HIS481: Japan and the US from 1853 to the
Present
Dr. Margaret Manchester Dr. D. Colin Jaundrill CourseDescription: This course examines the changing nature of US and Japanese relations from the first contacts in 1853 until the present time through a combination of academic study and field experience. Students will engage in intensive discussion of readings, primary sources materials, and films during the on‐campus portion of the class, followed by field experiences in Japan tailored specifically to reinforce and explore more deeply course themes/materials. Finally, students will engage in independent research projects where they will build on both their academic learning and field experiences. Course Objectives:
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To further the mission of Providence College by fostering academic excellence through the sciences and humanities and providing a variety of opportunities for intellectual, social, and aesthetic growth To further the mission of the History Department of Providence College by encouraging sensitivity to the past in order that students might better understand the present and prepare intelligently to deal with the challenges of the future. To further the mission of the Asian Studies Program by providing an interdisciplinary global perspective on social, economic and political issues relating to the US‐Japanese relations in the modern era. Learning Objectives:
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Students will develop an appreciation for the significance in each country’s history of the interactions between the United States and Japan. Students will become familiar with the major themes and issues in the nineteenth‐ and twentieth‐century histories of the United States and Japan. Students will make—and reflect critically on—connections between their classroom learning and their field experience in Japan. Course Themes/Questions: 
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In what ways have ideas from both Asia and the West been adopted in Japan? What key transitions can you identify in the US‐Japanese relationship in its 160‐year history? What are the enduring legacies of World War II in Japanese and American culture? How do you explain the economic relationship between Japan and the U.S. in the post‐World War II era? What challenges does this relationship face in an age of globalization? What are the areas of common interest between Japan and the US in the present? In the future? What are the potential sources of tension? Course Readings:
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Peter Duus, Modern Japan (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998), ISBN: 0395746043. The Japanese Discovery of America: A Brief History with Documents, (Bedford Series in History & Culture, 1996), ISBN#0312116810 Walter LaFeber, The Clash: A History of US‐Japan Relations ((WW Norton, 1998), ISBN: 0393318370 John Dower, War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War (New York: Pantheon, 1986), ISBN: 0075416522 Lawson Fusao Inada, Only What We Could Carry: The Japanese American Internment Experience (Heyday, 2000), ISBN: 1890771309 Reading Packet with Handouts, Documents, and Case Studies Course Assessment:
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Pre‐Assignment (10%): Read The Japanese Discovery of America: A Brief History with Documents by Peter Duus (Bedford Series in History & Culture, 1996) [0312116810] and Walter LaFeber, The Clash: A History of US‐Japan Relations ((WW Norton, 1997), Part One: Irresistible Force, Immovable Object, pp. 3‐31. Write a 1200‐1500 word paper responding to the following question: What cultural and political differences between the Japanese and Americans account for the Japanese response to demands for “opening” Japan to American trade? What values or beliefs did the two cultures share? Use specific excerpts from the documents to support each main argument. (Due at beginning of Class 1). Class Preparation/Participation (30%): o Respond on Sakai to questions regarding readings, films, and other course materials. Daily participation/preparation self‐evaluation. o Students will prepare two primary source analyses for each class, one on a text or document and the other on visual or media source. Each analysis will be 500‐750 words long and will follow the format provided in the guidelines at the end of the syllabus. o Students will work in groups analyzing case studies on Japanese‐American economic relations in the post‐ World War II era. Each group will do an oral presentation which will be evaluated according to the rubric provided in the guidelines at the end of the syllabus. Field Experience (30%) Reflective journal maintained on Sakai. o Students are required to complete a minimum of five postings relating their field experiences to readings and other course materials. Three of the postings will be in response to specific questions posed by the instructors and available on Sakai, as noted in the itinerary. Final Paper (30%) Students will complete an 8‐10 page paper relating to any topic arising from classroom/field experience. o Research Plan: Due one week after return o Final Paper: Due 3 weeks after return. WEEK ONE: Providence College
May 20: Class One: Introduction
Morning Session: Japan Before 1868 Peter Duus, Modern Japan (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998), Chapters 1‐4 Afternoon Session: The US Encounter with Japan LaFeber, A History of US‐Japan Relations, Part 1. Reading Packet, Documents and Essays May 21: Class Two: US and Japan Before 1931
Morning Session: Japan to 1905 Duus, Modern Japan, Chapters 5‐9 Afternoon Session: US to 1907 LaFeber, Chapters II‐V Sakai Posting: Given Japan’s success in the Russo‐Japanese War, what impact did the Gentlemen’s Agreement of 1907 have on Japanese pride? On Japanese policy? Write a 500‐750 posting, using evidence from the readings to support your analysis. May 22: Class Three: World War II
