Winter 2024 Courses
- For day, time, room, and TA information, see our PDF SCHEDULE or the class search tool https://registrar-apps.ucdavis.edu/courses/search/index.cfm.
- For all courses not described here, please refer to the General Catalog course descriptions: https://catalog.ucdavis.edu/courses-subject-code/jpn/
Lower Division
JPN 002 Elementary Japanese, Sec. 1-12
JPN 005 Intermediate Japanese, Sec. 1-4
JPN 031 Kanji
Miki Wheeler
Upper Division
JPN 102 Japanese Literature in Translation: The Middle Period
Joseph Sorensen
Course Description: Study of the major literary genres from the 12th century to the second half of the 19th century including poetry, linked-verse, military chronicles, no drama, Buddhist literature, haiku, haibun, kabuki, bunraku, plays and Edo prose narratives.
Learning Activities: Lecture/Discussion 4 hour(s).
General Education: AH, WC, WE
JPN 112 Modern Japanese: Reading & Discussion
Section 001 - Yumi Takeuchi
Section 002 - Miyo Uchida
Section 003 - Yumi Takeuchi
Course Description: Continuation of JPN 111. Readings in modern Japanese short stories, newspaper articles, and essays; conversation practice based on these readings
Learning Activities: Lecture/Discussion 4 hour(s)
General Education: AH, OL, WC
JPN 122 Advanced Japanese II
Nobuko Koyama
Course Description: Second of three courses in a series of fourth-year Advanced Japanese which focuses on the levels of formality or politeness in conversation as well as socio-cultural aspects and topics in Japanese society.
Prerequisite(s): JPN 121, C- or better or consent of instructor
Learning Activities: Lecture/Discussion 4 hour(s)
General Education: AH, OL, WC, WE
JPN 151 Japanese Linguistics
Nobuko Koyama
Course Description: Introduction to Japanese linguistics, featuring key aspects of the Japanese language. Analysis of Japanese from the perspectives of phonology, syntax, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics.
Prerequisite(s): JPN 3 or equivalent language proficiency
Learning Activities: Lecture/Discussion 4 hour(s)
General Education: AH, WC, WE
JPN 154 Tourism and Heritage in Japan
Michael Dylan Foster
Course Description: Focus on related concepts of tourism and cultural heritage within Japan, with attention to questions of tradition, authenticity and nostalgia. Examination of cultural heritage sites on various scales, including built environment, national cultural forms, and local performances such as festivals.
Learning Activities: Lecture/Discussion 4 hour(s)
General Education: AH, WC, WE
JPN 155 Introduction to Japanese Folklore
Michael Dylan Foster
Course Description: From sacred myth to urban legend and everything in between, the folklore of Japan is rich and varied. There are epics of war; folktales about ghosts and shapeshifting creatures; local festivals that have persisted for hundreds of years; and brand new traditions created in the context of globalization and cultural change. This course introduces students to Japanese folklore and its study (minzokugaku). Primary emphasis is on the narrative genres of myth, legend, and folktale, but we will also discuss folk beliefs, ritual, festival and supernatural creatures. We will consider issues of identity and authenticity and what it means to call something “Japanese”; questions of tradition and the “invention of tradition”; modernity within a Japanese historical context; and the intersection of folklore with literature and popular culture. We will also study the history of minzokugaku as a discipline, its development in prewar Japan, as well as its (mis)use for nationalist purposes. This course allows us to explore important cultural products that are often overlooked in classes on literature, anthropology, and history.
All required readings are in English. No previous knowledge of Japanese language or culture is required.
Learning Activities: Lecture/Discussion 4 hour(s)
General Education: AH, WC