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Courses

OSPKYOTO 2K. First-Year Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication, Second Quarter. 5 Units.

Continuation of JAPANLNG 1. First-year sequence enables students to converse, write, and read essays on topics such as personal history, experiences, familiar people. Prerequisite: JAPANLNG 1 if taken 2012-13 of later (JAPANLNG 7 if taken 2011-12 or earlier).

OSPKYOTO 3K. First-Year Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication, Third Quarter. 5 Units.

(Formerly OSPKYOTO 9K). Continuation of 2K. First-year sequence enables students to converse, write, and read essays on topics such as personal history, experiences, familiar people. Fulfills University Foreign Language Requirement. Prerequisite: JAPANLNG 2 or OSPKYOTO 2K if taken 2012-13 or later (JAPANLNG 8 if taken 2011-13 or earlier).

OSPKYOTO 13. Contemporary Japanese Religion. 4 Units.

Japanese attitudes to religion and popular forms of religiosity. Syncretic nature of beliefs and practices drawn on a variety of interwoven concepts, beliefs, customs and religious activities of native Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Indian origins as background. Topics include: pursuit of worldly benefits, religion and healing, fortune-telling, ascetic practices, pilgrimage, festivals (matsuri), new religions and their image, impact of the internet, response of religion in times of crisis.

OSPKYOTO 17R. Religion and Japanese Culture. 4-5 Units.

Major religious traditions of Japan. Topics include: relation between religion and culture; ancient Japanese religion and Shinto; Buddhist schools of Heian Japan; Zen Buddhism as it flourished in the Kamakura period; Confucianism, as originally conceived in ancient China and as transmitted to Japan in the Edo period in its neo-Confucian form; characteristic modern practices. Field trips to religious centers to observe current religious practices.

OSPKYOTO 21K. Second-Year Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication, First Quarter. 5 Units.

(Formerly OSPKYOTO 17K.) Goal is to further develop and enhance spoken and written Japanese in order to handle advanced concepts such as comparison and contrast of the two cultures, descriptions of incidents, and social issues. 800 kanji, 1,400 new words, and higher-level grammatical constructions. Readings include authentic materials such as newspaper articles, and essays. Prerequisite: JAPANLNG 3 if taken 2012-13 or later (JAPANLNG 7 if taken 2011-12 or earlier).

OSPKYOTO 22K. Second-Year Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication, Second Quarter. 5 Units.

(Formerly OSPKYOTO 18K). Continuation of JAPANLNG 21. Goal is to further develop and enhance spoken and written Japanese in order to handle advanced concepts such as comparison and contrast of the two cultures, descriptions of incidents, and social issues. 800 kanji, 1,400 new words, and higher-level grammatical constructions. Readings include authentic materials such as newspaper articles, and essays. Prerequisite: JAPANLNG 21 if taken 2012-13 or later (JAPANLNG 17 if taken 2011-12 or earlier).

OSPKYOTO 23K. Second-Year Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication, Third Quarter. 5 Units.

Formerly OSPKYOTO 19K). Goal is to further develop and enhance spoken and written Japanese in order to handle advanced concepts such as comparison and contrast of the two cultures, descriptions of incidents, and social issues. 800 kanji, 1,400 new words, and higher-level grammatical constructions. Readings include authentic materials such as newspaper articles, and essays. Prerequisite: JAPANLNG 22 or OSPKYOTO 22K if taken 2012-13 or later (JAPANLNG 18 if taken 2011-12 or earlier).

OSPKYOTO 24. Independent Research in Robotics and Haptics. 1-3 Unit.

Possible topics include: (1) Development of novel haptic virtual environments for education, (2) Design of robot control strategies for rehabilitation, (3) Human perceptual and performance experiments with robotics/haptic devices. Additional topics are possible. Regular meetings between student (or student team) and instructor will be used to discuss goals and progress. A project of appropriate scope will be designed in collaboration with the instructor.

OSPKYOTO 25. Japan and China in the Early Modern World. 5 Units.

Japan and China before and during their transition to modernity. Topics include: China's impact on the formation of Japanese civilization in the 6th through 15th centuries CE; the 16th century, when European merchants and missionaries first reached East Asia; early twentieth century, when European and American steamships dominated the Pacific. Historical dynamics of Japanese and Chinese societies during these centuries, their connections and contrasts, as well as the profound impact that each has had on the other. How did Sino-Japanese relations in the early modern era lay the foundations for the current fraught relationship between these two East Asian powers?.

OSPKYOTO 27. Japanese Popular Culture. 4 Units.

