Japanese 5820
Contemporary Japanese Literature
Introduction
We will be surveying the Japanese literary (and related cultural) landscape of the past thirty or so
years, examining the transition from the late-modern works of the Postwar generation to the
bestselling products of the Japanese Postmodern. Oe Kenzaburo's Nobel Prize, combined with
his own self-conscious rejection of the contemporary scene, makes for a neat definition of the
period in question. What was the nature of the postwar literary project? And how does it differ
from the way contemporary writers position their works? Are these newer writers "Japanese" in
any significant sense, or has Japanese literature been absorbed into the transnational flow? The
majority of the works we read will be by very contemporary writers, but we will read them with
an eye to what ties them to or divides them from their predecessors.
Objectives
Reading assignments will include both literary works (to be read in Japanese) by a number of the
significant writers of the period and critical pieces (in English and, occasionally, in Japanese) that
provide background and perspective on the writers and their (our) times. (You are also
encouraged to read works in translation by the assigned authors.) Class sessions will typically
begin with a (30-minute) report on the reading by one of the seminar members (you will be
responsible for approximately 3 of these during the semester) followed by discussion and,
occasionally, lectures. Proposed topics for the seminar sessions are subject to modification
according to the interests of seminar participants.
Grading
One of the central objectives of the course is to develop your research and writing skills; to this
end, you will be completing two brief (seven-page) papers derived from the weekly topics. these
are a place for you to hone your writing style, and there will be ample opportunity to submit
drafts and rewrite these papers. Each will count for 15% of the final grade. In addition, you will
be writing a seminar paper (20+ pages) on a significant topic to be developed in close
cooperation with me (40% of the final grade). The remainder of your contribution to the seminar
will be your regular attendance and participation and your oral reports (30%). You should read
all of the material prior to each session and come prepared to discuss it actively and critically;
remember that thoughtful questions are often the best comments. You are also encouraged to
take advantage of my office hours to discuss material that you find confusing or difficult. This is
not a Japanese reading course, per se, and we will not be translating materials in class; if you are
having trouble with a text, however, please do not hesitate to come to my office for help.
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