Austin C. Parks (He/Him/His)
[email protected]
Rice 312
Hours: MF: 1:30-2:30, Th: 2:00-3:00
Photography, Representation, and History
in the Study of Modern Japan
W: 2:30-4:20 in Mudd Center 050
Course Description:
Since the introduction of photography to Japan in the mid-nineteenth century, the practice of taking and
making photographs has been a formidable tool in the construction of personal, national, and imperial identities in the
Japanese archipelago. From the Meiji Emperor’s depiction as a military leader to the Showa Emperor’s recasting as a
man of science in the postwar era, photographs have created and popularized representations deeply enmeshed in the
historical contexts of their production. This course will explore the history Japan through an examination of
photographs and other visual media. We will discuss the history of photography, but we are primarily concerned with
the ways in which photographs created and reflected important debates—with important historical stakes—in Japan’s
modern era. We will engage photographic images as historical sources in our efforts to understand how photography as
a social and cultural practice aided in the reimagining of “Japan” and “the Japanese” during periods of revolution,
catastrophic war, ‘total empire,’ defeat, and mass protest. Drawing primary on secondary source readings, our
discussions will include the examination of a variety of images ranging from war photographs and imperial portraits, to
travelogues and photojournalism as we attempt to understand how photographic images operated in particular contexts
and how those contexts informed their production. This course asks students to think critically and historically about
images as intentional representations rather than as “objective” snapshots of the past. A significant portion of class time
will be devoted to discussing images, their relation to Japanese history, and their usefulness as historical sources.
Students are expected to come to class prepared for these discussions by having completed all the readings.
Content Advisory: At different points in the class you might encounter disturbing images of war, listen to narratives of
suffering, and read accounts by both the victims and perpetrators of imperialist violence. I will do my best to inform
students of upcoming readings that contain graphic content or disturbing imagery. The content of this course was not
decided upon in a flippant manner and I have done my best to ensure that we discuss unsettling topics in a critical
manner that always takes into account the historical context of their production. If, for any reason, you feel the need to
excuse yourself from class, please do so. If such departures occur, I also ask that other students not read too much into
them.
Evaluation:
1.
2.
50%—Research paper (15 pages), due 12/19 by 4:00pm
a. Research proposal (1-2 pages), due 9/30
b. Annotated bibliography, due 10/14—five secondary sources and one primary source base
(collection/album/etc.). Purdue offers a helpful explanation of annotated bibliographies with several
samples. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/
c. Historiography paper (4-5 pages), due 11/04
d. Presentation of Findings, due 12/9
25%—Discussion Leader
a. Throughout the course, individuals will be required to lead discussion. As discussion leader, you
should give a short presentation based on your response paper. Your presentation should briefly
1 Austin C. Parks (He/Him/His)
[email protected]
3.
Rice 312
Hours: MF: 1:30-2:30, Th: 2:00-3:00
introduce the readings, address what you believe to be the key issues/ideas, and pose questions for
discussion. You should select a sampling of images related to the readings for our group discussion.
These images can come from the designated weekly “Images” or you can locate images on your own.
Please put these images into a PowerPoint (or similar program) slideshow and send the file to me at
least 24 hours prior to your talk. (For display purposes.)
25%—Response Papers
a. Each week you are required to write a 500 word (max) response papers on assigned readings. These
papers should not summarize the readings. Rather, they locate common themes, discuss contrasting
positions, and ask questions for further discussion. These papers are an ideal chance to critically
engage the readings before discussion. You do not have to cover every issue—or every reading—but
you must illustrate a thoughtful exploration of themes/methodologies/theoretical frameworks/etc.
Post your response papers to Blackboard no later than Tuesday at 8pm. Response papers will be
graded on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being “poor and 5 being “exceptional.”
Course Policies:
Late Submissions: History is primarily a written discipline and this course requires regular short assignments in
addition to a substantial research paper. Be strategic in how you plan your time. If you find yourself falling behind, set
an appointment to speak with me. The final research must be submitted by the deadline and late response papers will
not be accepted. Other assignments will incur a 1/3-grade penalty per 24 hours.
Absences: Attendance is mandatory. This course requires your active participation. If you miss two class
meetings you are required to visit me during office hours. A single absence can be made up with a 5 page response
paper on the readings for that week. More than two absences will result in 1/3 grade penalty for your overall course
grade.
Tardiness: Please try to be on time to all class meetings. If you must be late, please enter the class in the least
disruptive manner possible. If you need to leave class early, please let me know in advance and do not cartwheel out the
door.
Laptop/Computers: I recommend that all students able to do so take notes by hand on paper. This method is
proven to be most effective in helping students understand and retain information. That being said, computers and
tablets are allowed in class for the purposes of taking notes or accessing readings. Please do not surf the net during
class.
