天美影视

This is a course aimed at exchange students, established in 2024, that aims to deepen their understanding of Japanese culture and society, as well as Japan in the world (Japanese language, Japanese culture, Japanese society, etc.).
There are courses offered in both English and Japanese.
*Some courses may have Japanese language proficiency requirements. Please check the syllabus.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of Japanese culture and society from an interdisciplinary perspective including anthropological, historical, and sociological approaches. Throughout the course, we will explore the evolution of Japanese cultural and social history, from ancient times up to the present day. Our exploration will cover a range of topics, including the basics of anthropology, the history of Japan, family life, business and entrepreneurship, literature, art, fashion, and modern culture. By examining these topics, students will develop critical thinking skills and gain valuable insights into how Japanese society has changed over time. Furthermore, we will employ an anthropological approach to deepen our understanding of Japanese culture. By doing so, students will learn to challenge popular images and stereotypes, as well as broaden their perspective on culture and society. This course provides a foundation for future studies of Japan and aims to inspire students to continue learning about the country's rich cultural and historical heritage. Ultimately, the course hopes to be a catalyst for further studies on Japan and provide students with a lifelong appreciation for and interest in Japan.
This course is an elective course for international exchange students, regular degree students from abroad and within Japan.
The lecture schedule may change during the semester based on our progress as a class. Students are required to use the online course system (CoursePower) for communication and assignments.

Knowing a country's culture and spreading its culture is the beginning of mutual understanding and is therefore important.
This course will cover representative Japanese traditional culture (flower arranging, calligraphy, tea ceremony, etc.) through demonstrations and hands-on experience.
The speakers will be mainly experts in various fields who have experience visiting countries around the world.
The very act of international students and Japanese students learning about Japanese culture together can be considered an example of international cultural exchange.
We also hope that Japanese students who wish to play an active role as international citizens will attend this course (although this will not be awarded credits).
To learn other country's culture is important. It means beginning of mutual understanding.
You are able to study Japanese traditional culture.(FloralArrangement,Calligraphy,Tea Ceremony and so on) from experts.
International students and Japanese students study this course together.
It will realize international cultural exchange.
Japanese students who want to be active abroad should take this course.

Introduction to Japanese Culture and Literature for International Students. This subject is for international students who have enrolled in Department of Japanese Language and Literature. It is set up to give students the knowledge and understanding necessary to study Japanese language and literature. Students will learn the basics of Japanese culture, which Japanese people naturally understand from an early age, and the knowledge they have acquired by high school (Japanese language including classics, history including cultural history, etc.), so that they will not be hindered in their professional study of Japanese language and literature. However, what each international student does not understand about Japanese culture and literature is different, and it is impossible to predict everything in advance. Therefore, we do not necessarily follow the syllabus below, but rather we would like to flexibly organize the class schedule so that we can work on solving any problems that we find. We also want to actively take up questions about Department of Japanese Language and Literature 's classes in general. Therefore, the progress may be trial and error, but please be proactive in asking questions and expressing your wishes.

"Current Status of Festivals" Japan's "festivals" boast not only an astonishing number, but also a great diversity. No matter how old and unchanging they may seem as "traditions" in each region, as long as they are passed down by human hands, festivals are nothing but "living cultures" that continue to change dynamically with the times. In this class, we will dive into the sites of festivals that have been experiencing particularly drastic changes in recent years, and explore their contemporary significance and future possibilities.

In the history of Japanese art, we will consider paintings that flourished in the early modern and Edo periods. Recently, the appeal of Edo period paintings has been rediscovered, and their unique forms have attracted the interest of many people, including those overseas. Here, we will set a cross-section of painting art that symbolizes the culture of the Edo period, and look at its details while taking an overview of Edo painting in general.
In the fall semester, we will study the Edo art world and discuss the person and works of Hiroshige Utagawa, an artist who produced famous place paintings in the early 19th century. We will also touch upon artists and examples of ukiyo-e related works from the late Edo period.

