SUZANNEO’BRIEN
email:[email protected]
Office:226BayStateRd.,#203
OfficeHours:M2‐4:00,W10‐11:00
THESAMURAIINMYTHANDHISTORY
HI370/LJ282
Spring2012
Tuesdays&Thursdays12:30‐2:00CAS216
COURSEDESCRIPTIONThiscourseexploresthehistoryoftheimageandexperiencesof
samuraiinJapanesehistory.Itexamineshowsamuraihavedefinedthemselves,and
howothershaveportrayedtheminliterature,art,plays,film,andanimation.
Throughthesemedia,wewilltrackhowsamuraiidealshavebeencreated,contested,
andtransformedovertime,andinvestigatehowandwhytheyhavecometofunction
inmoderntimesasoneofthemostwidelyrecognizedJapanese“traditions,”not
simplyinJapanbutaroundtheglobe.
REQUIREMENTSKeyrequirementsincludethoughtfulreading,mindfulattendance,
andconsistentparticipation.Studentswillwritetwoshortessays(4pages)andone
longerresearchpaper(10pages).Intheshortessays,studentswillanalyzea
primarysource(literarywork,art,play)andafilminrelationtothehistoryofatopic
presentedintheweek’sreadingsand/orlectures.Studentscanchoosetheweekson
whichtheywanttobasetheiressays,butoneessaymustbehandedinbyMarch1
andthesecondbyApril10.Intheirresearchpapers,studentswillchoosea
particularsamurai(eitherfromalistdistributedinclassorinconsultationwiththe
instructor)andanalyzetherepresentationofthatfigureinthreedifferenteras
and/ormedia(literature,statues,paintings,prints,kabukitheater,museum
collections,comicbooks,musicvideos,TVshows,filmsanimation,videogames,etc.).
Aone‐pagediscussionofyourchoiceofresearchtopic(whichsamuraiyouhave
chosen)andabibliographyaredueMarch29.Researchpaperswillbedueatthe
startofclassonMay1.Allassignmentsmustbecompletedtoreceiveapassing
gradeinthecourse.
GRADESGradesareearned,notgiven,andwillbecalculatedasfollows:
10% classattendanceandparticipation.
20%(each)shortessays,onedueby3/1andtheseconddueby4/10. 50% researchpaper,dueinclasson5/1.
REQUIREDREADING
AvailableforpurchaseatBarnesandNoble:
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Ikegami,Eiko,TheTamingoftheSamurai:honorificindividualismandthe
makingofmodernJapan(Cambridge,Mass.:HarvardUniversityPress,1995)
KatsuKokichi,Musui'sStory:TheAutobiographyofaTokugawaSamurai
(Tuscon:UniversityofArizonaPress,1995)
MishimaYukio,Patriotism(NewYork:NewDirectionsBooks,1995)
NitobeInazō,Bushidō:theSoulofJapan(anyeditionoronline)
Sato,Hiroaki,LegendsoftheSamurai(Woodstock,N.Y.:OverlookPress,1995)
AllotherreadingscanbefoundonlineonthecourseBlackboardwebsite.
PLAGIARISMPlagiarismisaseriousoffenseagainstintellectualcommunityandwill
notbetolerated.Youareadvisedtoreviewthecollege'sdefinitionsofandpolicies
regardingplagiarismandcheating,whichareavailableonlineandinprint.See,for
example:http://www.bu.edu/cas/undergraduate/conductcode.html.
ATTENDANCEAttendanceateveryclassmeetingisexpected.Itisyourresponsibility
tocontacttheprofessorinadvanceifyouwillbeunabletoattendclass,andtoget
notes,handouts,instructions,etc.fromthesessionsyouhavemissed.
SCHEDULEWeeklyreadingsaretobecompletedpriortoTuesday’sclassmeetingso
thatdiscussionscanbeinformedandproductive.
I.Introduction
OnlineReadingsforWeek1
a.Courseintroduction
(1/17)
b.Intertwineddefinitionsof“Japan”and“samurai” (1/19)
a.Samuraias“tradition”inJapanandaroundtheworld
(1/24)
b.WarriorsinearlyJapanesemythsandtexts
(1/26)
II.History,Tradition,andSamurai
Ikegami,3‐14,45‐77.
Sato,3‐21,34‐46,59‐60,80‐87.
OnlineReadingsforWeek2
III.VarietiesofWarriorsinEarlyJapan
Ikegami,78‐118.
OnlineReadingsforWeek3
a.TheImperialMilitary&theDiversityof“Samurai”
(1/31)
b.ReligionandWarriorCulture
(2/2)
a.TheGempeiWarandtheRiseoftheKamakuraBakufu (2/7)
b.Yoshitsune:SupremeWarriorandTragicHero
(2/9)
FILM:TalesoftheTairaClan(ShinHeikeMonogatari)
IV.TheAdventofWarriorGovernment
Sato,110‐157.
