REQUIREMENTS

Assigned readings are to be completed before class. Students are expected to lead at least one in-class presentation during the semester. Weekly response papers (250 words) are to be submitted to my office or via email each Monday by 10:00 am except on weeks when a short essay is due. Two short essays, approximately 1,000 words (4 pages) in length, and a final paper, approximately 2,000 words (8 pages) in length, are to be submitted during the course of the semester. One-half letter grade will be deducted for each day written assignments are submitted beyond the specified date. Regular attendance, contribution to class discussion, viewing of screened films, and completion of assignments will factor into final grade. Film screenings are normally scheduled for Thursday evenings at 7:00 pm. See syllabus for additional information and instructions concerning films.

The following books can be purchased at the Jeffery Amherst College Store:

The Fantastic in Modern Japanese Literature: Susan Napier
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World: A Novel: Murakami Haruki
The Woman in the Dunes: Kôbô Abe
Seven Japanese Tales: Jun’ichirô Tanizaki

Additional materials will be distributed in reading packets available from the Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations office in 110 Webster. A fee will be charged to your account to cover duplication costs.

Reference materials and suggested readings will be available on reserve for the course. Including the following:

Bordwell, Film Art (PN1995 .B617 1990)
Keene, Dawn to the West (PL726.55 .K39 1984)
Napier, Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke (NC1766.J3 N37 2001)
Varley, Japanese Culture (DS821 .V36 2000)

Unless otherwise noted film screenings will be held on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm in Fayerweather 115. If you are unable to attend a scheduled film screening make arrangements to view the film in the media center before the class meeting in which the film will be discussed. The call number for the film, when available, follows the title (in English then Japanese), director, year released, and length of film. Films will normally be available at the reserve desk for the course, but please note that films are subject to limited availability in the media center.


1/27 Princess Mononoke (Mononoke hime; Miyazaki Hayao, 1997, 134m: PN1997 .M64713 DVD)
2/3 Spirited Away (Sen to chihiro, Miyazaki Hayao, 2001, 124m  PN1997.2 .S657)
2/10 Ugetsu (Ugetsu Monogatari; Mizoguchi Kenji,1953, 96 m,  PN1997 .U34) *** in Web 217***
3/2 Horse/Kappa/House (Abraham Ravett, 1995, 33m 16mm) ***in campus theater***
2/17 Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa, 1951, 88m, PL801.K8 Y391) *** in Web 217***
2/24 Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka, Isao Takahata, 1988, 88m, PN1997. H67
3/3 Godzilla (Gojira, Honda Ishirô, 1954, 108m, PN1997 G5743 1954)
3/10 Ghost in the Shell (Kôkaku kidôtai;Mamoru Oshii, 1995, 82m, PN1997 .G48  DVD)
3/24 Akira (Katsuhiro Otomo 1987, 124m, PN6790.J3 O8691)
3/31 Kwaidan (Masaki Kobayashi, 161m, PS1916 .K63
4/5 Ring (Hideo Nakata 1998, 98m; Japan VHS)***Tuesday @ 7 pm in 115 FAY***
4/7 Ring, the (Gore Verbinski, 2002, 115m,  PL861.U95 R569)
4/14 Woman in the Dunes (Suna no onna; Teshigahara Hiroshi, 1969, 127m, PL845.B4 S81391  DVD)
4/21 Ballad of Narayama (Narayama Bushi-ko, Imamura Shohei, 1982,128m  PL827 K3 N3139)
4/26 Picnic (Shunji Iwai, 1986, 68 m) ***Tuesday @ 7 pm in 115 FAY***
4/28 Afterlife (Wadafuru raifu, Kore-edo Hirokazu, 1998, 118m PN1997 W274 DVD)

--Syllabus--

• Week 1 Nature as Deity: Kami
  
  • 1/24 Course introduction: deconstructing the supernatural view: scenes from Hakkenden (1993) and Inuyasha (2000)
  • 1/26 read: Shintô Legends from Kojiki (ca. 712); “The Twilight Beauty”
    (Yûgao) chapter from The Tale of Genji (ca. 1010)
    view: scenes from animated Tale of Genji (1987) and Rikyu (1989)
  • 1/27 film: Princess Mononoke
    
