L05 221: Topics in Japanese Culture: Modern Japan in Media, Literature, and Art Summer 2013, session IV (July 15 – August 15) Meets: MTWRF 9AM-10:45 Room: Cupples II, Rm. 203 Instructor: Christopher Born DESCRIPTION: This course introduces students to the historical contexts and social implications behind contemporary popular culture in Japan. We will explore a wide variety of artistic media, ranging from manga (comics), anime (animation), and literature to fashion, film, and music. Of particular concern will be the historical foundations for these cultural events, the way they have developed in the postwar period, and how they have moved beyond Japan to influence global movements. Topics include Miyazaki Hayao and environmentalism, gender roles and mobility, the self and subjectivities, idealized worlds and character tropes, and the mystery fiction. REQUIREMENTS: Attendance/Participation (daily journals)— Regular class attendance and participation are essential. Students are expected turn in a one‐page journal (typed and double‐spaced) at the beginning of each class. The daily journals are your immediate responses to the texts assigned for the day’s class. These will help you organize your thoughts, opinions, and questions on the readings before class and promote class discussion. Often these also can generate ideas for your final essay. Please bring a copy for your reference and for class discussion. **Absences (barring emergency) may result in lowering your final grade.** Review of Texts (one/week)— On Fridays (7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9), students must, in addition to their daily journals, submit a 2‐3 page (double‐spaced) review of a work of literature, criticism, film, anime, or manga assigned during the week. Be sure to be analytical in your review of the work . Thesis and Outline for Final Essay— On July 24, students must submit a thesis statement describing their final project. On July 30, students are to turn in a brief outline and provide at least three outside sources. This process will help students develop their final projects in a timely manner. Presentation of Final Essay— On the last day of class, students will be asked to make a 10‐15 minute presentation on their final essay. Visual aids are often helpful. Final Essay— A final paper (5‐7 pages double‐spaced) on a topic of your choice will be due August 15. Papers will be developed in stages (thesis statement, outline and sources, and a full version). Students are encouraged to consult related essays and studies beyond the syllabus and should try to incorporate whatever ideas these stimulate into the essay. Students are encouraged to consult with their instructor should they need assistance. EVALUATION BREAKDOWN: Attendance (daily journal) Review of Texts Thesis and Outline for Final Essay Presentation Final Essay 30% 15% 10% 5% 40% READING MATERIALS: All supplementary texts and reading assignments are available on TELESIS. The rest are available for purchase at the campus bookstore or online. Required Texts: Friedman, Miller, and Yano. Modern Girls on the Go: Gender, Mobility, and Labor in Japan. (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2013). Kelts, Roland. Japanamerica: How Japanese Popular Culture has Invaded the U.S. (New York: Palgrave, 2005). Miyabe, Miyuki. All She Was Worth. (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1999). Murakami Haruki. The Elephant Vanishes. (New York: Vintage, 1993). Schodt, Frederik. Dreamland Japan. (Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press, 2011). Yoshimoto Banana. Goodbye Tsugumi. (New York: Grove, 1989). FINAL CONCERNS: Please don’t cheat. Refer to the university’s academic integrity policy: https://acadinfo.wustl.edu/WUCRSLFrontMatter/WebWUCRSLInfo_AcadInt egrity.htm Three tardy arrivals will be the equivalent of one absence. Three unexcused absences will result in a grading penalty. If you are taking this course pass/fail, a passing grade is