Courses

• CAS LJ 260: Gateway to Asian Cultures
  Panoramic introduction to the cultures of East and South Asia in comparative perspective (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, India). Examines shared foundations, transformative inflection points, sites, peoples, and ideologies over the past two millennia through primary texts and media. Also offered as CAS CAS LC 260, CAS LK 260, CAS LN 260, and CAS XL 260.
• CAS LJ 282: The Samurai in Myth and History
  Explores how samurai, Japan's (in)famous warrior class, defined themselves, and how others have portrayed them in literature, art, plays, film, and animation from ancient times to the present. Investigates why samurai ideals have become the most widely recognized Japanese "tradition." Also offered as CAS HI 370.
• CAS LJ 283: Modern Japanese Culture in Cinema (in English translation)
  Major modern Japanese films are interpreted in the light of Japanese culture. Film scripts and the important literary sources are read in English; films are shown with subtitles.
• CAS LJ 303: Third-Year Modern Japanese I
  Reading modern texts. Development of writing and speaking skills. Regular compositions required. Readings from newspapers and journals on contemporary social, political, economic, and cultural topics. Second semester (LJ 304): selections from fiction and nonfiction.
• CAS LJ 304: Third-Year Modern Japanese II
  Reading modern texts. Development of writing and speaking skills. Regular compositions required. Selections from fiction and nonfiction.
• CAS LJ 316: Classical Japanese
  Introduction to Classical Japanese, Japan's written language from the seventh until the twentieth century. Systematic study of grammar and lexicon enriched by original readings from major works of Japanese literature such as Man'yōshū, Pillow Book, Genji, and Heike monogatari, Hōjōki.
• CAS LJ 320: Conversational Japanese
  Advanced training to increase fluency in spoken Japanese with an emphasis on different levels of politeness in speech and cultural awareness. Role playing; vocabulary and expression building; and aural comprehension. Concurrent enrollment in a four-skills language course is encouraged.
• CAS LJ 350: Readings in Modern Japanese Fiction
  Readings in modern fiction and essays, from Akutagawa to Murakami, to deepen knowledge of Japanese language and encounter Japanese literature in its contemporary context. Readings and discussions in Japanese.
• CAS LJ 385: Intensive Kanji
  Supplements vocabulary and idiom for students beyond third-semester Japanese. Students learn to read and write the 1006 Kyôiku Kanji and recognize an additional 939 Jôyô Kanji in everyday Japanese. Concurrent enrollment in a four-skills language course encouraged.
• CAS LJ 386: Japanese Translation/Interpretation Workshop
  To enhance students' knowledge of Japanese by developing practical skills of translating and interpreting. Students practice translating many types of texts, using various dictionaries and internet sources, and interpreting in different situations.
• CAS LJ 401: Sr Indep Work
  
• CAS LJ 402: Sr Indep Work
  
• CAS LJ 441: Japanese Press
  Development of skills in formal Japanese through reading of periodicals. Emphasis on formats, styles, and idioms used in journalism. Vocabulary building. Television news programs and documentaries viewed for improvment of aural comprehension. Assignments geared to individual needs and interests.
• CAS LJ 445: Readings in Japanese Civilization
  Uses the Japanese language to learn about history, society, art, politics, and current issues from Japanese perspectives. Critical engagement with topics in Japanese culture through multiple forms of communication, including reading, writing, discussion, and video. Conducted in Japanese.
• CAS LJ 451: Topics in Japanese Literature
  Two topic are offered Fall 2014. Students may take one or both for credit. Section A1: Melodrama. Melodrama as genre of fiction and film with focus on Japanese texts, viewed from a comparative perspective. Reading and discussion in English. Also offered as CAS XL 470 C1. Section B1: Gender in East Asian Film. What roles have cinematic representations played in constructing or challenging gender norms in twentieth century East Asia? How have images of sexuality evolved across linguistic and cultural boundaries in East Asia? Films from China, Japan, and Korea. Also offered as CAS LC 470, CAS LK 470 A1, and CAS XL 382 A1.
• CAS LJ 480: Japanese Women Writers (in English translation)
  Close reading of texts by women of the Heian Period (ninth to twelfth centuries). Social, political, psychological concerns of women masked in a "language of longing." Legacy for modern Japanese women writers. Original material where possible. Lectures and texts in English.
• CAS LJ 481: Topics in Japanese Literature (in English translation)
  Topic for Spring 2010: Rise of the Modern and Encounter with the West: Japanese Literature 1864-1945. Fiction from the Meiji period through World War II, with attention to the effect on literature of Japan's rapid modernization and increased contact with the West. Works by Ogai, Soseki, Higuchi, and Tanizaki. Lectures and readings in English, originals available.
• CAS LJ 485: Intensive Kanji 2
  Intended for avid learners who already know at least 1000 Kanji. Students become skilled at Jôyô Kanji, learn idiomatic compounds, and are trained in reading advanced materials and writing their own Kanji-rich essays.
• CAS LJ 491: Directed Study: Japanese
  Application Form available in department.
• CAS LJ 492: Directed Study: Japanese
  Application Form available in department.

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