HIS 350: History of Modern Japan

Fall 2022,  MW 2-3:15, DHC 210

Professor Jonathan Skaff          

Website: http://webspace.ship.edu/jkskaf/

E-mail:  jkskaf@ship.edu          Telephone: 717-477-1255

Office Hours in Mowrey 246: MW 3:45-5:00, T 1:00-1:50, Th 1:15-3:15, and other times in-person or over Zoom by appointment. You must wear a mask in my office.

I.  Course Description

This course will explore the history of Japan during the early modern and modern periods. We will address major historical themes including: 1) traditional society and government of the Warring States and Tokugawa eras (1500-1867), 2) the impact of American and European imperialism in the mid-nineteenth century, 3) the Meiji reforms that created a modern nation-state in the late nineteenth century, 4) economic, political and social changes of the early 20^th century, 5) Japanese imperialism and colonialism in Asia from 1894 to 1945, 6) Japan’s defeat in World War II and the U.S. occupation, and 7) postwar recovery, rising and falling economic fortunes, and the Japanese version of democracy.

The class also will concentrate on developing students’ writing, public speaking, and critical thinking skills. Each class session will include at least 15 minutes of discussion of assigned readings, so it is imperative that students do readings when scheduled. All writing assignments are expected to be well argued and written. Writing mechanics, such as grammar and spelling, will be 20% of the grade on each paper. HIS 105 is the only prerequisite.

II.  Requirements

1.  Complete assigned readings, attend class, and participate in class discussion (10%)

2.  Lead a 15-minute discussion during one class session this semester (see Part IV below, 5%)

3.  Write three papers (45%)

4.  Midterm exam (20%)

5.  Final exam (20%)

III. Policies

1. Health and safety are of primary importance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

· Students will be expected to follow Shippensburg University safety protocols to reduce risks to everyone’s health. The most up-to-date information about each individual’s responsibility to protect the health and wellbeing of the entire campus community can be found on Shippensburg University’s website: https://raiderrespect.ship.edu/.

· Do not come to class if you are sick or if you suspect that you have been exposed to someone who is sick. Visit Etter Health Center on campus (717-477-1458) for symptomatic COVID tests and care (mask required). Notify the COVID-19 office (covid19@ship.edu), and they will email all of your professors about your absence due to quarantine or isolation. If I receive official notification of your quarantine, I will send you a Zoom link to class when you can’t attend.

· If Dr. Skaff is feeling ill, he plans to inform students via email that he will be teaching remotely over Zoom or canceling class. He will not resume face-to-face instruction until receiving a negative COVID-19 test.

· Dr. Skaff reserves the right to switch the entire class to online delivery with Zoom if he feels unsafe on campus or in the classroom.

2. Attendance is mandatory. The class participation grade is based on attendance and contributions to discussions. You will receive a grade for each class session. Grades will be awarded according to the following standards:

90-100:  Student demonstrates mastery of readings by making thoughtful and insightful comments.

80-89:  Student shows that he/she has completed reading assignments.

65-79:  Student participates in discussion without giving evidence of having completed the reading.

60:  Student attends class without speaking.

0:  Student has an unexcused absence, sleeps in class, or uses an unauthorized electronic device.

3. Excused absences will only be permitted if a student can document a medical condition that prevents attendance, family emergency, military duty or religious observance. Only students with documented excuses can make up exams and discussion leader assignments. A student with a medical condition that prevents attendance must submit a note from Etter Health Center or a doctor. The Ship COVID-19 Office will inform me of any required quarantining. For a family emergency, I require a phone call from a parent or guardian, or a death notice. If you have military duty, inform your dean’s office. They will send notification to all of your professors. The university’s policy on religious observances is the following: “At the beginning of each academic session (fall, spring, summer), the student will be required (in writing) to provide his/her faculty with the dates of scheduled religious observances.”

4. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. I encourage you to study together with other students, but all papers and exams must be written in your own words without the assistance of others. Cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to the policies in the “Academic Dishonesty” section of the Undergraduate Catalog (https://catalog.ship.edu). Students who intentionally or irresponsibly violate university policies on academic dishonesty will receive a penalty of a grade of “F” for the course. To check for plagiarism, all papers must be submitted to the D2L Dropbox. Students looking at or handling electronic devices or other objects during exams will receive a grade of “F.”

