History 1023. Japan 101: Japan in Asia and the World

poster for history 1023 close up of rising sun flag

photo of professor david howell
Prof. David Howell

photo of professor Andrew Gordon
Prof. Andrew Gordon

Japan is a collection of islands, but its past and present unfolds through continuous interaction with wider worlds. This course places Japan in contexts of Asian and global history. It begins with the people, institutions, and ideas of premodern Japan, from the emergence of a court-centered state 1500 years ago to a warrior-dominated society centuries later. We then examine the tumultuous process of change from the 19th century through the present and explore how people in Japan have dealt with the dilemmas of modernity that challenge us all.

No prior college level History is required or assumed. Students seeking to fulfill their Social Sciences distribution requirement and freshmen welcome.

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