About the course

Goals of the course:

We will examine the ways in which literature and the visual arts have interacted in Japan from classical times to the modern period. Our texts are examples of poetry, fiction, picture scrolls, paintings. calligraphy, woodblock prints, drama, films, and animation. We will observe how images and ways of seeing and reading them resonate with, recur, and are transformed by the historical moment in which they appear. By the end of the semester, you will:

• Develop a working knowledge of common images and topoi in Japanese literature and art.
• Explore some Japanese ways of approaching the composition and consumption of verbal and visual texts.
• Challenge assumptions about what is "Japanese" about Japanese aesthetics, and create new questions about it.
• Know the meaning of names, terms, and places under discussion, and understand how they relate to one another.
• Be familiar with basic research tools and methods, write a well-argued, informed, and critically-engaged paper, and be able to speak about your research with clarity and confidence.

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Required texts:

Three of the assigned texts should be purchased at the DUC bookstore. Otherwise, all assigned texts are available through on-line reserve, www.library.emory.edu. Please bring a copy of all assigned readings to class. Do not come to class without readings. Those who do will be marked absent.

Kakuzo Okakura. The Book of Tea. Boston: Shambala Publications. 2001.

Joan Stanley-Baker. Japanese Art. London: Thames and Hudson (1984) 2000.

Jun'ichirô Tanizaki. In Praise of Shadows. Stony Creek, CT: Leete's Island Books, 1977.

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• Requirements:

1. Read all assigned texts.
2. Strict attendance. Read "Policies" handout for attendance policy.
3. Seven written responses to readings. See handout for information on due dates.
4. Mid-term and final examination.
5. One 8-10 page paper. Paper proposal must be submitted in advance and approved by the instructor.

• Assessment:

Exams: 25% each.
Paper: 25%
Response papers: 15%
Participation (attendance, contribution to discussion): 10%

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