Attendance policy

Attendance is mandatory and an unexcused absences will affect your final grade. This may seem draconian but it is a policy I implement this semester, and probably from now on when I teach the film class.

• A total of one (1) absence for the semester is allowed for any reason. (One class equivalent to three credit hours.)
• Each absence beyond the one absence—including classes missed in the first week—will be a deduction of your participation grade @ 7.14%/absence.
• Please consult with the instructor if you have an emergency. If you miss more than 5 classes in total for any reason, you will not receive a passing grade.
• Excused absence: Absence due to emergency—illness, accident, etc.—or GW-related obligation (athletic competition, Model U.N. participation) will be excused only if the student
1. Provides verifiable evidence—doctor’s note, accident/police report;
2. Writes a 300 word mini-review of the film screened in class.
3. Documentation and mini-review must be submitted within a week upon return to class. If both 1 and 2 are not completed, then the absence is not excused and will count against your participation record.
• Tardiness is frowned upon. Arriving late can disrupt the class, and habitual tardiness is not tolerated.
• Arriving 10 minutes or later is logged as a half absence.
• 30 minutes or later will be logged as a complete absence.
• Early departure will also count as a half absence (3.57%) toward your participation record.

Previous Courses

The following are the syllabi for previous classes taught at The George Washington University. Some of the information may be outdated; it is provided here only as a general guideline when deciding which class to take. Requirements pertaining to a given class in a given year can vary. Current syllabi--hard copy or Blackboard link--will be provided in class. For courses and course description of all Japanese courses at GW, see the the University Bulletin Course Catalog.

For specific questions or further information, contact me at: hanami{at}gwu.edu

To read a syllabus, click on one of the following links:

Beginning Japanese | Intermediate Japanese | Readings in Modern Japanese JAPN 107 | Readings in Modern Japanese JAPN 108 | Introduction to Bungo | Readings in Classical Japanese | Japanese Literature in Translation JAPN 111 | Japanese Literature in Translation JAPN 112 | Directed Readings | Proseminar: Readings for the Major in Japanese Language and Literature

JAPN 111 Japanese Literature in Translation (2008)

PURPOSE The course is a survey of premodern Japanese literature discovered through assigned readings and films. It aims to encourage diversity in thought, flexibility in opinion, and an understanding of the role of texts in forming ideas as represented through Japanese literature.

REQUIREMENTS Every student must be registered in JAPN 111. There is no prerequisite for the course. Every student will be expected to have completed the assigned readings by the day assigned. In general, each class will involve a brief lecture—which may include the background, historical context, and possible interpretations of the assigned readings—and group/class discussion in which students will be required to participate. Every student must complete all assignments—reviews, essays, creative assignments. Every student must take all quizzes. The student who cannot attend class due to emergency or illness is still responsible for any assignments due for the class missed. There is no make-up quiz. All readings are in English.

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS Success in the course is contingent on the students' performance in all assignments and exams. Assignments will also be posted here on Black Board. You will be required to do the following:

• Short essays—Each essay should be 1000 words, +/- 50 words. See formatting below for specifics. (100 points each) An Essay is a critical response to a specific question. An essay should be viewed as a mini-paper consisting of an introduction, a body, grounds for and support of your position, and a conclusion. Reference to other sources to support your position affords a convincing argument.
• Participation and Creative assignments—Credit for participation is based on proactive contributions to in-class discussion--Questions or unrelated comments are not generally considered contributions. Tardiness and absences is considered partial and no participation, respectively. Creative assignments will reflect literary works read for class, including--but not limited to--diary entries, personal essays, and poems--including our poetry match. (Participation 50 pts; Assignments 40 pts, Poetry Match 10 pts)
  
• Poetry match in which all will be expected to contribute two poems. The match will consist of two teams with captains and readers. Poems will be judged by your peers. Captains and judges will be volunteers who will still have to contribute a poem. Volunteers will receive the appreciation of the instructor... (W-A, T-B, L-C for each poem)


• The Genji lectures Presentations of key chapters from the Tale of Genji. Presentions will be done in groups. The instructor will designate groups and assign chapters. Each presention should be approximately 15 minutes and may take any form the group decides. The key is to grasp the essential issues of the chapters and present them in a understandable way. Previous students have put on skits, news shows, game shows and puppets (yes, really)... (100 pts, of which 50 is by your group members/peers.)
• 11 Weekly Online Quizzes on Blackboard—Questions will be multiple choice, true false, matching and short answer. Questions will be taken from all readings and lectures prior to the week of the quiz. While all quizzes focus on more recent material, in general, they are cumulative. Quizzes will be online for a 24 hour window from 6AM Tuesday to 6AM Wednesday. There is a 15 minute limit for each quiz and a quiz can only be opened once. If your computer malfunctions, or you otherwise cannot take the quiz, you may take a hard copy make-up quiz in my office by Monday before the next quiz. Questions on make-up quizzes are different from online quizzes. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped. See below for makeup policy. (20 x 10 = 200 pts.)
• Midterm exam—The midterm is an in-class exam that will reflect the quizzes but will also include a creative assignment and IDs. There will also be a take home essay component. (200 points)
• Final Exam The Final will be a take home exam equivalent to two essays/assignments. (200 pts)

QUESTIONS The instructor maintains an open door policy—if my office door is open, feel free to come in. If you have further questions or concerns, please see the instructor during office hours or make an appointment. All students are encouraged to come by and visit.
Blackboard: All communications and schedule changes will be on Blackboard. Please go to gwu.blackboard.com, log on to this class. and familiarize yourself with it. BE sure to check Staff Information for my “real” email address.

