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Japanese 001. Elementary Japanese (5 units)
Course Description: An introduction to spoken and written Japanese in cultural contexts, with emphasis on communication. (Students who have successfully completed Japanese 002 or 003 in the 10th or higher grade in high school may receive unit credit for this course on a P/NP grading basis only.)
Prerequisite: None.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, Oral Literacy and World Cultures.
Format: Lecture/Discussion - 5 hours.
Textbooks:
- Eri Banno, et al., Genki I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese [2nd Edition] (Japan Times/Tsai Fong Books, 2011)
- Eri Banno, Genki I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Workbook [2nd Edition] (Japan Times/Tsai Fong Books, 2011)
Japanese 004. Intermediate Japanese (5 units)
Course Description: Intermediate-level communication skills in spoken and written Japanese in cultural context, based on language skills developed in Japanese 003.
Prerequisite: Japanese 003 or Language Placement Exam.
GE credit (New): Arts and Humanities, Oral Literacy and World Cultures.
Format: Lecture/Discussion - 5 hours.
Textbooks:
- Eri Banno, et al., Genki II: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese [2nd Edition] (Japan Times/Tsai Fong Books, 2011)
- Eri Banno, et al., Genki II: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese Workbook [2nd Edition] (Japan Times/Tsai Fong Books, 2011)
Japanese 010. Masterworks of Japanese Literature (4 units) [Taught in English]
Joseph Sorensen
CRN 47962
Course Description: This course serves as an introduction, in English, to selected masterworks of Japanese literature from the 7th century into the 21st. We will read from a wide variety of genres: poetry (both ancient and modern), myths, tales, novels, plays, and short stories. The course is organized chronologically around a central theme: depictions of love in literature. We will consider the historical and cultural context of each work, as well as the conventions of the various genres we encounter in our readings. Among the questions to be considered throughout the course are: What kinds of love and what aspects of love are depicted in literature? How are they represented? What is not represented? What does it mean to be a “masterpiece” of literature? This course has no prerequisites, and there is no assumption of prior knowledge of Japanese language, history, or culture. Students' grades based on quizzes, in-class discussion, term paper, midterm and final exams.
Prerequisite: None.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, World Cultures and Writing Experience.
Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Discussion - 1 hour.
Textbooks:
- TBA
Japanese 101. Japanese Literature in Translation: The Early Period (4 units) [Taught in English]
Wheeler
CRN 47987
Course description: Study of early Japanese literature from the Nara to the end of the Heian period through a broad survey of the major literary genres such as lyric poetry, court diaries, prose narratives, poem-tales, and classical Chinese writings.
Prerequisite: None.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, World Cultures and Writing Experience.
Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Discussion - 1 hour.
Textbooks:
- TBA
Japanese 111. Modern Japanese: Reading and Discussion (4 units)
| Section | Instructor | CRN |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | Kazuhide Takeuchi | 47887 |
| 002 | Moeko Watanabe | 47888 |
| 003 | Yumiko Shibata | 47889 |
Course Description: JPN 111 is the second in the sequence of third-year Japanese courses at UCD (equivalent to the former JPN 112). In JPN 111, students learn to present information and opinions in logically connected, coherent, and culturally appropriate ways. They also learn to read and to write for various purposes and audiences. Students do extensive reading about Japanese culture and learn to think and speak critically about this information. The topics of readings include Japanese culinary culture, religions, pop culture and traditional theatrical arts. Written styles needed for different purposes and audiences are also studied and practiced. Students are expected to retain 504 kanji by the end of JPN 006 and learn an additional 210 new kanji in JPN 111.
Prerequisite: Successful completion (C- or better) of Japanese 006 or the equivalent language proficiency.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, Oral Literacy and World Cultures.
Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Discussion - 1 hour.