5. “Smartphones make you dumb in class.” All cell phones are banned during class sessions, except for those used to view course readings. Educational research has shown that electronic communications, including text messaging, create distractions that interfere with learning. Violations of this policy will result in a participation grade of zero for that day’s class session.

6. I comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to keep your academic records confidential, and Title IX requirements to “report incidents of sexual violence shared by students.” To read the full Title IX syllabus statement, click on this link: https://www.ship.edu/EIC/title_ix_statement/

7. I welcome students with disabilities in my classroom. Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) in Mowrey 252 to discuss specific needs. For more information, see the website: www.ship.edu/oar

8. I assign letter grades used in the Shippensburg University grading system to the following numerical scores:

A                      93-100

A-                    90-92

B+                    87-89

B                      83-86

B-                     80-82

C+                    77-79

C                      70-76

D                      60-69

F                      Below 6

IV. Discussion Leader of Supplementary Reading (5% of final grade)

FIRST Draft of Questions Due: 8:00 p.m. on the day before you lead the discussion OR at least 24 hours earlier if you are not available to send me revisions on the evening and morning before class. Send me drafts of questions via email (jkskaf@ship.edu) in MS Word format. I will respond with suggested revisions using the MS Word “track changes” and “comment” features. Plan to revise your questions based on my feedback at least 3 or 4 times.

My FIRST Draft Deadline: Sun./Tues._______________________by 8:00 p.m.

FINAL Draft Due at 1:45 pm on day of your assigned class session: 1) Email me an electronic copy and 2) upload another copy to D2L>Discussion Leader Assignment Dropbox.

Directions for developing questions: The class discussion should last 15 minutes and be primarily based upon the assigned supplementary reading. Only use the main textbook as a basis for comparison with the supplementary reading. Develop 3 or 4 main questions with additional follow-up questions to be used only as needed. Some main questions should be factual, asking classmates to summarize main themes and arguments of the reading. At least one question should be open-ended, asking classmates to share their interpretations and opinions of the reading.

Your grade will be based on the effectiveness of your written questions and oral delivery:

• “A” grades will be awarded for thoughtful, well-written and organized questions and follow-ups that are read aloud in a clear voice, and encourage classmates to summarize major point(s) of the reading and share opinions.
• “B” grades will be given for clear, well-organized questions that lead classmates to summarize the main points of the reading.
• If your questions are unclear, incoherent, irrelevant or not submitted on time, you will receive a grade of “C,” “D,” or “F,” depending on the extent of the problems.

Some hints on developing good questions (adapted from former professor Vera Reber):

• Prepare: Thoroughly read all assigned material. Review past readings and class notes that may be relevant.
• Organize your ideas by noting major themes and historical debates discussed in the reading.
• Develop factual questions that stimulate classmates to refresh their memories about the main points of the reading. Keep in mind that this is not enough for a good discussion.
• Devise open-ended questions that provoke classmates to think critically about the reading’s main point(s) or argument(s). Good discussions often involve debates and differences of opinion.
• Prepare: To ask follow-up questions to keep the discussion moving.
• Be creative: A stimulating question can be related to a quotation, picture, chart, map, controversial statement, information previously covered in class, or anything else of your choosing.

V.  Readings

A. Main textbook (Available at University Bookstore)

Gordon, Andrew. A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa Times to the Present. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2020.

B. Supplementary Books for Class Discussion (Available at University Bookstore)

Bumiller, Elisabeth. Secrets of Mariko. New York: Vintage, 1995.

Hopper, Helen M. Fukuzawa Yukichi: From Samurai to Capitalist. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004.

Kaneko, Fumiko. The Prison Memoirs of a Japanese Woman. Translated by Jean Inglis. eBook ed. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 1991 or London: Routledge, 2015.

Katsu, Kokichi. Musui's Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai. Translated by Teruko Craig. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1988.

Yamashita, Samuel Hideo. Daily Life in Wartime Japan, 1940-1945. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2015.

C. Supplementary E-Documents and Book Chapters (Available on D2L)

Ambrose, Barbara. "Religion in Early Modern Japan." In Japan Emerging: Premodern History to 1850, edited by Karl F. Friday, 378-79. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2012.

Bender, Ross. "Emperor, Aristocracy, and the Ritsuryō State: Court Politics in Nara." In Japan Emerging, 111-21.

Butler, Lee. "The Sixteenth-Century Reunification." In Japan Emerging, 311-20.

“Charter Oath (of the Meiji Restoration)”

“Constitution of the Empire of Japan”

Goble, Andrew Edmund. "The Kamakura Shogunate and the Beginnings of Warrior Power." In Japan Emerging, 189-99.