Grading will be based on total of points of all required assignments, 1000 pts. equaling 100%.

• Grading on participation and in-class assignment will be based on the student's effort and demonstrated knowledge of the reading material assigned that day.
• Makeup policy—There is no makeup exam except in cases of verifiable emergencies—i.e. Doctor’s note, accident report, police report. One quiz may be made up for any (or no) reason. A second makeup requires a verifiable excuse or is subject to a 10% penalty. No more than two makeup quizzes. Makeups must be made up within one week. In-class assignments cannot be made up. I will drop the lowest quiz grade, with the exception of makeup quizzes which cannot be dropped.
• Late assignments— Tardiness is not tolerated, but late assignments will be accepted WITHIN ONE WEEK of due date. In case of verifiable emergency—illness or accident—you will be entitled to a one-week grace period. Be sure to contact the instructor ASAP with appropriate verifiable documentation. Late assignments without an acceptable reason and documentation will be automatically downgraded by 10%. If you cannot make class due to an emergency, hand your paper in early or have a friend hand it in for you. Ultimately, however, you are responsible for the submission of your own paper.
  

Formatting Careful thought should be put into ALL submissions--Essays, and Final exam essays. Grades for all submissions will be based on the following critieria:

Structure

• ntroduction, including topic/theme/aspect to be discussed.
• Body one, expansion of topic/theme/aspect; including reason for choice, argumentation/position, supporting documentation.
• Body two, evidence to support position.
• Conclusion, summary of paper.
  

Clarity

• Correct speling (oops, I mean, spelling).
• No typos.
• Appropriate diction, which means understandable word choice and usage.
• Adherence to English grammar, including subject-verb agreement, and the absence of run-on or incomplete sentences.
  

Response

• Originality
• Insight
  

Generally speaking, high grades (A) will be given to those who fulfill all three of the above successfully; good grades (B) to those who fulfill two of the three, and average grades (C) to those who fulfill only one.

Advice

• Clarity is of great import. If I have to read a paragraph (or the entire paper) twice to understand it, then your structure or grammar is not clear. Each word, sentence, paragraph and section must make sense with each other as the paper builds toward a conclusion. Consider having a friend--one who is not in the class--read your paper to see if she/he can understand it.
• Avoid the stream-of-consciousness approach to writing. Consider preparing a one-page outline. Being able to see the structure of your paper in one glance will give you an idea if your thoughts are logically connected.
• Originality will influence your grade as well. Typically, students regurgitate what has been discussed in class; while this is not necessarily bad, it lacks originality. Previous students who have received high grades approach questions from a different angle or take an original (some may say argumentative) position.
• Some students have submitted structured papers with very original topics, but ill-advised diction or sloppy grammar have doomed them to a B.
• Similarly, other students have had original topics and a flair for words, submitting papers that were actually enjoyable to read. However, if they failed to provide documentation or evidence to support their position, then their structure was weak (they submitted a personal essay instead of an academic paper) and did not receive a high grade.
  

If you have any questions, please fell free to come and see me. However, refrain from asking me to proofread any draft (which some students, amazingly, have done).

Formatting

• Word count should be strictly observed.
• Do not attach a cover sheet.
• Put your name on every page. You do not need to provide your student number, name of course or instructor on the first page.
• A brief title is appropriate for all submissions; a regurgitation of the question/issue is not.
• Type and format ALL submissions in a manner consistent with college-level work. You should:
  
• space lines a minimum of 1.5, maximum double.
• make all margins one inch.
• use font size no smaller than 12 points; font face of Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier.
• indent long quotations.
• italicize or underline book titles, use quotation marks for article titles, format citations appropriately.
• do not provide a bibliography since citations should be complete.
• If you are unfamiliar with formatting, follow the guidelines found in the MLA Handbook, The Chicago Book of Style, or any other recognized guidebook on academic style.

Text: Required

Steven D. Carter, comp. Traditional Japanese Poetry : An Anthology, Stanford University Press, August 1991. PL 782.E3 T7 1991 ISBN: 0804722129

Helen Craig McCullough, trans. Classical Japanese Prose: An Anthology, Stanford University Press, August 1991. PL 777.115 .C57 1990 ISBN: 0804719608

Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of Genji, abridged, Royall Tyler, trans., Viking Press, 2001.
Text: additional

Various chapters/articles will be distributed in class or through Blackboard.