Office Hours and Communication: I will be available in my office, Rice 312, on Mondays and Fridays from 1:302:30pm and on Thursdays from 2:00-3:30pm. To book an appointment during office hours visit
https://aparks.youcanbook.me/ and reserve a 10- or 20-minute spot. (You are free to stay longer if no other students
are waiting.) You are also free to stop by office hours without an appointment, but those with prearranged meeting times
have priority. If you are unavailable during my office hours, please speak with me and we can find a time to meet that
fits both our schedules. The best way to reach me is through my Oberlin email account listed at the top of page one. I
respond to emails from 4:00-6:00pm, Monday-Friday, and can in most cases reply within 24 hours. Do not expect an
immediate response if you write me after 8:00pm or before 8:00am. Also keep in mind that emails between students and
faculty are professional exchanges and, as such, should be crafted with a modicum of care in regards to language and
etiquette.
Students with Disabilities:
Oberlin College is committed to providing a supportive and challenging environment for all students. Oberlin
works to provide all students with disabilities a learning environment that affords them equal access and reasonable
accommodation of their disabilities. Please let me know if you are eligible for and require accommodations in
accordance with college policies, which can be found here at: http://new.oberlin.edu/office/disability-services/
Academic Integrity:
2 Austin C. Parks (He/Him/His)
[email protected]
Rice 312
Hours: MF: 1:30-2:30, Th: 2:00-3:00
All students should be familiar and are required to adhere to Oberlin College’s “Honor Code.” The college
requires that students sign an “Honor Code” for all assignments. The pledge states, "I have adhered to the Honor Code
in this assignment." From “The Honor Code”:
Oberlin College students are on their honor to uphold a high degree of academic integrity. All work
that students submit is expected to be of their own creation and give proper credit to the ideas and work of
others. When students write and sign the Honor Pledge, they are affirming that they have not cheated,
plagiarized, fabricated, or falsified information, nor assisted others in these actions.
More information can be found at:
http://www.oberlin.edu/studentpolicies/honorcode/
Required Books:
John Tagg, The Burden of Representation: Essays on Photographies and Histories (Minneapolis, Univ. of Minnesota,
1988).
Morris Low. Japan on Display: Photography and the Emperor (London: Routledge, 2006).
Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Art and Artifice: Japanese Photographs of the Meiji Era (Boston: MFA Publications,
2004).
Recommended Books:
Karen Fraser, Photography and Japan (London: Reaktion Books, 2011).
Christopher Pinney, Photography’s Other Histories (Durham: Duke, 2005).
Jonathan Crary, Techniques of the Observer: On Vision and Modernity in the Nineteenth Century (Cambridge: MIT Press,
1990).
Rosalind Morris, ed., Photographies East: the Camera and Its Histories in East and Southeast Asia (Durham: Duke
University Press, 2009).
Most assigned readings can be found online on the Oberlin library website or Blackboard. If you have trouble
accessing readings, please contact me as soon as possible.
Weekly Schedule:
Week One (9/1): Introduction to the Course and the Practice of Looking
Readings:
Syllabus
Week Two (9/9): Theory: Photographies and Histories
Readings:
Theory/Practice:
*Jennifer Tucker and Tina Campt, “Entwined Practices: Engagements with Photography in Historical Inquiry,”
History and Theory: Theme Issue 48 (December 2009), 1-8.
*Derek Sayer, “The Photograph: the Still Image” in History Beyond the Text: a Student’s Guide to Approaching
Alternative Sources, Barber and Peniston-Bird, eds., (London: Routledge, 2009), 49-71.
*Caroline Brothers, “Introduction” and “Photography, Theory, History” in War and Photography: a Cultural
History (London: Routledge, 1997), pps. 1-31.
John Tagg, The Burden of Representation: Essays on Photographies and Histories (Minneapolis, Univ. of Minnesota,
1988), 1-33.
*Rosalind Morris, “Introduction” in Photographies East: the Camera and Its Histories in East and Southeast Asia,
Rosalind Morris, ed. (Durham: Duke University Press, 2009), 1-28.
3 Austin C. Parks (He/Him/His)
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Rice 312
Hours: MF: 1:30-2:30, Th: 2:00-3:00
Week Three (9/16): Modern Ways of Seeing: Photography’s Beginnings (in Japan)
Readings:
Theory/Practice:
John Tagg, The Burden of Representation: Essays on Photographies and Histories (Minneapolis, Univ. of Minnesota,
1988), 34-59.
*Jonathan Crary, Techniques of the Observer: On Vision and Modernity in the Nineteenth Century (Cambridge: MIT
Press, 1990), 1-24, 97-136.
MFA, Boston, Art & Artifice: Japanese Photographs of the Meiji Era (Boston: MFA Publications, 2004).
