History of Traditional
Japan
Fall 2003
Schedule for Lectures & Discussion
Topics
August 28: Introduction
September
2/4: Language, Geography, and the People
Required Reading: Japan, chs.
1-2.
September
9/11: Ancient Japan: Jomon and Yayoi Cultures
Required Reading: Japan, chs.
3-4.
Recommended Reading on the Internet:
September
16/18: Earliest Records---Japan in Chinese and Japanese historic accounts
Required Reading: SJT
ch. 1.
September
23/25: Indigenous Religiosity---"Shinto"
Required Reading: SJT
ch. 2.
September
30/October 2: The Impact of Chinese Civilization
Required Reading: SJT
chs. 3-4; Japan, ch. 5.
October
7/9: Japan's Response to Chinese Civilization: The Nara Period
Required Reading: SJT
ch. 5; Japan, ch. 6 (through page 61)
October 9: First Exam
October 11-14 Fall Break
October
16/21/23: Heian Japan---Politics and Religion in Tendai and Shingon Buddhism
Required Reading: SJT
chs. 6-8; Japan, ch. 6 (pp. 61-75).
October
28/30: Heian Japan---Literature and Aesthetics
Required Reading: SJT
ch. 9.. The World of the Shining Prince.
November
4/6: The New Medieval Order---Kamakura/Ashikaga Political Culture
Required Reading: SJT
chs. 11-12; Japan, ch. 7.
November
11/13: The New Medieval Religions---Pure Land , Zen
and Nichiren
Required Reading: SJT
ch. 10.
November
18/20: The New Medieval Religions---Medieval
Religions, Aesthetics
and Law
Required Reading: SJT
chs. 13-14. The Japanese Way of Tea.
November 25: Second Exam
November 26-30: Thanksgiving break
December
2/4: Chaos and Reunification: Nobunaga and
Hideyoshi
Required Reading: SJT
ch. 15; SJT
chs. 16-17; SJT
ch. 18; SJT
ch. 19
Japan, chs. 8-9 . Hideyoshi.
December 9: Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Founding
of the Tokugawa Bakufu
Required Reading: SJT ch. 19,
rest. Japan, ch. 10; Tokugawa Ieyasu.
December 16 (Tuesday, 11:00-1:30): Exam
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