Contemporary Japanese Culture

Code:

LA043

Acronym:

CJC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Cultural Studies

Instance: 2019/2020 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://www.davidpinhobarros.com/O-Japao-do-Pos-Guerra
Responsible unit:	Department of Germanic Studies
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Applied Languages

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
LA	17	LA - Study Plan	1	-	6	52	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

First module ("Postwar Japan")
The first module proposes a reading of Postwar Japanese history (from the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 until the death of Emperor Hirohito and the ensuing end of the Shōwa era in 1989), through the analysis of two of its richest and most recognized artistic expressions: literature and cinema.

Second module
In the second module, students will be confronted with a panoramic view on Japan and Japanese Culture. ">In the first part of this module, there will be a concise presentation of Japan's geography, lifestyle, transport and communications, industry, politics and economy to provide a broad and fundamental understanding of the main aspects of present-day Japan. ">The second part deals with Traditional Culture to familiarize learners with basic concepts related to a wide variety of Japanese arts and lifestyle. The third part will make it possible for students to acquire knowledge about Japanese culture by reading reference books on sociology, psychology and ethics about Japan. Reading these books will introduce fundamental elements of Japanese culture and will help the trainees to understand the relationship between traditional values and the aspects of the current Japanese sub-culture known as pop culture of Japan.

Learning outcomes and competences

First module ("Postwar Japan")
On completion of the first module, it is expected that the student has acquired both a diachronic and a synchronic perspective on Japan's contemporary history, that he knows the problems and challenges facing the country in the studied period and is able to relate, in an informed and creative way, artistic production with historical and cultural context.

Working method

Presencial

Program

First module ("Postwar Japan")

1. The 1940s: Japan under the American occupation
2. The 1950s: The taiyozoku generation and the arrival of capitalism
3. The 1960s: The identity crisis and the economic miracle
4. The 1970s: The fear of the apocalypse and the sexual revolution
5. The 1980s: Tradition and modernity in the transition of eras

Second module

1. Main aspects of present-day Japan
2. Traditional Culture 
3. Reference books on sociology, psychology and ethics about Japan
4. Students' presentations

Mandatory literature

Nakane, C; Japanese Society, Vermont and Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle, 1970
Doi, T; The Anatomy of dependence., Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2001
Nitobe, I; Bushido -The Soul of Japan., New York and Tokyo: ICG Muse, 2001

Complementary Bibliography

Allison, A; Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and Global Imagination, Tokyo: Shinchosha, 2010
Benedict, R.; The Chrysanthemum and the Sword., Boston, 1946
Bienati, Luisa e Scrolavezza, Paola; La Narrativa Giapponese Moderna e Contemporanea, Marsilio, 2009. ISBN: 9788831797740
Buruma, Ian; Inventing Japan, Orion Publishing Co, 2003. ISBN: 9781842126875
Desser, David; Eros Plus Massacre : Introduction to Japanese New Wave Cinema, Indiana University Press, 1988. ISBN: 9780253204691
Doi, T.; The Anatomy of dependence, Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2001
Guitiérrez, F. G.; El Arte del Japón, Madrid: Espasa-Calpe, 1967
Henshall, K. G; História do Japão, Lisboa: Edições 70, 2005
Kato, S. ; A History of Japanese literature: The first thousand years., Tokyo: Kodansha international., 2002
Kingston, Jeff; Japan in Transformation, 1945-2010, Longman, 2010. ISBN: 9781408234518
Nitobé, I.; Japan: Some phases of her problems and development., London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1931
Nitobe, I.; Bushido -The Soul of Japan, New York and Tokyo: ICG Muse, 2001
Piggot, J. ; Japão, Lisboa: Verbo, 1982
Phillips, Alastair e Stringer, Julian; Japanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts, Routledge, 2007. ISBN: 9780415328487
Richie, Donald; A Hundred Years of Japanese Films, Kodansha International Ltd, 2005. ISBN: 9784770029959
Santos, C.; O Japão: Na história, na literatura e na lenda, Lisboa: Vida Mundial Editora, 1943
Tanaka, Motoko; Apocalypse in Contemporary Japanese Science Fiction, Palgrave MacMillan, 2014. ISBN: 9781137373540
Tessier, Max; Le Cinéma Japonais, Armand Colin, 2005. ISBN: 9782200341626

Teaching methods and learning activities

1. Oral presentation with media resources.


2. The evaluation will be based on oral presentation, class participation, quizzes and an optional project.


3. Students are encouraged to participate in the discussion regarding the issues raised in the readings done in the classes. The active participation in the classes is highly evaluated.

keywords

Humanities > Arts
Humanities > History
Humanities > Literature
Social sciences > Political sciences
Social sciences > Cultural studies

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	40,00
Prova oral	30,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	108,00
Frequência das aulas	54,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Presence in 75% of the classes.

Calculation formula of final grade

Participation in classes and research work 40% + final work (written and oral): 60%.

Classification improvement

Only the written part of the evaluation may be repeated.