Introduction to Bungo (2008)

Purpose Introduction to Classical Japanese is a course that aims to familiarize the interested student to classical texts in Japanese. It will explain grammar and expose the student to "authentic" Japanese. The course will be conducted mainly in English.

Requirements Every student must be registered in JAPN 109. No auditor is allowed. Prerequisite for the course is JAPN 106 or equivalent.

• The course will offer instruction in basic literary grammar, focusing on the conjugations of verbs, adjectives, and auxilliary verbs, as well as case particles, conjunctive particles and emphatics. This will lead to readings of early modern texts that incorporate this style.
• Ultimately, this training should prepare the student to read early modern texts, such as pre-WWII government documents, newspapers and journal accounts which were written in literary Japanese.
  

The course will include readings, grammar / vocabulary / translation quizzes, and two exams. All quizzes and exams are cumulative.

• Class participation is mandatory; consequently, regular attendance is required. A total of three (3) absences for the semester is allowed for cases of illness or emergencies. The student will be required to read and translate any portion of the assigned text or be prepared to discuss or explain the grammatical structures under discussion. Your participation will be graded on your attendance and preparedness.
• There will be one group power point presentation reviewing grammar prior to the midterm; evaluation will be partially peer-graded.
• One quiz may be made up for any (or no) reason. A second makeup quiz requires verifiable excuses—i.e. doctor’s note, accident report, police report—or is subject to a 10% penalty. No more than two makeup quizzes. A quiz must be made up within one week. The lowest quiz grade is dropped, excluding makeup quizzes. Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. Each quiz will be collected promptly 15 minutes after the quiz is distributed, so do not be late for class; you will not receive extra time.
• There will be two midterms, and an in-class final. There is no early final, so do not schedule a flight home during finals period except in case of emergency. There is no makeup for any exam except in cases of verifiable emergencies.
  

Text There is one dictionary required for the course; and should be available at the bookstore. Other texts will be distributed in class.

• 金田一春彦編、『現代新国語辞典』学研

If you prefer, you may use any of the following dictionaries as well.

• Kitahara Y., ed. Zenyaku kogo reikai jiten, Shougakkan.
• Sato S., ed. Yousai kogo jiten, Meiji Shoin.
• Koujien, Iwanami shoten.
• Kokugo Daijiten, Shougakkan
  

Optional Text—available through most Internet book sellers.

• Helen McCullough. Bungo Manual. Cornell East Asia Series, 1993. ISBN: 0939657481

Tentative Grading schedule Midterm exam 25%, quizzes 25%, project 10%, class participation and attendance 10%, final exam 30%.

Blackboard All communications and schedule changes will be on Blackboard. Please go to gwu.blackboard.com, log on to this class. and familiarize yourself with it. BE sure to check Staff Information for my “real” email address. Do not use my gwu account.

If you have further questions or concerns, feel free to contact the instructor during office hours, after class or make an appointment. E-mails are always welcome.

JAPN 107 Readings in Modern Japanese

Purpose The course, Readings in Modern Japanese, aims to broaden the Japanese reading ability the student is expected to have acquired to this point, as well as bring up for discussion aspects of contemporary culture as seen through contemporary literary texts and essays. It will go beyond the grammatical lessons and pattern practices of basic Japanese and expose the student to "authentic" Japanese.

Requirements Every student must be registered in JAPN 107. No auditor is allowed. Prerequisite for the course is JAPN 008 or equivalent.

The course will offer shorts stories and essays of Murakami Haruki for reading and discussion concerning any socio-cultural insights. The student will be required to prepare, read and translate any portion of the text assigned. The student must also be prepared to discuss pertinent issues regarding any work assigned.

Class participation is mandatory; consequently, regular attendance is required. Student participation will be based on attendance and preparedness. You will be evaluated by obvious indicators of preparedness, such as your ability to read text smoothly, to recognize kanji readings, and to demonstrate a least a modicum of understanding of the text.

During the course of the semester, there will be weekly quizzes—on Tuesdays there will be vocabulary quizzes based on completed readings, and on Thursdays there will be text quizzes based on the readings. There will be occasional sight passage quizzes. One quiz may be made up for any (or no) reason. A second and third makeup quiz requires verifiable excuses—i.e. doctor’s note, accident report, police report—or is subject to a 10% penalty. No more than three makeup quizzes. A quiz must be made up within one week. The lowest quiz grade is dropped, excluding makeup quizzes. Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. Each quiz will be collected promptly 15 minutes after the quiz is distributed, so do not be late for class; you will not receive extra time.

There will be two midterms, and an in-class final. There is no early final, so do not schedule a flight home during finals period except in case of emergency. There is no makeup for any exam except in cases of verifiable emergencies.

Text The instructor will provide reading texts. The following dictionary is required: 金田一春彦編、『現代新国語辞典』学研.