Context:
*David Howell, “Visions of the Future in Meiji Japan” in Historical Perspectives on Contemporary East Asia, Merle
Goldman and Andrew Gordon, eds. (Cambridge: Harvard UP, 2000), 85-118.
*Jason G. Karlin, “The Gender of Nationalism: Competing Masculinities in Meiji Japan,” Journal of Japanese
Studies, Vol. 28, No. 1 (Winter 2002), 41-77.
Images:
*Harvard Library:
“Japanese Photographs of the Meiji Period, vol. 2,” images by Tamamura Kozaburô, c. 1880-1890s.
http://via.lib.harvard.edu/via/deliver/deepLink?_collection=via&recordId=olvgroup12216&record
Number=1&method=view&recordViewFormat=grid
“Souvenir of a Garden Party at Waseda, 1898.” Images by Ogawa Kazumasa.
http://via.lib.harvard.edu/via/deliver/deepLink?_collection=via&recordId=olvgroup12236&record
Number=1&method=view&recordViewFormat=grid
9/23—Holiday, No Class
Week Four (9/30): Photographing the Emperor
Assignment:
Research proposal (1-2 pages), due 9/30.
Readings:
Theory/Practice:
*Pierre Nora, “Between Memory and History: Les Lieux de Memoire,” Representations, No. 26 (Spring, 1989), 7-24.
Morris Low, “Imagining the Emperor” and “The Death of the Meiji Emperor” in Japan on Display: Photography
and the Emperor (Routledge: London, 2006), 1-42.
*David Earhart, “Emperor Showa” in Certain Victory: Images of World War II in the Japanese Media (M.E. Sharpe:
Armonk NY, 2008), 11-36.
Context:
*Carol Gluck, “The Late Meiji Period” in Japan’s Modern Myths (Princeton, Princeton UP, 1985), 17-41.
*Tak Fujitani, Splendid Monarchy: Power and Pageantry in Modern Japan (Berkeley: UC Press, 1996), 1-28, 155-194.
Images:
*Imperial portraits/Imperial Reviews.
*MIT Gallery of Meiji-era depictions of the imperial family:
http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/throwing_off_asia_01/emperor_02.html
Week Five (10/7): Photographing The Empire
Readings:
Theory:
4 Austin C. Parks (He/Him/His)
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Rice 312
Hours: MF: 1:30-2:30, Th: 2:00-3:00
*David Ciarlo, Advertising Empire: Race and Visual Culture in Imperial Germany (Cambridge, Harvard UP, 2011), 124 (esp. 15-20).
*Zahid R. Chaudhary, Afterimage of Empire: Photography in Nineteenth-century India (Minneapolis: Univ of
Minnesota, 2012), 73-104.
Context:
*Barclay, Paul. “Peddling Postcards and Selling Empire: Image-Making in Taiwan under Japanese Colonial
Rule.” Japanese Studies 30,1 (May 2010):81-110.
*David Hevia, “The Photography Complex: Exposing Boxer-era China (1900-1901), Making Civilization” in
Photographies East: the Camera and Its Histories in East and Southeast Asia, Rosalind Morris, ed. (Durham:
Duke University Press, 2009), 79-119. This reading contains graphic images of violence.
Images:
*Taiwan no fûkô (Scenic Taiwan), c. 1930s. Full album, with English translation, available:
http://digital.lafayette.edu/collections/eastasia/cpw-nofuko/browse
*Explore the Lafayette College East Asian Image collection, especially “Imperial Postcards.” You can select
subjects/locations/media from the menu bar that appears on the left. Select several images from
other parts (Korea, Manchuria, etc) of the Japanese empire for comparison with Taiwan.
Week Six (10/14): Special Collections Visit
Meet at Special Collections, 4th floor Mudd Center
**Fall Recess (10/17-10/25)
Week Seven (10/28): Urban Catastrophe
Readings:
Theory/Context:
Gennifer Weisenfeld, Imaging Disaster: Tokyo and the Visual Culture of Japan’s Great Earthquake of 1923 (Berkeley:
UC Press, 2012).
Images:
Univeristy of Hawai’i at Manoa Library, The Great earthquake of September 1st, 1923: a record from the reports of the
“Japan Chrinicle [sic]” of the destruction of Yokohama and Tokyo and the other ravages wrought (Kobe: Japan Chronicle
Office, 1923). http://digicoll.manoa.hawaii.edu/earthquake/index.php?s=
Week Eight (11/4): AMAM Museum Visit
Schedule a meeting with me sometime this week in order to discuss your research topic and your
work to date.
.
Week Nine (11/11): Japan at War
Readings:
Theory/Practice
Sharf, Morse, and Dobson, eds., A Much Recorded War: The Russo-Japanese War in History and Imagery (Boston:
MFA Publications, 2005).
*Andrea Germer, “Visual Propaganda in Wartime East Asia – The Case of Natori Yônosuke,” The Asia-Pacific
Journal, Vol. 9, Iss. 20, No. 3 (16 May 2011).
