The Origins of Japanese Culture and Civilization: A History of Japan until 1600

Description of Course Goals and Curriculum

This course gives an introduction to Japanese history BEFORE the year 1600 (in other words, this course will cover Japanese history BEFORE the Tokugawa period). The class is similar to other history classes, in that it goes over a specified time period/location in great depth and gives a thorough overview of events, trends, and culture.

Learning From Classroom Instruction

The class is fairly small, so there are just lectures where the professor goes over all the material. Lectures are long, but highly engaging, and Professor Conlan is very knowledgeable and thoroughly goes over all the material in the class time. Students can raise their hand for clarification, and Professor Conlan also tries to engage students to respond to his lecture material by asking open-ended questions. Students should make sure to write down everything that Professor Conlan says in class, as it will be important on the exams (which are in-class essay format).

Learning For and From Assignments

Students are of course expected to do readings (which are generally primary sources) and then later incorporate them when speaking in class and when crafting in-class essays. Students will also have to write multiple short essays and submit those in addition to the larger exams. These essays do not require extensive additional research, but they do require completing assigned readings.

External Resources

Generally, students do not need additional resources. Of course, they can go to office hours to clarify lecture or reading content, but generally Professor Conlan does an excellent job of providing all the necessary information in his lectures.

What Students Should Know About This Course For Purposes Of Course Selection

Students should expect to come away with an understanding of Japanese culture and historical background. This class is great background for other courses that cover more modern Japanese history. This class is great for anyone who enjoys writing and reading and also studying in-depth historical trends and timelines. Though this course has no particular prerequisites, students should expect to memorize, write, and read a lot of material for this course.