Graduate School of Humanities

(Credit 2)

Intended Year:
Intended School:
Introduction to Japanese Studies
Introduction to Japanese Studies
Sub Title@ Introduction to Japanese Studies
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Course Code:
2019 FallTerm
weekly Wed4
Ito Classroom
E‰Θ–Ϊ (English, English)
Course Overview Japan was the first country outside Europe and North America that rapidly modernized and industrialized after models of the Western nation state. It goes without saying that this development did not occur without difficulties. There were many problems and Japan managed to overcome most of those during the process. Scholars from many disciplines have discussed for a long time why Japan could achieve this development. It is still a very important question in a variety of research disciplines like history, economics, or political and social science. Learning about the Japanese experience of modernization is important for two major reasons. First, it contributes to an understanding of how modern societies can form outside of a European context. Second, it can provide an insight of how to overcome the problems of our contemporary globalizing world, like global warming, pollution, inequality of wealth, and ethnic tensions.
The aim of this class is to provide JICA students, who are enrolled in various different graduate schools of Kyushu University, with basic knowledge about Japanese culture, history, and society and their changes during the modernization process since mid-19th century. Alongside with the knowledge of their respective (predominantly technical) majors, this basic knowledge shall help students to see the process of modernization in a broader context, in order to become better contributors to the development and modernization of their home countries.
This lecture is going to be held by multiple professors covering a variety of different relevant topics.
Last updated : 2019/12/11 (09:25)