Kyoto Consortium for Japanese Studies
Course Syllabus ‒ Spring 2024

Japanese Modern Literature as World Literature(in advanced-level Japanese)

世界⽂学としての⽇本近代⽂学（上級⽇本語）KCJS, Spring 2024, Monday and Thursday 1:10-2:40
Instructor: Shigemi Nakagawa

Course Description

Japanese literature has a history of over 1,000 years. Despite the fact that Japanese is one of
the less spoken languages in the world, Japanese literature has made a global impact, probably
because of its long history and an interest in its special cultural background.
In this course, we will consider various methods for rethinking Japanese literature as world
literature, while at the same time exploring how Japanese literature has been generated in themodern era.
Specifically, we will read literature, Japanese short stories, from the Meiji period to present
onward, while considering how "Japanese modern literature" developed in the cultural context
of modern Japan. At the same time, we will attempt to read literature centered on discussion,referring to visual works and other materials, while taking up a wide range of issues shared by
the world, such as imperialism, colonialism, Marxism, and gender, in a contemporaneousmanner.
This class will consist of lectures, discussions, and presentations. In lieu of a final exam,students will give a presentation on the research topic of their choice and write a final paper
based on their own research and analysis.
Students are expected to compile by the beginning of the class a short essay on Japanese
literature, Japanese films, animation, manga, etc. that they have been exposed to. From there,
we will begin to consider the global simultaneity of Japanese literature and culture. It is hopedthat this will be a fruitful learning experience in the Japanese language and literature for thestudents.
Occasionally it may be useful for us to refer to translations of the original to analyze stylistic
aspects of the work or discuss strategies for interpreting and translating a literary work, but
as much as possible, the texts to be read in class as well as the language of instruction anddiscussion of our readings will be in Japanese. Students will therefore be expected to be atadvanced (fourth-year) level Japanese or higher to take this class.

Evaluation:

Weekly assignments: (10 X 3%) 30%
Presentation and Final Essay assignment:30%
Class presentation: 15%
Final essay (due April 22) 20%
Participation and Progress: 10%
Percentage grades will be assigned to all work submitted.

WEEK I

January 15: Introduction to course and its methods: What is Japanese Modern literature?
Short introduction of Japanese Literature History.
Readings: Mitsuyoshi NUMANO “Toward a New Age of World Literature”
file:///C:/Users/imagi/Downloads/reny001012%20(1).pdf
January 18: Tales of Genji in modern era. Translation and adaptation within Japanese
literature. What is world literature?
Reading: Michael Emmerich The Tale of Genji: Translation, Canonization, and World
Literature,· Columbia University Press,2013https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=_S8AAQAAQBAJ&pg=GBS.PA1&hl=ja
WEEK II

January 22: World literature vs Japanese literature? How to consider Literature conception.
Readings:Hirabayashi Taiko“ Blind Chinese solder” 盲中国兵
January 25: War and Literature
Readings: Shigemi Nakagawa：”Reading War“ 「戦争をよむ」岩波新書 2017WEEK III

January 29:Reading Japanese modern literature1:Natsume Soseki 現代⽇本の開化
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000148/files/759_44901.html
February 1: :Reading Japanese modern literature２：Mori Ogai”妄想“
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000129/files/683_23194.html
WEEK Ⅳ

February 5:Reading Japanese literature3:Nagai Kafu” 新歸朝者⽇記“11 ⽉ 28 ⽇
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/001341/files/59298_73052.html
February 8：Reading Japanese literature4:Arishima Takeo”⼆つの道”
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000025/files/207_42018.html
WEEKⅤ

February 12:Holiday
February 15: Reading Japanese literature5:Akutagawa Ryunosuke:“藪の中”https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000879/files/24454_47036.html
WEEKⅥ

February 19:Literature and Cinema：
Film:Kurosawa Akira“Rashomon ”羅⽣⾨February 22:Discussion How consider the difference between literature and cinema
Reading: Nigel Andrews” How Akira Kurosawa conquered the west ̶ and gave back”
https://www.ft.com/content/29b63a0f-3c30-4de9-9456-fa48118978ff
WEEKⅦ

February 26: Reading Japanese literature6:Yokomitsu Riichi “頭ならび腹“https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000168/files/2158_23275.html
February29: Reading Japanese literature7:Hayama Yoshiki“セメント樽の中の⼿紙”
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000031/files/228_21664.html
reading:George Sipos”Tenko: Cultures of Political Conversion in Transwar Japan”
Routledge 2021
WEEKⅧMarch4- 7 Spring breakWEEKⅨMarch11:Reading Japanese literature8：Hara Tamiki”夏の花“
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000293/files/4680_18529.html
March 14:Reading Literature and Atomic bomb:
John Whittier Treat “Writing Ground Zero: Japanese Literature and the Atomic Bomb”
WEEKⅩ

March11：Reading Japanese literature9：Sakaguchi Ango“天皇⼩論”
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/001095/files/42891_21292.html
March14: Reading Japanese literature10:Hayashi Fumiko”下町“
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/000291/files/42159_23807.html
https://books.google.co.jp/books?id=UIajAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA74&hl=ja&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=1#v=onepage&q&f=true
WEEKⅪMarch18：Japanese Womenʼs contemporary Literature
Reading:JoanEricson”The orijins of the concept of “Womenʼs Literature”
March 21:Spring TripWEEKⅫMarch25:Reading Japanese Literature11: Tanizaki Junichiro”細雪「回顧」“
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/001383/files/57371_65232.html
March28:Film Ichikawa Kon”細雪“Reading: Tanizaki Junichiro”細雪”
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/001383/files/56698_59488.html
WEEKXⅢ

April1: Film Ichikawa Kon”細雪“Reading: Tanizaki Junichiro”細雪”
https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/001383/files/56698_59488.html
April4:reading Japanese literature:Disaster and Literature,Tsushima Yuko”半減期を祝って“
Reading: Kimura Saeko /anne bayard”世界⽂学としての“震災後⽂学”明⽯書店 2021
WEEK XⅣ

April 8,11: Student Presentations

WEEK XⅤ

April15, 18: Student Presentations
Reference Books for Further StudyDavid Damrosch “What is World Literature”Princton Univ.Press 2003
Emily Apter”The translation Zone” Princton Univ.Press 2006
Franco Moretti “Distanct Reading” Verso2013
Alexander Beecroft “An ecology of world literature” Verso 2015
Pheng Cheah “What is a world” Duke Univ.Press 2016