Course Description

Instructor: Michael McDavid

Japan is an island nation with a complex history and culture stretching back several thousand years. In this course we will survey the development of Japanese civilization from its hunter-gatherer roots to its emergence as a powerful state that nonetheless borrowed heavily from its Chinese and Korean neighbors. Topics to be covered include placing Japan into the larger context of East Asian history, tracing the evolution of its unique political systems, and understanding the development of its dual religions and their impact on the arts. We will pay particular attention to the creation of Japan’s own “feudal system� and the culture it spawned, a culture that did not change until forced to by Western intervention in the 19th century. Lastly we will examine the process through which Japan evolved rapidly to become the first “modern� state in Asia by the beginning of the 20th century.