JAPN 305: INTRO JAPANESE CLTURE/CIV
Course Description:
This course introduces various aspects of Japanese culture, including history, geography, religion, government, politics, customs and traditions. After a broad historical overview beginning in prehistory, this course focuses on the Tokugawa period as the bedrock for understanding modern Japanese society as a mass society. Taught in English. (Credit/ No Credit Available) (Prereq: Junior or Senior Standing)
Reflective Narrative:
This course helped me to fulfill my MLO 2 culture requirement. We learned first about the geography of Japan. What its islands are and the different types of climates within the country. We also went over the different periods of history starting with the Jomon period and finishing with parts of present Japan. We went over the different religions in Japan and how Shinto and Buddhism are so integrated into the culture that rather than being a religious belief that one practices its now a central part of the culture.
In this course, aside from our frequent quizzes, we had learned about the different pilgrimages and religious aspects of Japan, so for our first paper I wrote about religion as if I were explaining it to friends and where I would take them if I had the chance. This helped to review what we had gone over in class, and solidify our understanding of religion in Japanese culture. Then for the group project we made an original tour plan where we planned a theme with the locations we would have the guests go and how much it would cost them. We decided to do a tour through time where the guests would be able to see the different locations that represent Japan from the Heian period to now in both the Kantou and Kansai regions. Then for the final I wrote on how studying Japanese culture can provide a more open-mind and promote globalization. The topic I chose to explain this was the Japanese “way” concept or do.
I learned how the samurai concept, though it may not be what people think it is, is still an important aspect of Japanese culture and influencing the way Japanese minds work. It was also very interesting to see in more detail how the work structure in Japan differs from the structure in America, along with the differences in getting jobs.
I would love to learn more about culture in general, but the warring period of Japan is still one time period that none of my classes have really explored, so that is one area I would love to further develop.
This course introduces various aspects of Japanese culture, including history, geography, religion, government, politics, customs and traditions. After a broad historical overview beginning in prehistory, this course focuses on the Tokugawa period as the bedrock for understanding modern Japanese society as a mass society. Taught in English. (Credit/ No Credit Available) (Prereq: Junior or Senior Standing)
Reflective Narrative:
This course helped me to fulfill my MLO 2 culture requirement. We learned first about the geography of Japan. What its islands are and the different types of climates within the country. We also went over the different periods of history starting with the Jomon period and finishing with parts of present Japan. We went over the different religions in Japan and how Shinto and Buddhism are so integrated into the culture that rather than being a religious belief that one practices its now a central part of the culture.
In this course, aside from our frequent quizzes, we had learned about the different pilgrimages and religious aspects of Japan, so for our first paper I wrote about religion as if I were explaining it to friends and where I would take them if I had the chance. This helped to review what we had gone over in class, and solidify our understanding of religion in Japanese culture. Then for the group project we made an original tour plan where we planned a theme with the locations we would have the guests go and how much it would cost them. We decided to do a tour through time where the guests would be able to see the different locations that represent Japan from the Heian period to now in both the Kantou and Kansai regions. Then for the final I wrote on how studying Japanese culture can provide a more open-mind and promote globalization. The topic I chose to explain this was the Japanese “way” concept or do.
I learned how the samurai concept, though it may not be what people think it is, is still an important aspect of Japanese culture and influencing the way Japanese minds work. It was also very interesting to see in more detail how the work structure in Japan differs from the structure in America, along with the differences in getting jobs.
I would love to learn more about culture in general, but the warring period of Japan is still one time period that none of my classes have really explored, so that is one area I would love to further develop.