2.1 Students develop a comprehensive understanding, appreciation and knowledge of Japanese culture: perspectives (ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, philosophies), practices (patterns of social interactions) and products (both tangible and intangible, such as art, history, literature, music).
2.2 Students develop analytical and critical thinking in areas, such as how Japan's cultural background influences modern Japanese life, how to compare their own culture with the Japanese culture, or how Japanese culture relates to other world cultures in an age of global inter-relatedness.
In my experience with studying Japanese language and culture simultaneously as a discipline, I came upon the (albeit very simple in nature) deeply interesting realization that you cannot truly understand one without the other. Even as someone has a deeply keen interest in the linguistic aspects of language, I have also come to realize that focusing too much on those areas has a blurring, objectifying effect on one's attitude towards language. Language itself being in my opinion being the most important product of any culture (it being a living representation of the common experiences shared between all that participate in a given culture), the importance of studying it alongside language should not be underestimated.
Through my education of Japanese Culture at CSUMB, I took a very broad approach of studying aspects of Japanese culture. More specifically, in the 3 courses I have listed below (JAPN 305, JAPN 215, JAPN 314) we covered a considerably wide range of subjects, including Japanese Pop Culture and Modern Society, a brief overview of Japanese history spun in the context of the structures of Japanese society and civilization, and we also took a broad look at Japanese Visual Culture (ancient and modern) and considered how this can inform us on Japanese society at large.
Briefly highlighting 2 specific areas I took deep interest in from taking these courses, I will start with the visual cultural product of Japanese woodblock prints. I first had the opportunity to learn about Japanese woodblock prints in JAPN 215: Cool Japan Today, and then later once again in JAPN 314: Japanese Visual Culture and Media. There is something to this art style that I seem to have an affinity for, although it is still very difficult to specify what exactly that is. It could be simply that the aesthetic of it is very unique in my limited experience with art. Regardless, I was very happy to learn about the production process, its appeal as one of the first widely accessible mediums of popular culture within Japan, and about it's myriad of appearances/styles.
Another area that I found to be deeply interesting within my studies is the presence of robots in Japanese popular cultural and the role they are increasingly serving in Japanese society. The presence of robot's in different genres of Japanese popular culture such as anime and manga is something that can be readily observed even by those who are not particularly savvy about the culture; however, what the average person may not be able to explain is the factors that led up to this theme being adapted into an entire genre. One factor that I will list is the presence of the native Japanese belief system of shintoism. Within shintoism, there is a belief that all things, animate and inanimate, are imbued with what are called Kami, a kind of sacred essence/spirit. With this being said, robots just like humans share this same essence and therefore are not thought of with the same level of discomfort it might invoke from someone unfamiliar with this belief/thought.
There is far more that can be said in regards to what I have learned from this courses, but for now I will finish on the note that my education in Japanese Culture at CSUMB has provided me with a solid foundation to continue these studies on my own post graduation and upon returning to Japan in the near future.
Courses
JAPN 305
JAPN 215
JAPN 314
2.2 Students develop analytical and critical thinking in areas, such as how Japan's cultural background influences modern Japanese life, how to compare their own culture with the Japanese culture, or how Japanese culture relates to other world cultures in an age of global inter-relatedness.
In my experience with studying Japanese language and culture simultaneously as a discipline, I came upon the (albeit very simple in nature) deeply interesting realization that you cannot truly understand one without the other. Even as someone has a deeply keen interest in the linguistic aspects of language, I have also come to realize that focusing too much on those areas has a blurring, objectifying effect on one's attitude towards language. Language itself being in my opinion being the most important product of any culture (it being a living representation of the common experiences shared between all that participate in a given culture), the importance of studying it alongside language should not be underestimated.
Through my education of Japanese Culture at CSUMB, I took a very broad approach of studying aspects of Japanese culture. More specifically, in the 3 courses I have listed below (JAPN 305, JAPN 215, JAPN 314) we covered a considerably wide range of subjects, including Japanese Pop Culture and Modern Society, a brief overview of Japanese history spun in the context of the structures of Japanese society and civilization, and we also took a broad look at Japanese Visual Culture (ancient and modern) and considered how this can inform us on Japanese society at large.
Briefly highlighting 2 specific areas I took deep interest in from taking these courses, I will start with the visual cultural product of Japanese woodblock prints. I first had the opportunity to learn about Japanese woodblock prints in JAPN 215: Cool Japan Today, and then later once again in JAPN 314: Japanese Visual Culture and Media. There is something to this art style that I seem to have an affinity for, although it is still very difficult to specify what exactly that is. It could be simply that the aesthetic of it is very unique in my limited experience with art. Regardless, I was very happy to learn about the production process, its appeal as one of the first widely accessible mediums of popular culture within Japan, and about it's myriad of appearances/styles.
Another area that I found to be deeply interesting within my studies is the presence of robots in Japanese popular cultural and the role they are increasingly serving in Japanese society. The presence of robot's in different genres of Japanese popular culture such as anime and manga is something that can be readily observed even by those who are not particularly savvy about the culture; however, what the average person may not be able to explain is the factors that led up to this theme being adapted into an entire genre. One factor that I will list is the presence of the native Japanese belief system of shintoism. Within shintoism, there is a belief that all things, animate and inanimate, are imbued with what are called Kami, a kind of sacred essence/spirit. With this being said, robots just like humans share this same essence and therefore are not thought of with the same level of discomfort it might invoke from someone unfamiliar with this belief/thought.
There is far more that can be said in regards to what I have learned from this courses, but for now I will finish on the note that my education in Japanese Culture at CSUMB has provided me with a solid foundation to continue these studies on my own post graduation and upon returning to Japan in the near future.
Courses
JAPN 305
JAPN 215
JAPN 314