OnlineReadingsforWeek4
FILM:Yoshitsune(dramaonJapanesepublicTV–pick3episodes)
V.ChallengestoWarriorRule&itsTransformation
Ikegami119‐134.
Sato,158‐187.
ExploretheinteractivewebversionofTakezakiSuenaga’sScrollsofthe
MongolInvasion(http://www.bowdoin.edu/mongol‐scrolls/).Besureto
lookatthe“GuidedView”fortherichestexplanationsofthetextandits
transformationthroughoutthecenturies.
OnlineReadingsforWeek5
a.Threatsfromwithoutandwithin:MongolsandEmperors
(2/14)
b.Transformationsinculture&society
(2/16)
VI.SamuraiinTransition:CivilWarandWesternThreats
REMINDER:FirstshortessaydueNEXTThursday
Ikegami,135‐148.
Sato,204‐231.
OnlineReadingsforWeek6
a.NoClassMeeting:MondaySchedule (2/21)
b.WarringStates,theArrivalofEuropeans&ChangesinWarfare(2/23)
FILM:ShadowWarrior(Kagemusha)
VII.TheFoundingoftheTokugawaBakufu
Ikegami,149‐194.
Sato,232‐247.
OnlineReadingsforWeek7
a.Unification&the“Taming”oftheSamurai b.Status,Ideology,andtheConsolidationofTokugawaRule
(2/28)
(3/1)
ASSIGNMENTDUE:Lastdaytohandinfirstshortessay
VIII.TensionsintheTokugawaSystem
Ikegami,195‐298.
Sato,304‐340.
OnlineReadingsforWeek8
a.The47Ronin:IdealSamuraiorLowlyLawBreakers?
(3/6)
b.ImagesoftheSamuraiinCommonerCulture
(3/8)
(3/12‐3/16)
FILM:TreasuryofLoyalRetainers(Chushingura)
IX.NOCLASSMEETINGS:SPRINGBREAK!!!
X.NewChallengesandtheUnravelingofTokugawaRule
REMINDER:One‐pagediscussionofthepersonyou’vechosentofocusonin
yourresearchpaperandadditionalbibliographyofprimaryand
secondarysourcesyouwillusedueNEXTThursday.
Katsu Kokichi, Musui’s Story: The Autobiography of a Tokugawa Samurai, trans.
Teruko Craig.
OnlineReadingsforWeek10
a.SamuraiDiscontentandtheBreakdownofDiscipline
(3/20)
b.PressuresfromWithinandWithout (3/22)
FILM: Twilight Samurai (Tasogare Seibei)
XI.Sex,Love,andGenderamongtheSamurai
OnlineReadingsforWeek11
a.SamuraiFamiliesandGender
(3/27)
b.SamuraiLove
(3/29)
ASSIGNMENTDUE:One‐pagediscussionandbibliographyforresearchpaper.
FILM: Taboo (Gohatto)
XII.TheMeijiRestoration
REMINDER:SecondshortessaydueNEXTTuesday
Ikegami,327‐369.
OnlineReadingsforWeek12
a.TheLastSamurai(TakeOne):TheShinsengumi (4/3)
b.TheEndoftheTokugawaBakufu&theNewMeijiState (4/5)
FILM:WhentheLastSwordisDrawn(Mibugishiden)
XIII.TheEndofSamuraiPrivilege&theSamuraiLegacytotheNewJapan
NitobeInazō,Bushidō:theSoulofJapan(Preface,Intro,ch.1‐4,8‐12,15‐17)
OnlineReadingsforWeek13
a.Nation/Empire‐buildingandthe(Figureofthe)Samurai
ASSIGNMENTDUE:Lastdaytohandinsecondshortessay(Tuesday4/10)
(4/10)
b.TheLastSamurai(TakeTwo):SaigoTakamori
(4/12)
a.TheLastSamurai(TakeThree):NogiMaresuke (4/17)
b.TheSamuraiMystiqueandtheAsiaPacificWar (4/19)
FILM:SamuraiX
XIV.“Samurai”inImperialJapan?
Sato, 341-60.
OnlineReadingsforWeek14
XV.TheLegacyoftheSamuraiinPost‐WarJapan
REMINDER:ResearchpapersdueatthestartofclassNEXTThursday YukioMishima,Patriotism
ViewMishima’sfilmversionof“Patriotism”onlineat:
http://www.ubu.com/film/mishima_rite.html
(WARNING:Verygraphic,soyoucanskipifyou’resqueamish)
a.TheLastSamurai(TakeFour):YukioMishima
(4/24)
b.FILM(inclass):GhostDog:TheWayoftheSamurai (4/26)
(4/28)
(5/1)
XVI.TheGlobalizationoftheSamurai
Ikegami,370‐380.
a.SamuraiForever:SamuraiinaGlobalizedWorld FILM(finishinclass):GhostDog:TheWayoftheSamurai
b.WhithertheSamurai?ConclusionsandSpeculation
ASSIGNMENTDUE:Lastdaytohandinresearchpaper