Tentative grading schedule The Final grade will be determined as follows: 10% class participation/preparation; 30% All quizzes and in-class assignments; 20% + 20% Midterm exam; 20% Final exam.

Blackboard All communications and schedule changes will be on Blackboard. Please go to gwu.blackboard.com, log on to this class. and familiarize yourself with it. Be sure to check Staff Information for my “real” email address.

Japanese Online Most computers can display and produce Japanese. In Windows, XP you need to install the Japanese in Regional Settings. On a Mac, you can activate Japanese under System Preferences => International.

If you have further questions or concerns, feel free to contact the instructor during office hours, after class or make an appointment.

JAPN 112 Japanese Literature in Translation (2008)

PURPOSE The course is a survey of modern Japanese literature discovered through assigned readings and films. It aims to encourage diversity in thought, flexibility in opinion, and an understanding of the role of texts in forming ideas as represented through Japanese literature.

REQUIREMENTS Every student must be registered in JAPN 112. There is no prerequisite for the course. Every student will be expected to have completed the assigned readings by the day assigned. In general, each class will involve a lecture—which may include the background, historical context, and possible interpretations of the assigned readings—and group/class discussion in which students will be required to participate. Every student must submit all required work listed below. The student who cannot attend class due to emergency or illness is still responsible for any work due for the class missed. There is no make-up exam. All readings are in English.

INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS Success in the course is contingent on the students' performance in all assignments and exams. Assignments will also be posted on Blackboard. You will be required (tentatively) to do the following:

• Class participation and assignments—All students are expected to have read the material for class; level and accuracy of participation in any discussion will be noted and evaluated. Impromptu homework and in-class assignments—such as haiku poems and group work—will be graded as well; in-class assignments cannot be made-up. Absences will be graded as non-participation. (10%)
• Quizzes—There will be 11 weekly quizzes. They will consist of multiple choice, fill-in and short answers. The quiz will be online through Blackboard Tuesdays for a 24 hour period from midnight to midnight. Be sure to take it. See below for makeup policy. (20%)
• Essays (@ 1000 words)—There will be two essays, critical responses to specific questions. An essay should be viewed as a mini-paper consisting of an introduction, a body--grounds for and support of your position--and a conclusion. Reference to other sources to support your position affords a convincing argument. (30%)
• Late-term exam—There will be one midterm late in the semester—Wednesday of the 12th week. It will consist of questions similar to those on the weekly quizzes, as well, IDs and a short essay. (20%)
• Final Exam—Final exam will be take home exam that will include Identifications and an essay. The exam will be available on Blackboard 48 hours prior to the date and time of the scheduled exam. (20%)
• Graduate students taking the course for graduate credit will also be required to submit a research paper. See instructor for further detail.
• Formatting should be consistent with college-level work. See Grading Policies below.

Grading Policy

• Grading on participation and in-class assignment will be based on the student's effort and demonstrated knowledge of the reading material assigned that day. In-class assignments cannot be made-up.
• Makeup policy—There is no makeup exam except in cases of verifiable emergencies—i.e. Doctor’s note, accident report, police report. One quiz may be made up for any (or no) reason. A second makeup requires a verifiable excuse or is subject to a 10% penalty. No more than two makeup quizzes. Makeups must be made up within one week. In-class assignments cannot be made up. I will drop the lowest quiz grade, with the exception of makeup quizzes which cannot be dropped.
• Late assignments— Tardiness is not tolerated, but llate assignments will be accepted WITHIN ONE WEEK of due date. In case of verifiable emergency—illness or accident—you will be entitled to a one-week grace period. Be sure to contact the instructor ASAP with appropriate verifiable documentation. Late assignments without an acceptable reason and documentation will be automatically downgraded by 10%. If you cannot make class due to an emergency, hand your paper in early or have a friend hand it in for you. Ultimately, however, you are responsible for the submission of your own paper. Be sure to contact the instructor ASAP with appropriate verifiable documentation.
• Final grade will be based on the total of all assignments, weighted accordingly as outlined above. In case of verifiable emergency—illness or accident—you will receive a one week grace period.
• Submissions—All submissions will be graded for content—structure, clarity, substance—and for appropriateness in formatting, especially with regard to citations.
  
• All submissions should have a solid structure, clarity—i.e. correct spelling, appropriate grammar—and substance—i.e. good insights and/or originality is not reflected in a regurgitation of class discussion or the readings.
• All submissions—essays, assignments, homework—must be typed.
• Word count should be strictly observed , +/- 50 words—i.e. a 1000 word essay should range between 950 to 1050 words.
• Do not attach a cover sheet.
• Include the following: your name, the due date, the word count. If you are using MS Word, click on Tools, then Word Count; it will automatically count all the words in your document. You do not need to provide your student number, course or instructor name.
• A brief title is appropriate for all submissions; copying and pasting the question/issue is not.
• Type and format all submissions in a manner consistent with college-level work. Follow these guidelines:
  
• Space lines approximately 1.5 spaces.
• Set margins at one inch.
• Use font size no smaller than 12 points; font face of Times New Roman, Arial or equivalent.
• Indent long quotations.
• Italicize or underline book titles, use quotation marks for article titles, format citations appropriately.
• A bibliography is unnecessary in a short paper since citations should be complete. Citations for books used in class are unnecessary, but an inline page referent is obligatory
• For other formatting issues, follow the guidelines found in the MLA Handbook, The Chicago Book of Style, or any other recognized guidebook on academic style.
  
