more advanced grammatical patterns and idiomatic expressions, and will gain practice in composition and letter writing. The course will introduce approximately 300 new kanji characters in addition to approximately 500 covered in first and second-year Japanese.

Prerequisite: Completion of JPNS 004 or demonstration of equivalent language skills. Freshmen should contact Atusko Suda (asuda1) for a Study Guide to the placement exam that will be given the first day of class.

This course must be taken together with JPNS 012A/JPNS 010A, which will provide additional opportunities for application and extension of newly acquired skills.

Fall 2009. Suda.
Spring 2010. Suda.
1.0 credit and 1.5 credits when taken with JPNS 012A and JPNS 013A.

Listen to digital storytelling projects from the 2008-2009 academic year

Listen to podcasts from 2007-2008 academic year

JPNS 12A. Japanese Conversation.

This course attempts to improve students' command of spoken Japanese at the intermediate level. It meets for 90 minutes each week. Can be repeated for credit.

0.5 credit (when taken with JPNS 012)
Fall 2009. Suda.

Listen to podcasts from 2008-2008 academic year

JPNS 013A. Readings in Japanese

This course aims to improve students’ intermediate-advanced reading skills, while introducing them to the world of Japanese literature in the original. We will examine texts in various genres, such as personal essays, short stories, folk tales, manga, haiku, and free-verse poetry, and discuss the distinctive features of each genre, as well as the cultural context for each work. Readings and discussion will be in Japanese. The course may be repeated in two consecutive years.

Prerequisite: completion or concurrent enrollment in JPNS 013, or instructor’s permission.

Spring 2009. Gardner.
0.5 credit.

LITR 017J / JPNS 017. The World of Japanese Drama and Performance

This team-taught course will explore Japan's unique dramatic and
performing arts traditions, combining the study of dramatic texts and
their historical and cultural background led by Professor Gardner with
practical exercises and discussions on movement and performance led by
Cornell Visiting Professor Isaburoh Hanayagi, a master of Japanese
classical dance, and an expert on kabuki, folk dance, and taiko drumming.
Japanese performing arts are deeply influenced by Buddhist, Shintô, and
shamanistic religious ideas and incorporate rich elements of the Japanese
literary tradition. The course will aim to give insight onto these diverse
cultural and philosophical elements of Japanese music, dance, and drama
and will also explore the training traditions and social world of
performers such as geisha, noh actors, and kabuki actors. No previous
knowledge of performance or Japanese language, history, or culture is
required.

Not offered 2009-2010.
1 credit

See video from this class and read students' comments on their experience.

JPNS 019. Topics in Japanese

This Fourth Year level course will aim to deepen students' cultural knowledge and advanced language skills in both written and spoken Japanese, through the study and discussion of authentic materials on diverse topics, including Japanese literature, history, and current events. Prerequisite: completion of JPNS012 or equivalent.

Spring 2010. Burdelski. 1 credit.

LITR 021J/ JPNS 021. Modern Japanese Literature

An introduction to Japanese fiction from the Meiji Restoration (1868) to the present day, focusing on how literature has been used to express the personal voice and to shape and critique the concept of the modern individual. We will discuss the development of the influential mode of personal narrative known as the “I novel,” as well as those authors and works that challenge this literary mode. In addition, we will explore how the personal voice in literature is interwoven with the great intellectual and historical movements of modern times, including Japan’s encounter with the West and rapid modernization, the rise of Japanese imperialism and militarism, the Second World War and its aftermath, the emergence of an affluent consumer society in the postwar period, and the impact of global popular culture and the horizon of new transnational identities in the twenty-first century. All readings and discussions will be in English.

Not offered 2008-2009.
1 credit.

LITR 023J/JPNS 023. Manga and Anime: Socio-cultural and Linguistic Perspectives

Anime (animation) and manga (graphic novels) are robust genres for the reproduction and representation of socio-cultural and linguistic norms and values of Japanese
society over time. In this course we will discuss central themes and frameworks as they relate to Japanese society including gender, hierarchy, politeness, emotion, and
uchi/soto (inside/outside), and critically examine them within Japanese anime, manga, and other central products of pop culture. We will also explore notions such as kawaii ‘cuteness’, commensality, nature, technology, and apocalypse as they are represented in anime and manga over socio-historical time. Readings and discussions will be in
English. Class will be conducted in a seminar format that includes lectures and discussions. Student research and presentations will comprise a central part of the course. Previous coursework in Japanese language is recommended
but not required.

Fall 2009. Burdelski. 1 credit.

FMST 057 / JPNS 024. Japanese Film and Animation

This course offers a historical and thematic introduction to Japanese cinema, one of the world's great film traditions. Our discussions will center on the historical context of Japanese film, including how films address issues of modernity, gender, and national identity. Through our readings, discussion, and writing, we will explore various approaches to film analysis, with the goal of developing a deeper understanding of formal and thematic issues. A separate unit will consider the postwar development of Japanese animation (anime) and its special characteristics. Screenings will include films by Ozu, Mizoguchi, Kurosawa, Imamura, Kitano, and Miyazaki.

Gardner. Spring 2010.
1 credit.

LITR 041J / JPNS 041. Fantastic Spaces in Modern Japanese Literature (W)

As Japanese society has transformed rapidly in the 20th century and beyond, a number of authors have turned to the fantastic to explore the pathways of cultural memory, the vicissitudes of interpersonal relationships, the limits of mind and body, and the nature of storytelling itself. In this course, we will consider the use of anti-realistic writing genres in Japanese literature from 1900 to the present, combining readings of novels and short stories with related critical and theoretical texts. Fictional works examined will include novels, supernatural tales, science fiction, and cyber-fiction by authors such as Tanizaki Junichiro, Abe Kobo, Kurahashi Yumiko, and Murakami Haruki.

Writing Class. Readings will be in English; no previous experience in Japanese studies is required.

Gardner. Fall 2009.
1 credit.

LITR 074J/JPNS 074. Japanese Popular Culture & Contemporary Media

Japanese popular culture products such as manga (comics), anime (animation), television, film, and popular music are an increasingly vital element of Twenty-First Century global culture, attracting ardent fans around the world. In this course we will critically examine the postwar development of Japanese popular culture, together with the proliferation of new media that have accelerated the global diffusion of popular cultural forms. Engaging with theoretical ideas and debates regarding popular culture and media, we will discuss the significance of fan cultures, including the “otaku” phenomenon in Japan and the United States, and consider how national identity and ethnicity impact the production and consumption of popular cultural products. We will also explore representations of technology in creative works, and consider the global and the local aspects of technological innovations, including the internet, mobile phones, and other portable technology. Readings and discussion will be in English. The course will be conducted in a seminar format with student research and presentations comprising an important element of the class. Previous coursework in Japanese studies or media studies is recommended but not required.

Not offered 2008-2009.
1 credit.

click here for course website


LITR 083J/JPNS 083. War and Postwar in Japanese Culture

What was the Japanese experience of the Second World War and the Allied Occupation? We will examine literary works, films, and graphic materials (photographs, prints, advertisements, etc.), together with oral histories and historical studies, to seek a better understanding of the prevailing ideologies and intellectual struggles of wartime and postwar Japan, as well the experiences of individuals living through the cataclysmic vents of mid-century. Issues to be investigated include Japanese nationalism and imperialism; women’s experiences of the war and home front; changing representations and ideologies of the body; war writing and censorship; the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki; Japanese responses to the Occupation; and the war in postwar memory. The course readings and discussions will be in English. Prerequisite: HIST 075 or instructor’s permission.

Not offered 2009-2010.
1 credit.

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