Course code

HIL6596.HT

old course code

Course title in Estonian

Jaapani vanem kultuur

Course title in English

Premodern Japanese Culture

ECTS credits

6.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester

Alari Allik (language of instruction:Estonian)

lecturer of 2024/2025 Spring semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

Students will acquire knowledge of central ideas in traditional Japanese culture: how did the Japanese make sense of the world, what kind of aesthetic standards dominated in art, which philosophical concepts were important for the functioning of society etc. Students will get to know what major changes took place in culture during different historical periods and acquire skills in analysing the transformative ideas behind them.

Brief description of the course

The course will give an overview of the development of traditional Japanese society and culture. During the course we will focus on the major shifts in thinking during the different historical periods (Nara, Heian, Kamakura etc.) and discuss them in light of various trends in Japanese culture. During the course student will read a selection of relevant texts (religion, philosophy, historical sources) in cultural history and study important works of art. The course will also focus on various research problems (sense of place, identity, body etc) relevant in contemporary cultural studies.

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- can name different periods of Japanese history and describe the culture of these periods;
- is familiar with major texts in Japanese culture and is able to explain central ideas of their authors;
- can name important works of art that are characteristic of their particular period;
- can outline continuities or discontinuities of past events with modern Japan.

Teacher

Study programmes containing that course

Asian Studies (HILAB/24.HT)