Culture and Literature Courses

Global Media and Culture (Chukyo University) 

​Taught in English. We discussed articles on contemporary issues such as censorship, open access to academic literature, and the dangers of journalism. Throughout our class time, we focused on analyzing and discussing the articles, leaving the floor open for us to express our opinions. The most interesting thing about this course was that the class included students from Japan, the United States, China, the Philippines, and Italy, which allowed for diverse opinions on the topics we discussed.

JAPN 4060- Introduction to Japanese Literature

​Instructed mainly in English. This course covered short stories in Japanese that we were required to translate prior to class. During the first half of the semester, our class work consisted of discussions of our assigned articles. During these discussions, we reviewed various phrases and their intended meanings in English. In the second half of the semester, we were given the opportunity to choose any Japanese literature piece of our liking in the original language and translate it into English in our own words. This allowed us to learn how to translate Japanese into our own narrative while simultaneously preserving the intended meaning and tone. As a result, our translation speed per minute and grasp of kanji and phrases increased with each weekly meeting.

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JAPN 4170- Japanese Culture and Society (Clemson Summer Program)

​Also offered during Clemson's summer abroad program, this course explores Japanese culture in an immersive setting. Just as the language program, the Japanese culture and society program spanned over a few weeks while attending Kansai University. The course was instructed by Clemson faculty and focused on anthropological aspects of Japanese culture. As a group, we were tasked with conducting in person research on a topic (relating to Japan) of our choice. Once we gathered our research and results, we presented our findings to the rest of the study abroad program. This course and assignment allowed us to relay our findings of Japanese culture in our own way. For example, for my group’s project, we decided to focus on the contrast between Japanese fashion and American fashion. The course and project allowed us to practice our Japanese language skills by conducting interviews in Japanese with fellow Japanese students or people we had the courage to approach on the streets of Osaka. ​

JAPN 4010- Japanese Literature in Translation

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LANG 3100- East Asian Pop Culture

​This course is instructed in English and explores the many facets of East Asian pop culture. This course goes beyond the limits of Japanese pop culture and includes teachings from regions such as Korean pop culture and Chinese pop culture.  Further allowing for a broader understanding of other East Asian countries and their respective pop cultures through literature and film. 

JAPN 4010-Japanese Literature in Translation​

Currently enrolled, this course is an English instruction-based course focused on various premodern and postmodern works in the forms of novels, essays, theater, poetry and film. This course provides an introduction to major ideas and societal changes that have affected Japanese literature, film and pop culture. This course also allows students to critically analyze media pieces by asking themselves questions about topics such as westernization and identity crises in Japanese literature and film.