• A brief title is appropriate for all submissions; copying and pasting the question/issue is not.
• For more information on structure

QUESTIONS The instructor maintains an open door policy—if my office door is open, feel free to come in unless I am speaking to another student. If you have further questions or concerns, please see the instructor during office hours or make an appointment. All students are encouraged to come by and visit.

Blackboard: All communications and schedule changes will be on Blackboard. Please go to gwu.blackboard.com, log on to this class. and familiarize yourself with it. BE sure to check Staff Information for my “real” email address.

Literature in Translation

And here I thought I had caught up with all my work

Excuse me while I prepare for next semester, even as I struggle to keep pace with this semester. I will be teaching J-Lit in Translation, as I always do, and am considering adding a few new books, so I will be listing books that I might consider. Just think of this post as me talking to myself. But please feel free to comment on any of the books you have already read, or if you have an suggestions.

The class is a survey course, so the books should be basic and representative of the author, and the authors should be representative of J-Lit. So that should narrow it down to, say, 40 poets and authors? But I only have 15 weeks.

Early Modern

Until recently, I have had students by an Early Modern anthology put out by Columbia University Press. The selection is wide and varied, and the book is relatively inexpensive given its breadth. But I think there might be too much variety. I would rather have more samples of Basho--at least one entire travel journal and maybe even a complete haikai series--and more selections by Saikaku. There is perhaps too much stuff that is not necessary for a survey course. So this year, I've decided to choose just two books and perhaps supplement them with some handouts.

• Basho's Journey: The Literary Prose of Matsuo Basho. Trans. Barnhill, State University of New York Press. #0-7914-6414-8
  
• Saikaku. Popular fiction. I can't figure out a book yet. Anyone have any suggestions?
  

Meiji

• Natsume Soseki, Kokoro. Trans. McClellan, Dover Publications. #0486451399
• Akutagawa Ryunosuke, Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories, Trans. Rubin. Penguin Classics. #0143039849

Mid-20th century

• Tanizaki Jun'ichiro, Seven Tales, which include the novella "Portrait of Shunkin" and other strangely half-misogynistic, half-masochistic stories like "Tattoo", "Aguri" and "Bridge of Dreams". Vintage. #0679761071
• Kawabata Yasunari, Snow Country. "Izu Dancer" OR The Old Capital. Trans. Holman. Shoemaker & Hoard. #1593760329

Post-War

• Enchi Fumiko, The Waiting Years. Trans. Bester. Kodansha International. #477002889X
  Feminist tale... well, feminist for a woman writing in the 1950s. But its about a woman who has been abused all her life--husband cheats on her, even brings his mistress home to live with them--but finally gets her revenge when she... well, I won't spoil it for you.
  
• Mishima Yukio. "The Boy Who Wrote Poetry", Confessions of a Mask. Peter Owen Ltd. #0720610311
  Both of these tell the story of the Mishima everyone seems to forget about, unless you're gay. Confessions is semi-autobiographical, describing Mishima's own struggles to somehow capture masculinity, while realizing that he is unable to deny his attraction to day laborers and a certain classmate in an all boy school.
  

Post-modern

• Abe Kobo, The Boxman; film Face of Another. I think most people are famliar with Woman in the Dunes, which is okay, I guess, as a reflection of the loss of identity through corporate society. But Abe does a better job of the loss of identity and isolation in the modern world in The Boxman--the main character literally lives in his box--no, no, no, he isn't homeless, he actually wears it 24/7! And The Face of Another deals with a man who loses his face in a chemical (modern) accident, but creates a new one with a newly invented material (modern, again) so he can eventually seduce his wife as a stranger. Admit it. You wanna read both of them now, right?
  
• Nakagami Kenji, The Cape. Trans. Zimmerman. Stone Bridge Press. #1933330430
  Violent, sexist and representative of Japan's untouchable class, the burakumin.
  
• Murakami Ryu, 69. Trans. McCarthy. Kodansha Amer Inc, #4770019513.
  I'd rather read Coin Locker Babies, but I think its too long.
  
