HIST 260 - History of Japan

This course provides a survey of Japanese history from the origins of prehistoric “Japan” to the present. Beginning with the birth of the Yamato state, the course explores the politics and culture of the courtly age, the rise of samurai rule, and consolidation of powers in the context of regional conflicts and transnational encounters. The course then shifts focus to modern Japan’s emergence and transformations by examining Tokugawa shogunate, the Meiji Restoration, the Japanese Empire, postwar U.S.-occupation, economic and environmental developments, and contemporary life. During the semester, we will look at fiction, manga, objects, films, essays, and texts together to understand the dynamic nature of Japanese history.

Credits 4

Compass Attributes
Global Honors, Humanities