Textbooks:
- Oka Mayumi, Tobira: Power Up Your Kanji (Kuroshio Publishers, 2010)
- Oka Mayumi, Tobira: Gateway to Advanced Japanese Learning through Content and Multimedia (Kuroshio Publishers, 2010)
- Jack Halpern, The Kodansha Kanji Learner's Dictionary: Revised and Expanded (Kodansha USA, 2013)
Japanese 121. Advanced Japanese I (4 units)
Nobuko Koyama
CRN 47992
Course Description: This course is the first of three courses in a series of 4th year Advanced Japanese which focuses on the levels of formality or politeness in conversation as well as socio-cultural aspects and topics in the Japanese society. The first of three courses will have a special focus on everyday genres of readings and writings.
The course is designed to accomplish five major objectives. First, it will help students develop a higher level of reading and writing skills as they familiarize with socio-cultural topics. Second, it will help students improve their levels of formality in speaking in different situations, both public and non-public. Third, it will also help students develop critical thinking and manners for discussion in Japanese. Fourth, it will help students learn idiomatic expressions and more complex syntactic forms. Lastly, it will help students acquire overall proficiency equivalent to N2 of Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).
To achieve these goals, the course will provide students with the readings from a variety of genres and require them to write from a short prose to an essay. Based on their reading and writing, students will be engaged in round-table discussions and make oral presentations.
Prerequisite: Japanese 113 or consent of instructor (nkoyama@ucdavis.edu).
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, Oral Literacy, World Cultures and Writing Experience.
Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Discussion - 1 hour.
Textbooks:
- All readings provided online.
Japanese 134. Readings in the Humanities: Traditional Culture (4 units)
Joseph Sorensen
CRN 63085
Course description: In this course we will read very short articles in Japanese, usually two pages in length, on a variety of topics related to traditional Japanese culture. Keeping in mind the constructed nature of “traditional culture,” we will discuss (in Japanese to the extent possible) the elements that comprise our notions of traditional Japan. Topics range from calligraphy, gardening, and traditional music, to paper-making, woodblock prints, and temple and shrine architecture. Subject matter will in part be determined by the interests of the students. The goal of the course is to train students to read non-fiction materials critically, as well as for basic information, and to use a variety of dictionaries proficiently in order to produce acceptable English translations. The course also serves to expose students to a wide range of traditional Japanese arts. As a fourth-year reading course, students are expected to have completed third-year Japanese at UC Davis or achieved a similar level at a comparable institution. Students who have not completed JPN 113 at UC Davis should consult with the instructor (jsorensen@ucdavis.edu).
Prerequisite: Japanese 113; or equivalent language proficiency, or consent of instructor (jsorensen@ucdavis.edu).
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities and World Cultures.
Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Discussion - 1 hour; Term Paper.
Textbooks:
- A Course Reader
Japanese 154. Tourism & Heritage in Japan (4 units) [Taught in English]
Michael Foster
CRN 64009
Course Description: This course examines how cultural heritage is used as a resource for tourism in Japan. Major objectives are: 1) to introduce critical discourses of tourism, with a focus on concepts of tradition, authenticity, and nostalgia; 2) to examine the notion of “cultural heritage”; and 3) to explore these issues within the particular context of Japan. How has tourism been part of Japanese history? What does it mean to invoke words such as “authentic” and “traditional” and “heritage”? What is nostalgia, and how is it commodified? Against this theoretical backdrop, we will explore specific ways in which Japan articulates (and sells) its own heritage. Students will learn about important tourist attractions, including the built environment (e.g., historic temples, shrines) and forms of cultural performance on the national and local level (e.g., festivals, rituals). Students will also consider how contemporary media, such as anime, manga, literature, film, and television drama, inspire the creation of tourist sites around the country (“contents tourism”). We will also discuss Japan’s interaction with UNESCO as part of global discourses on cultural preservation. Class will be a combination of lecture and discussion. All readings will be in English and no previous knowledge of Japanese language or culture is required.
Prerequisite: None.
GE credit (New): Arts & Humanities, World Cultures, and Writing Experience.
Format: Lecture - 3 hours; Discussion - 1 hour.