Morning Session: A Race War in the Pacific? Duus, Chapters 13‐14 John Dower, War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War (New York: Pantheon, 1986) Afternoon Session: Race on the Homefront LaFeber, Chapters VI‐VIII Lawson Fusao Inada, Only What we Could Carry: The Japanese American Internment Experience (Heyday, 2000) DOCUMENTARY: Family Gathering (1988 by Lise Yasui) Sakai Posting: Write a 500‐750 word reflection on how Americans can reconcile democracy and the internment of Japanese‐American citizens during World War II. FILM NIGHT (Dinner to be Provided): Letters from Iwo Jima (2006) May 23: Class Four: The Surrender and the Occupation Era Morning Session: Hiroshima in History and Memory Michael Hogan, Hiroshima in History and Memory DOCUMENTARY: Atomic Café (excerpts) Afternoon Session: The Occupation Era Duus, Chapters 15‐16 LaFeber, Chapters IX‐X FILM NIGHT (Dinner to be Provided): Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) Sakai Posting: The essays in Hogan and the film, Hiroshima Mon Amour, take very different views on the role of memory and oblivion. Write a 750 word reflection on the areas where the readings and film intersect. May 24: Class Five: Japan and the US from the “High Growth” Era to the Present Morning Session: The “Economic Miracle” Duus, Chapters 17‐20 LaFeber, Ch. X‐Conclusion Student Group Presentations: Case Studies in Japanese/American Economic Relations Afternoon Session: The US and Contemporary Japan Weeks Two‐Three: International Experience
May 26
May 27‐May 29
May 27 Depart Boston Logan to Tokyo Narita on Japan Airlines Flight 007
Tokyo and Environs
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Imperial Palace Ginza (Tokyo Station/Diet/Japan’s First Department Stores) Dinner in Shinjuku 
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Tsukiji Fish Market Shōwakan Museum May 28 
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Yasukuni Shrine/Yūshūkan Museum Dinner at Meiji Kinenkan SAKAI POSTING: In these two museum visits, we’ve looked at very different ways of memorializing the experience of WWII. Incorporating material from our readings, reflect on some of the major differences between the Shōwakan and Yūshūkan museums. (500 words) May 29  Depart for Kamakura  Kamakura Daibutsu/Surrounding Temples  Stay at a Japanese Inn Near Hakone (Views of Mt. Fuji) May 30‐ 31
May 30 Nagoya and Environs
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Travel to Toyota Plant/Museum in Toyota City, Aichi Tokugawa Museum, Nagoya Explore Nagoya SAKAI Posting: How does the tour of the Toyota plant address the cultural differences between Japanese and American automakers? To what extent do these echo issues raised in the economic case studies you presented in class? What factors, in your opinion, have contributed the most to enduring Japanese success? Write a 750 word response, making connections between the field experience and course readings wherever possible. May 31  Travel to Ise Shrine, Mie  Travel to Kyoto  Explore Central Kyoto May 31‐June 2:
June 1 Kyoto
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Nijō Castle Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) June 2  Travel to Uji, Byōdōin Temple  Return to Kyoto, Visit Kiyomizu Temple/Gion District SAKAI Posting: What potential research topic would you be interested in exploring? Which of the field experiences so far would be appropriate to complete a research paper on this question? (500 words) June 3  Visit Nara, Tōdaiji 
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Himeji Castle Travel to Hiroshima June 4‐5
Hiroshima
June 4  Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum/Peace Park  Miyajima SAKAI Posting: How does the actual experience of visiting Hiroshima differ from your expectations based on your readings and the films? How would you characterize the historical treatment of the events surrounding dropping of the Atomic bomb? Write a 500‐750 word response and post on Sakai. Give specific examples from your tour and/or other experiences. Wherever possible, make connections to course readings and/or themes. June 5‐6
Tokyo
June 5  Return to Tokyo  Final Free Day June 6:
Depart Tokyo Narita to Boston Logan on Japan Airlines Flight 008
Weeks Four‐Six: Individual Research Students will write a 10‐12 page research paper on any aspect of modern US‐Japanese relations. In pursuing this project, students will:  Develop an in‐depth understanding of a specific and focused issue relating to course themes, readings, and field experiences  Develop research and analytical skills  Examine and evaluate a variety of historical sources to determine their reliability, credibility, and accuracy.  Become familiar with academic journals and secondary sources on US‐Japanese relations  Integrate field experiences into their academic work Project‐Related Assignments:
 Preliminary Statement of Research Topic based on Field Experiences due June 2. (See Sakai Posting in Itinerary)  Research Plan due Monday, June 10 (post on Sakai no later than 5pm) Identify the topic, provide a tentative hypothesis, and discuss your methodology. Identify 2‐3 primary source documents (and/or artifacts), five articles from Historic New York, Times and/or other journals, and at least one article from a peer‐reviewed academic journal. 
Final Paper due Wednesday, June 26 (post on Turnitin no later than 12pm). Please use Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History (B edford/St. Martin’s, 2003), ISBN: 031240357, to cite your sources in both footnotes and in your works cited page. General Guidelines:
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Avoid vague generalizations – be specific. Do not use personal voice (I, we, you, us, etc.) Use action verbs – avoid passive voice in academic writing. If quoting from the course texts, please cite the specific document and page number or the author and title of the essay. Essay Ex: (Duus, “From the Russian Pale,” Modern Japan, pp. 310) Document Ex: (Newman, “We fought…”, WA, p. 342) If quoting from the handouts, cite the specific document and page number, EX: (, p. 341)