Japanese His/Cul 8-16 GEO009 Self-Paced (NCAA)

Like other courses in our “History & Culture” sequence, the Japanese History & Culture course provides a fascinating 3-week immersion experience in Japan’s history and culture. Students discuss a period essential to Japan’s uniqueness in much detail – the period of Sakoku. As well as this, students look in detail at the intricate Japanese family structure, and how this is reflective of the collectivistic Japanese culture. Next, the course takes a look at the arts of refinement in Japan – students look at the arts of tea, fragrance and flowers in much detail, studying the inner workings of each. After this, the students learn about the many periods of Japanese art, looking at different pieces of art from each, starting with the Jōmon period. Before the final unit, students take a look at sociology in Japan, studying many elements of how society functions in Japan. Finally, students take a look at self-improvement in Japan, understanding hansei and methods in which we can apply Japanese traditions of self-reflection and other components to our own lives.