“Imperial Rescript on Education”

VI.  Schedule

A. Traditional Disorder and Order (700-1850)

Date	Class Content	Readings	Assignments
M 8/22	Introduction; Japan’s Land and Peoples
W 8/24	Origins of Japan’s Culture and Politics (700-1500)	Gordon xv, 1-9; D2L: Bender, “Emperor, Aristocracy”; Goble, “The Kamakura Shogunate”
M 8/29	Warring States (Sengoku) & Political Unification (1500-1600)	Gordon 11-13; D2L: Butler, “16^th-Century Reunification” & Ambrose, “Religion”
W 8/31	Tokugawa Political System	Gordon 13-21; Katsu ix-xxi, 1-42
M 9/5	Labor Day: No Class
W 9/7	Tokugawa Economy	Gordon 22-34; Katsu 43-108
M 9/12	Tokugawa Society and Thought	Gordon 35-46; Katsu 109-57	Paper 1 assigned

B. Crises and Meiji Reforms (1853-1900)

Date	Class Content	Readings	Assignments
W 9/14	External Threats	Gordon 47-54; Hopper xi-xiii, 1-29; D2L: “Treaty of Kanagawa”
M 9/19	Internal Crisis & Civil War	Gordon 55-59; Hopper 29-54
W 9/21	“Meiji Restoration” & Nation Building	Gordon 61-76; Hopper 55-73; Roster of Meiji Leaders; D2L: “Charter Oath (of the Meiji)”
M 9/26	Westernization & Constitutionalism	Gordon 77-94; Hopper 75-90; D2L: “Constitution of the Empire of Japan”	Paper 1 due
W 9/28	Agricultural & Economic Development	Gordon 95-106; Hopper 109-27
M 10/3	Social Changes	Gordon 106-16; Hopper 91-107, 129-38; D2L: “Imperial Rescript on Education”
W 10/5	Sino-Japanese War (1894-5)	Gordon 117-122; Hopper 120-27; Kaneko, “Introduction" through “Father” (pp. vii-19)
M 10/10	Fall Break: No Class
W 10/12	Midterm Exam

C.  Rise and Fall of an East Asian Power (1900-1945)

Date	Class Content	Readings	Assignments
M 10/17	Sino-Japanese War (1894-5); Russo-Japanese War (1904-5) and Japan’s Colonization of Korea	Gordon 122-29, 178-86; Kaneko, “Mother” through “The Iwashitas” (pp. 20-60)
W 10/19	Changing Political Landscape, 1890-1930	Gordon 129-41, 166-78; Kaneko, “My Life in Korea” (pp. 62-120)
M 10/24	Economic and Social Changes	Gordon 143-65; Kaneko, “Home Again" through “Farewell Father!” (pp. 121-167)
W 10/26	Invasion of Manchuria	Gordon 187-97; Kaneko, “To Tokyo!” through “Street Vendor” (pp. 168-203)	Paper 2 assigned
M 10/31	Domestic Militarism	Gordon 198-208; Kaneko, “Maid” through “Afterword” (pp. 204-248)
W 11/2	Renewed War in China	Gordon 209-11; Yamashita 1-57
M 11/7	Japan’s Road to Pacific War	Gordon 211-22; Yamashita 61-110
W 11/9	Japan’s Road to Defeat	Gordon 222-30; Yamashita 111-54	Paper 2 due
M 11/14	U.S. Occupation	Gordon 230-51; Yamashita 155-89	Paper 3 assigned
M 11/14, 6:30-7:30, on Zoom	Mandatory Make-up Class: Dr. Samuel Yamashita, discussion of Daily Life in Wartime Japan with the author, Dr. Samuel Yamashita

D. Post-War Japan

Date	Class Content	Readings	Assignments
W 11/16	Economic Miracle, 1950-89	Gordon 253-77, 309-12; Bumiller 3-63
M 11/21	New Political Order, 1952-1979	Gordon 278-300, 312-16; Bumiller 65-110
W 11/23	Thanksgiving: No Class
M 11/28	The “Lost Decades,” 1989-2008	Gordon 322-50; Bumiller 111-78	Paper 3 due
W 11/30	Crises and Aftermath, 2008-Present	Gordon 351-75; Bumiller 179-252, 314-318

Final Exam Wed., Dec. 7, 1:00-3:00 p.m. in DHC 210