Japan Courses

Hear What Your Professors Have To Say.....

English & Anthropology - Randy Gonzales

ENGL 370/HUMN 300 - Japanese Literature & Film

Discover the Tokyo you see and read about. Enter into animations by walking the streets of Weathering with You and sitting in the park depicted in Garden of Words. Experience the world of the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi and the novel Strange Weather in Tokyo by eating sushi at Tsukiji market. Get a better understanding of the protagonists in Convenience Store Woman and Thousand Cranes by investigating Japan's version of the 7-Eleven and attending a tea ceremony. Join us for Study Abroad in Japan.

ANTH 320/HONR 385 - An Anthropological Perspective on Japan

Quickly move beyond the tourist gaze and learn to see Japan from an anthropological perspective. Read ethnographies on Japanese culture and explore their context. Reflect on food as a metaphor for self while learning to make ramen noodles from scratch. Read an ethnography on anime and then visit the renowned Studio Ghibli. Read about rituals and arts and then see them performed. Document your observations and see how they compare to the ethnographic record.

English & Moving Image Arts - Geoffrey Marschall

MIA 325/ENGL 370/HUMN 300 - Stories & the City

This class will explore narrative and documentary stories inspired by the locations we visit and the people and culture the students encounter. Students will learn how to craft a story derived from elements in the areas we explore. Students will study story structure and the various visual storytelling styles through screenings and practice. Using their cellphones and editing apps they will make short pieces throughout our trip which draw inspiration from the locations and create a story connected to the locations.

ENGL 275/HUMN 200 - Culture & Criticism Through Japanese Cinema

This class will examine local and global socio-political issues through the tool of Japanese films and animation. Students will watch films that deal with issues such as immigration, socio-economic class divides, agism, and nuclear war. The students will become versed in the language of cinema to understand how the film are presenting the local discussions around these issues and how Japanese culture affects the portrayals of the issues. We will visit places that are included in the films we watch or represent aspects of the thematic issues in the film. The students will have to write a paper about a Japanese film and the social issue it presents.