JPNB42 Contemporary Japan: Selected Topics in Politics, History and Culture

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025

The course is not taught in Spring 2025

Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Ing. Ivo Plšek, M.A., M. P. P., Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Zuzana Kubovčáková, M.A., Ph.D.
Department of Japanese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of Japanese Studies – Asia Studies Centre – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites
English fluency
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
How has Japan changed? How has it not changed? Who shaped this trajectory the most? And what lies ahead? In this class, we will focus on the developments and events that defined Japan in the last thirty years - the Hesei era (1989 – 2019). In search for answers to our questions, we will explore a broad range of issues. We will study Japanese foreign policy, domestic politics, economics, environmental and demographic challenges as well as globalization and its effects on the Japanese society. We will identify the most important developments in each policy area and conduct in-depth reading and debates about them. At the end of this class, students will gain a much firmer understanding of where Japan is today, how it came to be this way, and what challenges lie in its future.

Pre-requisites: English fluency is essential. Participants in this course must be able to read English newspapers and scholarly literature, and discuss their contents in a seminar setting. Furthermore, a deep interest in or knowledge of Japan is indispensable. Japan majors are strongly encouraged to participate. This course will address topics which have not been covered in their program yet. Students specializing in area studies (China, Korea), international relations, politics, economics, history or sociology will also find this class relevant. Concepts used in these disciplines will be applied to Japan.
Learning outcomes
After passing this class, students will become better interpreters of present-day Japan. They will not only familiarize themselves with the most pressing issues covered daily by Japanese and foreign media outlets, but they will also know learn to contextualize these issues in a broader historical and social context.
Syllabus
  • 1.The Hesei era – major trends. Economics - Lost decade, Abenomics.
  • 2.Demographic Challenges - Aging society, Declining population, Kaso.
  • 3.The "third" opening of Japan - Migration, Education, In-bound tourism, Tokyo Olympics.
  • 4.Foreign Policy - North Korea, Okinawa base controversy, Territorial disputes, The History Problem.
  • 5.Domestic Politics - Continued rule of LDP, Constitutional reform, Emperor’s abdication.
  • 6.Japanese Ills: Fukushima; Hikikomori, Gender inequality.
  • 7.Future trends and challenges ahead.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • SAITŌ, Takeshi. Hikikomori : adolescence without end. Translated by Jeffrey Angles. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2013, xix, 192. ISBN 9780816654581. info
    not specified
  • LLOYD PARRY, Richard. Ghosts of the tsunami. First published. London: Vintage, 2018, 276 stran. ISBN 9781784704889. info
  • Critical issues in contemporary Japan. Edited by Jeff Kingston. First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2014, xv, 309. ISBN 9780415857451. info
  • Contemporary Japanhistory, politics, and social change since the 1980s. Edited by Jeff Kingston. 2nd ed. Malden, Mass.: John Wiley & Sons, 2013, ix, 313 p. ISBN 9781118315057. info
  • Routledge handbook of Japanese culture and society. Edited by Victoria Lyon-Bestor - Theodore C. Bestor - Akiko Yamagata. Pbk. ed. London: Routledge, 2013, xvi, 325. ISBN 9780203818459. info
  • KINGSTON, Jeff. Japan in transformation, 1945-2010. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2011, xxxii, 189. ISBN 9781408234518. info
  • SUGIMOTO, Yoshio. An introduction to Japanese society. 3. ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010, xi, 345. ISBN 9780521879569. info
  • HOLLOWAY, Susan D. Women and family in contemporary Japan. First published. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010, xii, 243. ISBN 9780521180375. info
Teaching methods
Instructor-led debates will be the main method of teaching. Lectures will further supplement discussions where assigned readings do not provide sufficient information. For each meeting (consisting of four contact hours), students will be asked to read three to four journal articles/book chapters.
Assessment methods
The grade will consist of participation assessment (10%), weekly quizzes (50%) and a final exam (40%). Weekly quizzes will be short multiple-choice tests, designed to check students’ reading preparation. The final will also take the form of multiple-choice exam. Attendance is not mandatory but absences will negatively affect the overall grade due to missed weekly quizzes.

Grade distribution:

A 100% -90%
B 89% - 80%
C 79 - 75%
D 74% - 70%
E 69% - 65%
F 64% - 0%
Language of instruction
English
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught: every week.
General note: Předmět je určen i pro studenty mimo mateřské obory.
Teacher's information
When you contact the instructor, use English only. Office hours will take place each Friday after classes.
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