• Murakami Haruki, Elephan Vanishes. trans. Rubin. Vintage. #0679750533

This list is pretty threadbare... I will be adding and subtracting from this list so you can just ignore me while I work.

edoption #1045559

• Ihara, Saikaku, 1642-1693. Five women who loved love. Translated by Wm. Theodore de Bary, with a background essay by Richard Lane, and the 17th-century illus. by Yoshida Hambei. 1956 PZ3 .I235 Fi
• Ihara, Saikaku, 1642-1693. Great mirror of male love / Ihara Saikaku ; translated, with an introduction, by Paul Gordon Schalow. 1990 PL794.N37 E5 1990
• [ 7 ] Ihara, Saikaku, 1642-1693. Life of an amorous man. Translated by Kengi Hamada. Illus. by Masakazu Kuwata. 1964 PZ3.I235 Lg
• [ 9 ] Ihara, Saikaku, 1642-1693. Tales of Japanese justice / by Ihara Saikaku ; translated by Thomas M. Kondo, Alfred H. Marks. 1980 DS 21 .A83 no.24
• [ 10 ] Ihara, Saikaku, 1642-1693. This scheming world. Translated by Masanori Takatsuka and David C. Stubbs. GW 1965 PL898.I38 S3
• [ 11 ] Ihara, Saikaku, 1642-1693. Worldly mental calculations : an annotated translation of Ihara Saikaku's Seken munezanyo / by Ben Befu. -- 1976 PL 794 .S413 1976

JAPN 198-99 Proseminar: Readings for the Major in Japanese Language and Literature

Course Description
This course is designed for the major in Japanese language and literature. It aims to provide the student with the necessary technical and methodological tools to write a successful research paper on a Japanese topic. Specifically, the course content will deal with the following topics.

• Reference material for Japanese: Where to find them, how to use them.
• Transliteration: Romanization and Japanese.
• The limits of translation: Translation as interpretation.
• Methodology: What is text, context and intertext.
  
• General Course on Linguisitics: Saussure.
• Orientalism: Said.
• Mythology: Barthes.
• Difference: Derrida.

Requirements: Fall Semester
Sessions spent to discuss the general technical and methodological aspects of writing a research paper. Besides the assignments and readings for discussion, you will be required to prepare for your topic, present a general outline in class and submit an annotated bibliography of material you intend to use in your research paper. The topic should be related to Japanese linguistics, literature or culture. You also have the option to do a translation.

Requirements: Spring Semester
The semester is spent writing your paper. You will be required to meet with the instructor at least once a month (4 times) with progress reports before final submission. An initial or rough draft is not required but recommended by Spring break. The research paper should be approximately 7000 words long. A translation should be of similar length excluding a 2500 word introduction.

JAPN 110 Readings in Classical Japanese (2007)

Purpose Readings in Classical Japanese is a course that aims to familiarize the interested student to classical texts in Japanese. It will explain grammar and expose the student to "authentic" Japanese. The course will be conducted mainly in English.

Requirements Every student must be registered in JAPN 110. No auditor is allowed. Prerequisite for the course is JAPN 109 or equivalent.

The course will continue to offer instruction in literary grammar, focusing on the conjugations of verbs, adjectives, and auxiliary verbs, as well as case particles, conjunctive particles and emphatics. This will lead to readings of excerpts from standard literary texts, beginning with the Hojoki. The student will be required to read and translate any portion of the text assigned by the instructor. The student must also be prepared to discuss or explain the grammatical structure of any portion of the text.

Required Work
Success in the course is contingent on the students' performance in all assignments, quizzes and exams. Assignments will also be posted on Black Board. You will be required to do the following:

• Class participation and assignments: All students are expected to have read the material for class; level and accuracy of participation in any discussion will be noted and evaluated. Absences will be graded as non-participation, in-class assignments cannot be made-up. (10%)
• Quizzes: All quizzes will be cumulative. (30%)
• In-class Midterm, which will include grammar questions, class texts as well as sight passages. (30%)
• In-class Final exam will be similar to the midterm; cumulative. (30%)
  

Text There is one dictionary and one reference book for the course; and should be available at the bookstore. Other texts will be distributed in class.

• Kitahara Y., ed. Zenyaku kogo reikai jiten, Shōgakkan.
• Sato S., ed. Yūsai kogo jiten, Meiji Shoin.
• Kōjien, Iwanami shoten.
• Kokugo Daijiten, Shōgakkan
  

Optional Text
Helen McCullough. Bungo Manual. Cornell East Asia Series, 1993. ISBN: 0939657481

If you have further questions or concerns, feel free to contact the instructor during office hours, after class or make an appointment. E-mails are always welcome.

JAPN 108 Readings in Modern Japanese (2007)

Course Goals
Readings in Modern Japanese is a course that aims to broaden the Japanese the student is expected to have acquired to this point, as well as bring up for discussion aspects of contemporary culture as seen through contemporary texts. It will go beyond the grammatical lessons and pattern practices of basic Japanese and expose the student to "authentic" Japanese.

Requirements
Every student must be registered in JAPN 108. No auditor is allowed. Prerequisite for the course is JAPN 008 or equivalent.

The course will offer newspaper texts, essays, and literary works for reading and discussion concerning its socio-cultural insights and impact. The student will be required to be prepared to read and translate any portion of the text assigned by the instructor. The student must also be prepared for discussions concerning the text in class in Japanese. Discussion will be primarily in Japanese.