seventy‐eight percent or above. Consult The Writing Center (Eads 111; 314‐935‐4981) for assistance with your papers and/or presentations. Week 1 BEGINNINGS July 15 Introduction – The Japanese Version: Why study popular culture? Syllabus review, expectations, course dynamics. Introduction to the study of popular culture July 16 Discovering Popular Culture/ Introducing Manga / History of Manga and Anime Readings: ‐Kinsella, Sharon. “Introduction” & “A Short History of Manga” in Adult Manga: Culture & Power in Contemporary Japanese Society. p 1‐49(bb) ‐Kelts, Roland. Japanamerica, pp. 3‐65 ‐Schodt, Frederik. Dreamland Japan, pp. 19‐32 July 17 Understanding Visual Culture: What do you see? Readings: ‐Azuma, Hiroki. Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals, pp. 7‐49 (bb) ‐McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics, 1‐99 (bb) ‐Schodt, Frederik. Dreamland Japan, 136‐232 (Skim); 233‐274 Pick two artists from 136‐232 that intrigue you and be prepared to discuss for 3‐5 minutes. July 18 Subculture trends: Girl Culture, Otaku, Conventions, Cosplay, Moe, Oh my! Readings: ‐Ashcraft, Brian and Ueda Shoko Japanese Schoolgirl Confidential (selections on bb) ‐Galbraith, Patrick. The Otaku Encyclopedia (Selections on bb) ‐Kelts, Roland, Japanamerica, 145‐173, 205‐232 ‐Miller, Laura. “Those Naughty Teenage Girls” in Journal of Linguistic Anthropology (bb) ‐Schodt, Frederik. Dreamland Japan, 33‐72 July 19 The Loss of the Real: Kon Satoshi’s Paprika and the Postmodern Condition We will watch clips of Paprika in class as part of our discussion Readings: Perper and Cornog, “Psychoanalytic Cyberpunk Midsummer‐night’s Dreamtime: Kon Satoshi’s Paprika” in Mechademia, (Volume 4, 2009, pp. 326‐329). Glenn Ward, Teach Yourself Postmodernism, (Chicago: McGraw‐Hill, 2003), pp 55‐86. Azuma, Hiroki. Otaku: Japan’s Database Animals pp. 7‐49 (Refer to this again) Week 2 Ins and Outs, Ups and Downs of popular culture in Japan July 22 Music and Performing Arts – Guest Lecture, Eric Hunter Readings TBA July 23 Fashion and Photography – Guest Lecture, David Holloway Readings TBA July 24 Mobility, Technology, Gender Readings ‐Suzuki Kensuke, “Why Do People Become Addicted to Mobile Phones?” ‐ Preface and Chapter 1. Freedman, Miller, and Yano, Modern Girls on the Go: Gender Mobility and Labor in Japan, (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2013) pp. xi‐xiv; 1‐17 ‐Freedman, Alisa. “Bus Guides Tour National Landscapes Pop Culture and Youth Fantasies” in Freedman, Miller, and Yano, Modern Girls on the Go: Gender Mobility and Labor in Japan, (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2013) pp. 107‐130. July 25 Going Up and Out: Elevator Girls – Special Guest Lecture, Laura Miller Readings: ‐Miller, Laura. “Elevator Girls: Moving in and out of the Box” in Freedman, Miller, and Yano, Modern Girls on the Go: Gender Mobility and Labor in Japan, (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2013) pp. 41‐65 ‐Mackie, Vera. “The Dancehall Girl” in ibid. pp. 67‐82 ‐Yano, Christine. “Flying Geisha” in ibid., pp. 85‐106 July 26 Trains, Time, Location, Dislocation We will watch part of 5cm/second in class and clips from Densha Otoko Readings: ‐Freedman, Alissa. Tokyo in Transit (Selections) ‐Tayama Katai, “The Girl Watcher;” ‐Hirabayashi Taeko, “Blind Chinese Soldiers;” ‐Tanizaki Jun’ichirô, “Terror” ‐Susan Napier, “Lost in Transition: Train Men and Dolls in Millennial Japan” Week 3 ANIME AND SOCIETY July 29 Consumerism and the Otaku Culture in Kon Satoshi’s Paranoia Agent Readings: Glenn Ward, Teach Yourself Postmodernism, (Chicago: McGraw‐Hill, 2003), pp 88‐116. Gerald Figal, “Monstrous Media and Delusional Consumption in Kon Satoshi's Paranoia Agent” in Mechademia (Volume 5, 2010, pp. 139‐155). Furukawa Hideo, “Monsters” in Monkey Business: New Writing From Japan Vol 1 (2011), pp. 6‐17. July 30 Miyazaki Hayao: Anime and Environmental Consciousness We will watch clips from various Miyazaki films as part