5 Austin C. Parks (He/Him/His)
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Rice 312
Hours: MF: 1:30-2:30, Th: 2:00-3:00
*David Earhart, “Men of the Imperial Forces,” “Warrior Wives,” “The Great East Asian-Co-Prosperity
Sphere” and “Uchiteshi Yamamu: ‘Keep Up the Fight’!” in Certain Victory: Images of World War II in the
Japanese Media (M.E. Sharpe: Armonk NY, 2008), 69-106, 147-182, 261-308, & 309-332.
Context:
*John Dower, War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War (Pantheon: New York, 1986), 3-73.
*Alan Tansman, “Introduction: The Culture of Japanese Fascism” in The Culture of Japanese Fascism (Durham:
Duke UP, 2009), 1-28.
Images:
*Nippon Magazine, selections
Week Ten (11/18): Defeat and Occupation
Readings:
Theory/Practice:
Morris Low, “The Emperor, Imperial Tours, and the Tokyo Olympics” in Japan on Display: Photography and the
Emperor (Routledge: London, 2006), 93-108
*Julia Adeney Thomas, “Power Made Visible: Photography and Postwar Japan's Elusive Reality,) Journal of
Asian Studies, Vol. 67, Iss. 2 (May 2008), 365-394.
Context:
*John Dower, “Kyodatsu: Exhaustion and Despair” and “Cultures of Defeat” in Embracing Defeat: Japan in the
Wake of World War II (New York: WW Norton, 1999), 87-167.
Images:
*University of Hawai’i at Manoa, “Pennino Collection”: http://www.hawaii.edu/cjs/?page_id=92
*Kageyama Kôyô, Sensô to Nihonjin: aru kameraman no kiroku [War and the Japanese: a Photographer’s Record] (Tokyo:
Iwanami Photo Library, 1953.
Week Eleven (11/25): Hibakusha and Atomic Landscapes in Postwar Japan
Readings:
Theory/Practice:
*Robert Hariman and John L. Lucaites, “Seeing the Bomb, Imagining the Future: Allegorical Vision in the
Post-Cold War Nuclear Optic” in Imaginaires du présent: Photographie, politique et poétique de l'actualité.
Cahier ReMix, no. 1 (May 2012).
*Yuki Tanaka, “Photographer Fukushima Kikujiro - Confronting Images of Atomic Bomb Survivors,” The
Asia-Pacific Journal (vol 9, issue 43 No 4), October 24, 2011.
*Utsumi, Hirofumi, “Nuclear Images and National Self-Portraits,” Kansai daigakuin Annual Review of the Institute
for Advanced Social Research vol.5, 1-23.
Context:
*John Dower, “The Bombed: Hiroshimas and Nagasakis in Japanese Memory,” Diplomatic History (Spring
1995), pp. 275-295.
*Linda Hoaglund, "Interview with Tomatsu Shomei," Positions 5, no. 3 (1997).
Images:
*Tômatsu Shômei and Dômon Ken on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
*Nakajima Kenzo, Living Hiroshima (Hiroshima: Hiroshima Tourist Association, 1948).
Week Twelve (12/2): New Representations in Postwar Japan
Readings:
6 Austin C. Parks (He/Him/His)
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Rice 312
Hours: MF: 1:30-2:30, Th: 2:00-3:00
Theory/Practice:
*Susan Sontag, “Photography,” The New York Review of Books (18 October 1973).
*Marilyn Ivy, “Dark Enlightenment: Naitô Masatoshi’s Flash” in Photographies East: the Camera and Its Histories in
East and Southeast Asia, Rosalind Morris, ed. (Durham: Duke University Press, 2009),229-257.
Morris Low, “Techno-nationalism and the Family” and “The Emperor as Scientist” in Japan on Display:
Photography and the Emperor (Routledge: London, 2006), 109-140.
Context:
*William Marotti, “Japan 1968: The Performance of Violence and the Theater of Protest,” American Historical
Review Vol. 14, is. 1 (2009), 97-135.
Yoshimi Shunya, “‘America’ as desire and violence: Americanization in postwar Japan and Asia during the Cold
War,” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, vol. 4, no. 3 (2003), pp. 433-450.
Images:
Selections from Asahi Graph and Asahi Camera, from the 1960s.
Fukushima Kikujirô, Gasu-dan no tanima kara no hokoku [A Report from the Valley of the Gas Bombs](Tokyo: MPS
Shuppan-bu, 1969). This book is a collection of photographs depicting the Tokyo University
Demonstrations in the late 1960s.
Film:
Film: AMPO: ArtXWar, dir. by Linda Hoaglund.
Week Thirteen (12/9): Research Presentations
**Final Paper due 12/19 by 4:00pm
7