Admission requirements
Students are strongly encouraged to take “BA2 Introduction to the Political Economy of Modern Japan”. This is not, however, a formal requirement for admission to this course. For students who have not taken “BA2 Introduction to the Political Economy of Modern Japan” prior to taking this course, familiarity with the core reading is strongly advised.
Description
This course follows on from the lecture-based fall semester course, “Introduction to Political Economy of Modern Japan”. The course is based upon class discussion of expanded topics and issues relating to the political economy of modern Japan.
Students will work in small groups to consider and discuss the seminar topics and to relate what they learn in the seminar to reports and debates within the literature relating to the political economy of modern Japan. The seminar-based classes therefore provide students with an opportunity to lead discussions and engage with debates over the political economy of modern Japan.
This course is divided into three sections.
In the fisrt section, we discuss key features of Japan’s domestic political economy, including: Japan’s unique relations and networks between parent firms and their subcontracting firms, and between firms and banks; the of hollowing out of production and the nation state; government spending and tax system; welfare system; environemtal and nuclear policies (especially in the light of the 2011 Fukushima disaster).
In the second section, seminars focus on the international location of Japan’s political economy, including its political and economic relations with key global actors such as US, China and the EU, and Japan’s position in the international market.
The third section provide a focus of recent develpment in Japan’s political economy, exploring the development of ‘Abenomics’.
Course objectives
This course provides key features of Japan’s domestic political economy and focuses on the international location of Japan’s political economy.
Students are expected to gain the ability to:
Acquire a sound knowledge of debates and issues in the political economy of Japan;
Explore expanded topics and issues relating to the political economy of modern Japan;
Provide an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of Japan’s modern political economy;
Communicate clear and coherent analysis in a range of forms and contexts, including written responses and class discussion
Timetable
Mode of instruction
- Seminar
The instructor will give an interactive talk in the first half of the class and initiate class discussion. The students are encouraged to participate discussions. The seminars take the forms of group discussion, debate, role play, depending on the contents of each week’s topic. The students should finish the required reading, prepare for the seminar questions (sent in advance) beforehand, and come to seminars ready to contribute; and their performance in the seminars will be assessed.
Course Load
A brief calculation of the course load, broken down by:
All students MUST (140 hours for 5 ECs):
1. Attend and participate in 13 × 2-hour lecture/seminar sessions (26 hours);
2. Complete readings and contribute to web posts, and seminar discussions every week (5 hours*13 65 hours);
3. Written examination (49 hours)
Assessment method
Assessment and grading method (in percentages):.
Participation element (incl. attendance, participation, and webposts): 40%
Written examination essay: 60%
Blackboard
A handbook denoting weekly readings will be posted on Blackboard by mid July. Additional information (useful websites, types of journals etc…) will also be found on blackboard over the course of the semester.
Reading list
Core textbooks (to be expanded and weakly readings will be announced in the handbook later)
Hook, G, Gilson, J., Chistopher, W. H. and Dobson, H. (2012) Japan’s International Relations: Politics, economic and security, third edition (Oxon: Routledge)
Huang, X (ed.) Modern Economic Development in Japan and China: Developmentalism, Capitalism, and the World Economic System (London: Palgrave Macmillan).
Flath, D. (2014) The Japanese Economy, Third Edition (Oxford”Oxford University Press)
Lechevalier, S. (2014) The Great Transformation of Japanese Capitalism capitalism (Oxon: Routledge).
Boyer, R. Uemura, H. and Isogai, A (2012) ‘Introduction Asia: a social laboratory of contemporary capitalisms?’ in Boyer, R., Uemura, H. and Isogai, A. (2012) Diversity and Transformations of Asian Capitalism (Oxon: Routledge).
Rosenbluth, F. M., and Thies, M. F. (2010) Japan Transformed: Political Change and Economic Restructuring, (Woodstock: Princeton University 2010).
Estévez-Abe, M (2008) Welfare and Capitalism in Postwar Japan (New York: Cambridge University Press), chapter 3-6.
Miura, M. (2012) Welfare through Work: Conservative Ideas, Partisan Dynamics, and Social Protection in Japan (New York: Cornell University Press), chapter1-3.
Taylor A. C. (ed.) Japan: Background, Issues and Developments (New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc.).
Registration
through uSis
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Registration Studeren à la carte via: www.hum.leidenuniv.nl/onderwijs/alacarte
Registration Contractonderwijs via: http://www.hum.leidenuniv.nl/onderwijs/contractonderwijs/
Contact
Remarks
This course follows on from “BA2 Introduction to the Political Economy of Modern Japan”. Students are encouraged to take the BA2 introduction to political economy of modern Japan in fall semestar and gain a foundation knowledge over Japan’s political economy.