Seminar on Modern Japan

Catalog description

Japan's rapid transformation from a traditional agrarian society to a modern nation-state has been one of the most intensely studied and debated topics in the historiography of Asia. This course explores the continuities and contrasts in Japanese history from the late Shogunate period to the disasters of the Pacific War; particular emphasis will be placed on how Japan came to be defined as a modern nation. Please note that this is a reading and writing intensive course that will utilize both peer-collaboration and peer-review.