Culture of Japan I

The course explores the ideas and works of modern and contemporary intellectuals, artists and institutional authorities (not only from Japan, but also from other countries) who, in accordance with their professional role, provided their personal interpretation of Japanese culture, aligning or not with the socio-cultural and ideological mainstream of their times. The goal of the course is to provide new and alternative insights into Japanese culture, so that students can form their own critical opinion on the transformations and identity crises of Japan from the 16th century to the present.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired a broad and detailed knowledge of secondary sources (short stories, travel journals, letters, private notes, non-official diplomatic reports) and their characteristics, in a comparative perspective. Thanks to this knowledge, students will become familiar with the processes that contributed to shaping Japan's identity, as well as with its difficult relationship with international actors.