Required Work
Success in the course is contingent on the students' performance in all assignments, quizzes and exams. Assignments will also be posted on Black Board. You will be required to do the following:

• Class participation and assignments: All students are expected to have read the material for class; level and accuracy of participation in any discussion will be noted and evaluated. Absences will be graded as non-participation, in-class assignments cannot be made-up. (10%)
• Vocabulary Quizzes: All quizzes will be given on the first day of new material. This is to ensure that all students will be equipped to read and comprehend the text as we read it in class. All quizzes will be cumulative. (20%)
• Essay (500 words) is a critical response to a specific question, which will be posted on Blackboard 48 hours before the due date. An essay should be viewed as a mini-paper consisting of an introduction, a body—grounds for and support of your position—and a conclusion. Reference to other sources to support your position affords a convincing argument. (30%)
• In-class translation exams will consist of one class text and one sight passage. Class text translations must be polished; the sight passage will require a literal translation. (20%)
• Final take-home exam will consist of two essays responding to questions, of which one is based on class text, another on new text. (20%)
• Formatting should be consistent with college-level work. This means that you must type your assignment and format it with one-inch margins, 12 pt. font (preferably Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier), 1.5 to double spacing of lines, indentation of long quotations, italics or underline for book titles, quotation marks for article titles, etc. Follow the guidelines found in the MLA Handbook, The Chicago Book of Style, or any other recognized guidebook on academic style.
• QUESTIONS: The instructor maintains an open door policy--if my door is open, you can come in. If you have further questions or concerns, feel free to contact the instructor during office hours, after class or make an appointment. All students are encouraged to come by and visit.
  

Grading Policies
Grading on participation and in-class assignment will be based on the student's effort and demonstrated knowledge of the reading material assigned that day.

Submissions Careful thought should be put into ALL submissions--Essays, and Final exam essays. Grades for all submissions will be based on the following critieria:

Structure

• Introduction, including topic/theme/aspect to be discussed.
• Body one, expansion of topic/theme/aspect; including reason for choice, argumentation/position, supporting documentation.
• Body two, evidence to support position.
• Conclusion, summary of paper.
  

Grammar and content

• Clarity
• Correct speling (oops, I mean, spelling).
• No typos.
• Appropriate diction, meaning understandable word choice and usage.
• Adherence to English grammar, including subject-verb agreement, and the absence of run-on or incomplete sentences.
  

Substance

• Originality
• Insight
  

Generally speaking, high grades (As) will be given to those who fulfill all three of the above successfully; good grades (Bs) to those who fulfill two of the three, and average grades (Cs) to those who fulfill only one.

Advice

• Clarity is of great import. If I have to read a paragraph (or the entire paper) twice to understand it, then your structure or grammar is not clear. Each word, sentence, paragraph and section must make sense with each other as the paper builds toward a conclusion.
• Avoid the stream-of-consciousness approach to writing. Consider preparing a one-page outline. Being able to see the structure of your paper in one glance will give you an idea if your thoughts are logically connected.
• Originality will influence your grade as well. Typically, students focus on the strict class lines, but since this is a topic discussed in class, it lacks originality. Previous students who have received high grades for this topic approached it from a different angle or took an original (some may say argumentative) position.
• Some students have submitted structured papers with very original topics, but ill-advised diction or sloppy grammar have doomed them to a B.
• Similarly, other students have had original topics and a flair for words, submitting papers that were actually enjoyable to read. However, if they failed to provide documentation or evidence to support their position, then their structure was weak (they submitted a personal essay instead of an academic paper) and did not receive a high grade.
  

If you have any questions, please fell free to come and see me. However, refrain from asking me to proofread any draft or idea (which some students, amazingly, have done).

Formatting

• Word count should be strictly observed, give or take 50 words—i.e. 450 to 550 words.
• Do not attach a cover sheet.
• Include the following: your name, the date, the word count. If you are using MS Word, click on Tools, then Word Count; it will automatically count all the words in your document. You do not need to provide your student number, name of course or instructor.
• A brief title is appropriate for all submissions; copying and pasting the question/issue is not.
• Type and format all submissions in a manner consistent with college-level work. You should:
• Space lines approximately 1.5 spaces.
• Set margins at one inch.
• Use font size no smaller than 12 points; font face of Times New Roman, Arial or equivalent.
• Indent long quotations.
• Italicize or underline book titles, use quotation marks for article titles, format citations appropriately.
• A bibliography is unnecessary in a short paper since citations should be complete. Citations for articles used in class are unnecessary, but an inline page referent for longer pieces is obligatory
  
• For other formatting issues, follow the guidelines found in the MLA Handbook, The Chicago Book of Style, or any other recognized guidebook on academic style.

Final grades will be based on the total of all assignments, weighted accordingly as outlined above.

