Module EAST3371: Japan at War

Department: East Asian Studies

EAST3371: Japan at War

Pre-requisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

• to introduce students to key concepts related to the use of warfare, and the debates surrounding war in modern Japan
• to consider war primarily not as a political or diplomatic event but as a social phenomenon that affects society as a whole
• while focusing on Japanese society, the module will also consider broader implications of war and its impact on a modern society and on East Asia.

Content

• Modern warfare requires the mobilisation of the population as a whole, making the control of the masses a primary concern for policymakers. War also involves moral, economic and legal questions concerning the international community. In its modern history, Japan fought a major war almost every 10 years before it was finally involved in a full-fledged military confrontation with China in 1937. Thus war significantly influenced not only the country’s political and economic arrangements but also Japanese perceptions of themselves and of the world.
• Themes to be considered include: nationalism, race, imperialism, international law, education, the use of propaganda, and war and historiography

Learning Outcomes

• by the end of the module, students will be familiar with key aspects of warfare and its causes and consequences, and specifically how this relates to Japan's experiences from 1870 to 1945.

• students will acquire the skills of selecting relevant materials, analysis, interpretation and argument
• they will be able to formulate their own opinions based on measured and critical assessment of primary and secondary sources.

• development of research and written presentations skills in essay writing
• development of oral presentation skills in seminars

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures are intended to introduce basic facts, key primary sources, and relevant concepts based on which students may develop their own thoughts which they will express in seminar presentations and class discussion.
• Independent learning is facilitated by asking students to write essays and to prepare for seminars.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment

Students will be asked to give at least one seminar presentation per term.