I would like to consider how so-called "Japanese culture" can internalize the framework of its own country amidst the clashes and appeasements with other countries and cultures. This means obtaining a different perspective or point of view from the framework of "Japan" and examining the conditions for the establishment and formation of culture relatively and objectively, and also reexamining concepts such as tradition and innovation.
In this year's "Japan Studies" class, I would like to look at phenomena and discourses that are considered universal concepts that can be found anywhere in the world, but which are given regional elements and are considered to be uniquely Japanese, as material for considering the framework of the "world" and "Japan" that is distinctive within it. In particular, I would like to focus on "magic."
Magic is considered a premodern and uncivilized secret ritual inferior to reason, which is the basis of scientific or civilized technology, but it exists all over the world, and each region has its own unique form of magic. In classics from the Meiji and Taisho periods, the self-awareness that Japan also has its own unique form of magic is often seen. Magic, which was once a Buddhist term, has been transformed into a special use, as in ninjutsu and yojutsu, and even today it is used freely and roughly as entertainment and occult material, but it can also show a universal world view, while being centered on a certain culture.
By considering "magic" as a device that allows Japan to view itself as "Japan," I would like to think about Japan's sense of self in modern times, the modern reorganization of pre-modern cultural resources, and our way of life in the present day.

We will look at the history of Japanese culture through Noh. Noh was perfected during the Muromachi period and has continued to be performed up until the present day. While its expressive basis is classical literature from the Middle Ages, it has continued to have a major influence on subsequent cultures (literature, performing arts, art, etc.), and Noh itself can be said to form one of the foundations of "Japanese culture." We will deepen our understanding of Japanese culture through the world of Noh works and its scope.

Through reading textbooks and papers, students will learn the principles and research methods of Japanese linguistics.

Throughout Chinese history, many works of art have been lost with the rise and fall of dynasties. Many of the ancient and medieval works that remain in China have been excavated from tombs and cellars. There are also examples of works that were brought to Japan through diplomatic relations and exchanges between Buddhist monks and have survived to the present day.
In this class, we will take up ancient and medieval Chinese artworks that are fortunate enough to still exist, dividing them into two themes. The first half of the class will provide an overview of funerary art from the Shang to early Tang dynasties, tracing the historical development of China's unique beliefs and views on life and death. The second half will take up several artworks produced in China under the influence of Western Iranian (Persian) culture, and discuss the characteristics of the forms that were born from cross-cultural interaction.

This course will explain the state of the Japanese economy based on economic theory. After explaining the basic concepts of economics, we will use the latest data to explain whether the real Japanese economy is behaving in accordance with the theories taught by economics. Japanese Economy I will focus on issues such as declining birth rates, employment issues, and aging population issues.
The goal is to gain a grasp of the current state of the Japanese economy and acquire the ability to deal with current economic issues.

Where is Japanese "Uta"?: A Study of Early Modern and Contemporary Seven-Five (Six-Eight) Mechanics
When we think of Japanese poetry, we often think of waka, tanka, hokku, and haiku. However, there was another style of Japanese poetry. That style was long poems in seven-five rhythm (six-eight rhythm).
This long poem originated from the Buddhist song "Wasan" that was created in the mid-Heian period (late 10th century to early 11th century). Mainly in Pure Land Buddhism, it sings the praises of the beauty of paradise and the heart of devotion to Amida Buddha in every possible way. In the late Heian period (12th century), "Wasan" gave birth to the elegant and lyrical "Imayo", while in the Kamakura period (13th century), it produced Shinran's "Sanjo Wasan", a rigid philosophical poem.
Since the early modern period, "wasan" has become a form of folk poetry, and has come to express things such as memorials for those killed in disasters, women's repentance for their "sins," lessons for children, and legends and tales. This trend has continued into modern times, with "wasan" being written to memorialize those killed in the Great Kanto Earthquake and modern wars, and more recently, to commemorate those killed in the Great Tohoku Earthquake. In the Meiji period (19th century), the "wasan" form was also adopted in the translation of hymns, and these hymns became the basis for "shintai-shi" (new style poetry). Later, Hagiwara Sakutaro produced "Eijitsu-wasan" and "Wasan-zassan," and Terayama Shuji also showed a strong interest in "wasan."
The instructor specializes in the Manyoshu and its reception, but has been interested in the roots of Japanese "uta" (poetry) rooted in the people, which differs from the "orthodox" history of Japanese poetry that progresses from the Manyoshu to imperial waka. Through this lecture, I hope to survey that history.
In the first semester of the Special Lecture on Japanese Literature I [1], we will examine early modern and contemporary poetry in seven-five rhythm (six-eight rhythm).