Osaka in Modern Japanese Literature

Andrew MURAKAMI-SMITH (Graduate School of Language and Culture)

Cource Objective
   The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with a range of modern Japanese literary works relating to Osaka, giving them a sense of the place of these works within an "Osaka Tradition" of literature and within the wider context of modern Japanese literature as a whole.

Learning Goals
   By taking this course, students will gain a familiarity with a range of works of modern Japanese literature; gain broader knowledge of the context of modern and contemporary Japanese literature as a whole; and gain the skills to analyze literary works, express their opinions about them, and support those opinions with evidence from the works, opinions of literary critics, and other support.

Class Plan
   Students will:
   - Read the assigned stories and think about Discussion Questions about them (every week)
   - Discuss the stories in small groups in class (every week)
   - Post comments about them on an on-line Discussion Board in the CLE system (at least 10 times during the semester)
   - Read additional materials and serve as Discussion Leader in their small group (4 times during the semester)
   - Submit a Discussion Report on the contents of their group's discussion in class (4 times during the semester)
   - Write one Final Paper (about 5 pages in English or Japanese) on a topic relating to modern Japanese literature

	Theme	Content
Week 1	Introduction	An "Osaka Tradition" within modern Japanese literature?
Week 2	Osaka and the Classical Tradition	Ihara Saikaku
Week 3	The Beginning of the "Osaka Tradition" in Modern Literature	Chikamatsu Monzaemon; Kamizukasa Shoken, "Skin of the Pike Conger Eel"
Week 4	Poetess of Modern Japan	Yosano Akiko
Week 5	"I-Novelist" of Osaka	Kajii Motojiro
Week 6	"I-Novelist" of Osaka	Uno Koji
Week 7	Proletarian Writer of Osaka	Takeda Rintaro
Week 8	Poet of Osaka	Ono Tozaburo
Week 9	A Tokyo Native's View of Osaka	Tanizaki Jun'ichiro
Week 10	Osaka's Greatest Native Son	Oda Sakunosuke
Week 11	Postwar Writer	Miyamoto Teru
Week 12	Postwar Women Writers	Kono Taeko; Tomioka Taeko
Week 13	Contemporary Women Writers	Kawakami Mieko; Shibasaki Tomoka
Week 14	Contemporary Women Writers	Tsumura Kikuko; Nishi Kanako
Week 15	Entertainment or Literature?	Nakaba Riichi, excerpt from Kaoru-chan of Kishiwada; three Osaka manga works

Type of Class
   Lecture + Discussion

Independent Study Outside of Class
   Required work outside the classroom will include:
   - Reading the assigned stories and thinking about Discussion Questions about the stories (every week)
   - Following the course of discussions in an on-line Discussion Board and making posts of their own (at least 10 times/semester)
   - Preparing Discussion Reports on the contents of small group discussions in class (4 times/semester)
   - Writing the Final Paper (once during the semester)

Textbooks
   There is no textbook assigned in this class. Students will be provided with reading materials through the on-line CLE system and/or as hard copies in class.

Grading Policy
   Students' grades will be based on:
   - At least 10 comments posted on the on-line Discussion Board
   - Four Discussion Reports on the contents of discussions in their small group
   - One Final Paper (5 pages in English or Japanese)