    
• Week 2 Religious Magic and the Other
  
  • 1/31 Princess Mononoke response paper due by 10:00 am
    read: Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism in Ch’en “Buddhism in
    China”; Wu Chengen, Monkey (Xiyouji, ca.1580)
    view: scenes from Blade Runner (1982), Tarzan (1999), Monkey (1978)
  • 2/2 read: “Tale of the Bamboo Cutter” (Taketori monogatari; ca. 900)
  • 2/3 film: Spirited Away
    
    
• Week 3 Monsters and Modernity
  
  • 2/7 Spirited Away response paper due by 10:00 am
    read: Napier, "Introduction" and "Woman Found" in The Fantastic in Modern Japanese Literature
  • 2/9 read: Astruc, “What is Mise-en-Scène?” (1959)
  • 2/10 screening: Ugetsu
    
    
• Week 4 Possessing Spirits
  
  • 2/14 read: Tanizaki, “A Portrait of Shunkin” (1933) and "The Bridge of Dreams" in Seven Japanese Tales
  • 2/16 discuss Ugetsu and response assigments (due 2/15)
  • 2/17 film: Rashomon
    
    
• Week 5 Monsters Past
  
  • 2/21 read: Mellen, “Kurosawa’s Women”(1975)
    
  • 2/23 read: Enchi Fumiko, “The Flower Eating Crone” pp. 172-181; “Enchi Fumiko and the Hidden Energy of the Supernatural.” Wayne Pounds in The Journal of the Association of Teachers of Japanese, Vol. 24, No. 2. (Nov., 1990), pp. 167-183.
  • 2/24 film: Grave of the Fireflies
    
    
• Week 6 Monsters Present
  
  • 2/28 read: Ôe, “Prize Stock”(1958)
  • 3/2 read: Yanagita Kunio’s Tono Monogatari (1910) selections
  • film screening and discussion in class: Horse/Kappa/House (campus center theater)
  • 3/3 film: Godzilla
    
    
• Week 7 Monsters Future
  
  • 3/7 read: “The Surgery Room”(Gekashitsu, 1895) in Japanese Gothic Tales
  • 3/9 read: William Gibson , Johnny Mnemonic (1986)
  • 3/10 film Ghost in the Shell
    
  • 3/11 SHORT ESSAY I DUE in 106 Webster 3:00 pm FRI
    
    
• March 14-18 Spring Recess
  
• Week 8 Dystopian Futures
  
  • 3/21 read: Hardboiled Wonderland (1985), part I
  • 3/23 read: Hardboiled Wonderland, part II
  • 3/24 film : Akira
    
    
• Week 9 Dangerous Women
  
  • 3/28 read: “The Holy Man of Mt. Koya” (Kôya hijiri, 1900) in Japanese Gothic
  • 3/30 read: “The Tattooer” (Shisei, 1910) in Seven Japanese Tales
  • 3/31 film: Kwaidan
    
    
• Week 10 Monsters in Hiding
  
  • 4/4 read: discuss Kwaidan
  • 4/5 film: Ring (Japanese version)
  • 4/6 in class presentation and analysis of Ring (Japanese and Korean versions)
  • 4/7 film: Ring (US version)
    
    
• Week 11 The Insane
  
  • 4/11 read: "Terror" and “Aguri” in Seven Japanese Tales; in class analysis of Ring (US, Japanese and Korean versions)
  • 4/13 read: Woman in the Dunes (1962), part I (pp. 1-71)
  • 4/14 film: Woman in the Dunes
    
    
• Week 12 Dangerous Men
  
  • 4/18 read: Woman in the Dunes (1962), part II and Mellen, “Shohei Imamura: Woman as Survivor” (1975)
  • 4/20 NO CLASS at 12:30; lecture by Professor Napier 4-5 pm in 115 FAYERWEATHER
  • 4/21 film: Ballad of Narayama
    
  • 4/22 SHORT ESSAY II DUE in 106 Webster by 3:00 pm FRI
    
    
• Week 13 Haunting Dreams and Memories
  
  • 4/25 read: “One Arm” (Kataude, 1963)
  • 4/26 film: Picnic ***TUES screening***
  • 4/27 group presentations on Picnic in class
  • 4/28 film: Afterlife
    
    
• Week 14
  
  • 5/2 group presentations on Ballad of Narayama and Afterlife in class
  • 5/4 Prewriting assignment and final discussion of the supernatural
    
    
• Reading Period 5/7-8
• Final Paper due Tuesday 10 May

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