of our discussion Readings: Miyazaki Hayao, “Earth’s Environment as Metaphor” in Starting Point: 1979‐ 1996, (San Francisco: VIZ Media, 2009), 474‐432 (bb) ‐‐‐. “On the Banks of the Sea of Decay” in Starting Point: 1979‐1996, (San Francisco: VIZ Media, 2009), 165‐172. (bb) ‐‐‐. “Nature is Both Generous and Ferocious” in Starting Point: 1979‐1996, (San Francisco: VIZ Media, 2009), 332‐338. (bb) ‐‐‐. “On Nausicaä” in Starting Point: 1979‐1996, (San Francisco: VIZ Media, 2009), 283‐284. (bb) ‐‐‐. “Thougts on Japanese Animation” in Starting Point: 1979‐1996, (San Francisco: VIZ Media, 2009), 70‐85. (bb) Schodt‐Dreamland Japan, pp. 275‐282 REQUIRED: OUTSIDE OF CLASS VIEWING: 4PM OMOHIDE POROPORO July 31 Only Yesterday: Nostalgia and the Idealized World of the Past Readings: Susan Napier, Anime: From Akira to Howl’s Moving Castle, (New York: Palgrave, 2005), Chapter 14: pp. 275‐290. (bb) Millie Creighton, “Consuming Rural Japan: The Marketing of Tradition and Nostalgia in the Japanese Travel Industry” in Ethnology, Vol 36.3 (Summer, 1997), pp. 239‐254. (bb) William W. Kelly, “Rationalization and Nostalgia: Cultural Dynamics of New Middle‐Class Japan” in American Ethnologist, Vol. 13.4 (Nov., 1986), pp. 603‐618. (bb) Saga Junichi, Memories of Silk and Straw, selections (bb) August 1 Inversion of Gender Roles in Ninomiya Tomoko’s Nodame Catabile Readings: ‐Ninomiya Tomoko. Nodame Catabile Vol.1 ‐Watch Anime version of Nodame Catabile Episode 22 http://www.animecrazy.net/nodame‐cantabile‐episode‐21/ ‐Honda Masuko. “The Invalidation of Gender in Girls’ Manga Today with a Special Focus on Nodame Cantabile.” ‐Aoyama, Tomoko. “Nodame as ‘Another Culture’ ” U.S.‐ Japan Women’s Journal 38. (2010) *If you have time, view: Nodame Ep. 22 http://www.animecrazy.net/nodame‐ cantabile‐episode‐22/ August 2 Confucianism and Shōnen Anime/Manga Readings: ‐ Born – In the Footsteps of the Master ‐ T. R. Reid: Confucius Lives Next Door, pp. 1‐33 ‐ Confucius: Analects, selections ‐ The Way of the Samurai, in Sources of Japanese Tradition, Volume I (New York: Columbia University Press, 1958), pp. 389-91 SCREENING OF TEKKON KINKREET AT 4PM Week 4 WORDS AND DEEDS August 5 Good and Evil: Tekkon Kinkreet Readings: Tekkon Kinkreet Study Guide (PDF) August 6 Literature in Anime, Anime as Literature We’ll watch the Akutagawa section of Aoi Bungaku (2010) in class Readings: Akutagawa Ryûnosuke, Spider’s Thread. ‐‐‐. “Hell Screen” in Modern Japanese Literature, Donald Keene, ed. (Rutland and Tokyo: Tuttle, 1956), 307‐332. “Akutagawa Ryûnosuke: 1892‐1927” in Modern Japanese Writers, Jay Rubin, ed. (New York: Scribner, 2001), pp. 19‐30. (on permanent reserve in reference area in Olin library) August 7 Tsugumi, Haruhi: Shojo Strong, Shojo weak: Popular literature and the Female lead We’ll analyze episodes of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi IN CLASS Readings: Yoshimoto Goodbye Tsugumi, 1‐96 Kyokai no Rinne, Chapter 1 (bb) Prough, Jeni. “Raising Readers, Rearing Artists” (bb) August 8 Banana Yoshimoto Readings: Yoshimoto, Goodbye Tsugumi, 97‐186 August 9 Murakami Haruki and Postmodernity Readings: ‐Murakami Haruki, The Elephant Vanishes, 36‐49; 74‐109 ‐Iwamoto Yoshio. “A Voice from Postmodern Japan: Haruki Murakami” (bb) ‐Loughman, Celeste. “No Place I Was Meant to Be: Contemporary Japan in the Short Fiction of Murakami Haruki” Week 5 LITERATURE CONTINUED August 12 Murakami Haruki II Readings: ‐Murakami Haruki, The Elephant Vanishes, 152‐156; 307‐327; 52‐65; 196‐ 216; 218‐239 ‐Interview with Murakami Haruki from Monkey Business, vol 1 (bb) August 13 Mystery Fiction and the Yakuza Readings: Miyabe: All She was Worth 1‐126 Adelstein: Tokyo Vice (Selections) (bb) Seaman: Bodies of Evidence, Ch. 1 (bb) August 14 Miyabe Miyuki Discussion Readings: Miyabe: All She Was Worth 127‐end Saga Junichi: Confessions of a Yakuza, selections (bb) Seaman, Bodies of Evidence, Ch. 2 (bb) August 15 FINAL PRESENTATIONS and WRAPUP After class, sushi in the loop?