Literature and Performance in Modern Japan

This course aims to enable students to develop their understanding, appreciation and critical awareness of literature and performance in modern Japan. For students who have previously taken Introduction to Japanese Literature (ASST08053), Modern East Asian History A (ASST08042) or Society and Culture in Premodern East Asia (ASST08052), it offers the opportunity to build on the understanding of Japanese cultural identity they have acquired through reading key literary works. However, the content is accessible to any students reading for degrees in Japanese and eligible for level 10 courses.

The focus is on works that are being read and/or performed in contemporary Japan, and their implications for the national and international arts scene. The course examines ¿traditional¿ works and forms of expression that have persisted into modern times, including those that have been reinterpreted or referenced in pieces created since the mid-nineteenth century. It also looks at works that have been written, and styles that have developed, as literary or performative responses to the trends towards modernization, westernization and globalization since 1868; and investigates how literature and theatre have inspired other forms of creative media.

Credit Level: 10 

Year taken: Year 4 Undergraduate 

SCQF Credits: 20