Waiyee Loh
Associate Professor of World Literature

Week 1. Introduction

Britain and Japan: Friends and Foes

Lecture slides: W1. Introduction (for students).pptx

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Week 2. British perspectives: Samurai stories

Reading: extracts from Mitford, Tales of Old Japan

Lecture slides: W2. Mitford samurai (for students).pptx

PDF: Mitford. The 47 Ronins.pdf

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​Week 3. British perspectives: Old and New Japan

Reading: extracts from Mitford, Tales of Old Japan and Mitford's Japan

Lecture slides: W3. Mitford Old and New Japan.pptx

PDF: Mitford. Note and Civil War.pdf

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Week 4. Walking tour of Yokohama historic sites

Lecture slides: 

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Week 5. British perspectives: Travel writing

Reading: extracts from Hearn, Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan

Lecture slides: 

PDF: Hearn. Glimpses of Unfamiliar Japan.pdf

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Week 6. British perspectives: Weird tales

Reading: extracts from Hearn, Kwaidan

Lecture slides: 

PDF: Hearn. Kwaidan.pdf

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Week 7. British perspectives: British Aestheticism and Japan

Reading: paintings by J. M. Whistler

Lecture slides: 

PDF: W7. Ukiyo-e and Whistler images.pdf

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Week 8. British perspectives: British Aestheticism and Japan

Reading: Wilde, "The Decay of Lying"

Lecture slides: 

PDF: Wilde. The Decay of Lying.pdf

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Week 9. Japanese responses: The samurai spirit

Reading: extracts from Nitobe, Bushido

Lecture slides: 

PDF: Nitobe. Bushido.pdf

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Week 10. Japanese responses: Japanese aesthetics and pan-Asianism

Reading: extracts from Okakura, Ideals of the East

Lecture slides: 

PDF: Okakura. Ideals of the East.pdf

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Week 11. Post-imperial responses: Neo-Victorian Britain

Reading: extracts from Toboso Yana, Kuroshitsuji

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Week 12. Post-imperial responses: Japan and Korea

Film screening of Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden

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Week 13. Post-imperial responses: Japan and Korea

Reading: Park, The Handmaiden

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Week 14. Conclusion

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Week 15. Essay due

Assignment instructions: Assignment instructions.pdf

Recommended reading list: Graduation Project recommended reading list.pdf

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