Admission requirements
This course is only accessible for BA Japanstudies students.
There are no strict admission requirements, but it is recommended to be familiar with Japanese literary history before 1945 (an introductory reading list is provided below).
Description
Contemporary Japanese Ecofiction: The Myth of Harmony
This course surveys contemporary Japanese literature (from 1945 onwards) focusing on representations of the environment and in particular of environmental destruction. The natural environment has long been a strong presence in Japanese literature. However, following Haruo Shirane, it can be said that these traditional representations are often biased and incomplete; they depict what Shirane calls a ‘secondary nature’. Several literary works have taken a stronger stance, especially in the aftermath of environmental disasters or catastrophic environmental degradation.
The course, after a general overview of contemporary Japanese literature from 1945 onwards, considers case studies from the 1990s to today to explore contemporary engagement with the nonhuman.
The goal of the course is to explore narratives of the environment to uncover the challenges brought to the constructed idea of harmony with nature. The theoretical framework of ecocriticism will provide the lens through which these novels will be read.
Topics will include the movement for environmental justice, literary representations of consumption and waste, responses to radioactive contamination in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster, the fluidity of boundaries between the human and the nonhuman, material agency, and deep time.
Course objectives
The main objective of the course is to familiarize students with modern and contemporary Japanese literature. At the end of the course, students will be able to trace a broad history of the developments and major changes in Japanese literary productions from the postwar period onwards. In particular, they will have become familiar with key environmental issues presented in some contemporary novels and will be able to use concepts from ecocriticism and literary theory.
The course will help students in refining their critical approach to literary texts, as well as academic skills, among which group presentations, reflecting on literary texts and academic papers, and developing an argument and writing an academic paper.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
The deadline(s) in MyTimetable is/are set for administrative purposes only. The actual date(s) will be communicated by the lecturer(s) in Brightspace.
Mode of instruction
Seminar
Assessment method
Assessment
Participation element (attendance, active participation, postings): 40%
Analytical element (group presentation): 20%
Research element (proposal and research paper 2,000-2,500 words): 40%
Weighing
The final grade is determined by the weighted average of all elements. In order to pass the course, all elements must receive a passing grade (6 or higher).
Resit
Two deadlines will be provided for the submission of the research paper. Students who do not submit the paper by the first deadline, relinquish their right for feedback and will only be graded based on their final version.
There are no ‘resits’ for the participation element.
Inspection and feedback
Feedback will be supplied primarily through Brightspace. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the assessment results, a review will be organized.
Reading list
Necessary readings for classes will be uploaded on Brightspace or can be found on the assigned ‘teacher’s shelf’ in the University Library.
It is not necessary, but recommend to have read excerpts from the following:
Marcus, Marvin. Japanese Literature: From Murasaki to Murakami. Association for Asian Studies, 2015. (Available online on Leiden University Library Catalogue)
Chapter 2 “The Golden Age: Heian Literature and the Genji Ideal,” pp. 17-30
Chapter 4 “The Bamboo Curtain: Tokugawa Literature and Culture,” pp. 45-62
Chapter 5 “A Literature of Empire: Complexities and Japanese Modernity,” pp. 63-76
I would also recommend familiarizing yourself with the literary history of Japan. There are several volumes that cover Japanese literature from its beginnings to today. I would recommend checking some chapters from:
Shirane, Haruo, et al., editors. The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature. Cambridge University Press, 2016. (Available online on Leiden University Library Catalogue)
Karatani, Kōjin. Origins of Modern Japanese Literature. Duke University Press, 1993. (Available online on Leiden University Library Catalogue)
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office: Vrieshof
Remarks
Not applicable.