Tardiness is not tolerated. All late papers will be graded down one grade (A to B, B+ to C+) each week it is late, so do not be late. If you cannot make class due to an emergency, hand your paper in early or have a classmate hand it in for you. Ultimately, however, you are responsible for the submission of your own paper. In case of verifiable emergency—illness or accident—you will receive a one week grace period.

JAPN 185-86 Directed Reading

PURPOSE--To provide individual instruction for advanced readings in Japanese material for students majoring (or sometimes minoring) in Japanese. As policy, the course is restricted to students who have exhausted all other advanced course options--JAPN 107-8, JAPN 110, JAPN 121-22, JAPN 162, JAPN 198-99. We prefer that students take courses that we already offer so we don't have to add unnecessarily to our teaching load.

PERSONALLY--I have offered Directed Readings to some majors under extraordinary circumstances--time conflicts, high advanced language ability, etc. Directed Readings with me focuses on Classical Poetry as that is my field specialty and that is the only topic I could offer to justify my time away from other responsibilities.

REQUIREMENTS--Students who decide to study with me:

• Must be registered in JAPN 185 and/or 186.
• Must have completed JAPN 109 (Bungo).
  
• Will study Classical material, mostly Heian poetry (my field of expertise) or some aspect related to it (which is actually everything in Heian period Japan).
  
• Must meet with me each week for two (2) hours throughout the semester, during which the student will report on and discuss their readings and research for the week. Inability to report and/or discuss will be evaluated as unsatisfactory work and will affect the final grade accordingly.
• May incorporate their sork in this class to advance their research agenda for their Proseminar thesis paper (JAPN 199).
• Accept that tardiness and absences will affect the final grade accordingly. (In general, the student without a verifiable excuse will receive an F, no more than one excused absence per semester.) I offer Directed readings on Tuesdays 4 to 6 PM.
• Will be assigned a term paper, as well as perform additional work at my discretion.

TEXTS: Texts will be assigned according to the interests/focus of the student and/or instructor.

JAPN 105~6 Intermediate Japanese (1998)

Please note that JAPN 5~6 is no longer offered.

Purpose: Intermediate Japanese (Japn 007) is a course that aims
to expand the Japanese language ability the student is expected to have
acquired to this point. It will go beyond the grammatical lessons and
pattern practices of basic Japanese, and expose the student to
"authentic" Japanese, in preparing the student for future independent
readings and research in Japanese.

Requirements: : Every student must be registered in Japn 105.
Prerequisite for the course is Japn 004 or equivalent or permission of the instructor.

The course will offer textbook material, as well as
relatively simple literary and journalistic texts for reading. The
student will be required to read and translate any portion of the text
assigned by the instructor. The student also must be prepared for
simple discussions concerning the text in class in Japanese.

I ususally teach this course in the summer when there is enough interest.

As a language student, you are expected to learn and retain
material previously studied at all times. There will be weekly
quizzes/exercises every Friday (translation/kanji/sight comprehension),
two midterm exams and a final exam, all of which are cumulative. There
will also be impromptu quizzes on current material. PLEASE NOTE that
there are ABSOLUTELY NO make-up quizzes (except in cases of sudden and
verifiable illness).

Class participation is mandatory; consequently, regular
attendance is required. A total of six (6) absences for the semester
will be recognized in cases of illness or emergencies.

Textbook: Photocopies of selected texts; photocopying costs will be announced later.

Open door policy: All students are welcome to see me on any
matter of concern; if my door is open, it means that I'm available. If
you have questions or concerns about the grammar, or the translation,
or an exam, or studying in Japan, or your progress, feel free to step
in; if I'm not in, then come after class or make an appointment at your
convenience.

JAPN 001-2 Basic Japanese: Summer Session (2003)

Purpose: Basic Japanese (Japn 001 and 2) is an introductory
course in that will provide the student with a firm grounding in the
basic grammatical structures necessary for further study. It will
entail learning the Japanese script, grammatical lessons and pattern
practices, all of which will lead you to "authentic" Japanese in the
future.

Requirements: : Every student must be registered in Japn 001-2.
There is no prerequisite. The student will be required to read and
translate any portion of the text assigned by the instructor. The
student also must be prepared for simple discussions concerning the
text in class in Japanese.

As a language student, you are expected to learn and retain
material previously studied at all times. There will be frequent
quizzes (approx. 12 in each session), one midterm exam and a final
exam, all of which are cumulative. PLEASE NOTE that there are no
make-up quizzes (except in cases of sudden and verifiable illness or
injury).

Class participation is mandatory; consequently, regular
attendance is required. A total of four (4) absences for the semester
will be permitted in cases of illness or emergencies.

Textbook: The course will provide a textbook specifically
tailored for GW students. The cost, including the Kana computer
program, is $20 for 001 and $15.00 for 002.

Open door policy: All students are welcome to see me on any
matter of concern; if my door is open, it means that I'm available. If
you have questions or concerns about the grammar, or the translation,
or an exam, or studying in Japan, or your progress, feel free to step
in; if I'm not in, then come after class or make an appointment at your
convenience.