MODERN JAPAN

Catalog description

After reviewing early Japanese history to understand how Japanese political and cultural traditions shaped its responses to the West, this course will focus on the rise of Japan from the mid-19th. Topics include how Japan "Westernized" became a major world power by the early twentieth century, how the Japanese experiment with democracy gave way to Japanese militarism and imperialism, how the war in Asia and Pacific evolved out of confluence of Japanese nationalism and world politics, why there is a continuing controversy over the dropping of Atomic bombs to end the war, how the American occupation shaped contemporary Japan, and Japan continues to struggle with its historical legacy. This course will emphasize comparison, analysis and interpretation and include a variety of material include a variety of material including historical studies, documentaries and film.