Introduction to forms and categories of Japanese popular culture including: Japanese movies and television, animation and manga, magazines, newspapers and other printed materials, characters and product brands, sports and other entertainment industries, music and idols, fashion, food and drink, consumer goods, shopping malls and other places for consumption. Using a cultural studies framework, analyze these various forms of popular culture considering the following: different groups in society; historical variability; industry, government and media interests; and advertising policies.

OSPKYOTO 29. The Culinary Arts of Japan. 2 Units.

As the seat of Japan's Imperial Court for over a thousand years, Kyoto has a rich culinary tradition which ranges from the aristocratic haute cuisine of kaiseki ryori, to the vegetarian shojin ryori of the city's monks, to everyday obanzai ryori home cooking. Focusing on Kyoto's culinary heritage, this experiential course will introduce students to the principle ingredients and methods used in Japanese cuisine. Most sessions will involve field trips to select local producers and purveyors organized around related food groups including tea and wagashi; dashi; tofu, miso and shoyu; seasonal vegetables and seafood; tsukemono and rice. Visits to shops and artisan workshops specializing in culinary tools such as cutlery, kitchen utensils and tableware are also scheduled, as is a final hands-on cooking lesson with one of Kyoto's leading chefs.n nStudents will be asked to complete weekly field reports and prepare a final presentation and paper on a related topic of their choice. Enrollment limited.

OSPKYOTO 32. Independent Study - Gender and Sexuality in East Asia. 3-5 Units.

Students may focus on either China or Japan, or pursue a comparative perspective covering both. Possible topics include: period focus (early modern era, twentieth century, contemporary); the "New Woman"/"Modern Girl" in the early twentieth century; feminism and "the woman question"; masculinity; queer history; sex work and the entertainment industry; reproduction, fertility control, abortion; images in fiction and film.

OSPKYOTO 38. From Chashitsu to Muji: a Creative Introduction to the Roots of Contemporary Japanese Design. 5 Units.

The chashitsu (Japanese tea house) and other Japanese traditional buildings in the sukiya style as keys to understanding the guiding principles of Japanese design and social aesthetics as they have evolved to the present day. Combination of the practical, creative and experiential, allowing students to engage with the subject of sensory design in the timeless Japanese context. Visits to Japanese traditional buildings to learn about and experience their spatial, material and sensory qualities from a historical, cultural, design and non-visual perspective.

OSPKYOTO 40M. An Intro to Making: What is EE. 3-5 Units.

Is a hands-on class where students learn to make stuff. Through the process of building, you are introduced to the basic areas of EE. Students build a "useless box" and learn about circuits, feedback, and programming hardware, a light display for your desk and bike and learn about coding, transforms, and LEDs, a solar charger and an EKG machine and learn about power, noise, feedback, more circuits, and safety. And you get to keep the toys you build. Prerequisite: CS 106A.

OSPKYOTO 45. Japan's Energy-Environment Conundrum. 4 Units.

Japan's energy-environment challenges and their consequences for Japan¿s wider society and economy. Question of how Japan's policy makers will balance energy and environmental needs and how the answers will affect the country's future as a leading regional power. Students will gain a sound understanding of the structure of Japan's energy-environment challenges and a practical analytical framework by which they can evaluate these challenges and develop their own balanced assessments.

OSPKYOTO 54. Innovation in Japan's Old and New Industries. 4 Units.

Changing paradigms in Japan's patterns of innovation. Key factors driving Japan's recent innovation boom; 'wisdom innovation' model, retaining Japan's traditional emphasis on quality, craftsmanship and service while adding a new focus on wider applicability to the globalized economy. Industries leading this change, including telecommunications, e-commerce, finance, energy, media, tourism and retail. Insights into Japanese business culture.

OSPKYOTO 58. A Journey into the Buddhist Visual Arts of Japan. 4 Units.

Impact of Buddhism on the arts and culture of Japan as seen in the ancient capital of Kyoto. Image production, iconography, representational strategies, as well as the ritual and visual functions of Buddhist sculpture and painting with a focus on selected historical temples and their icons. Also examination of architectural and landscape elements of temple layouts, within which iconographic programs are framed, images are enlivened, and practices centered on these devotional and ritual art.

OSPKYOTO 66. Robotics: Technology and Culture. 3 Units.

This course provides an introduction to robotics technology and its relationship to culture. Students will learn how to build, program, and control robotic devices using kits that facilitate development of hands-on skills. In addition, we will examine the influence of robotics on culture and vice versa. In the process, students will gain an appreciation for the capabilities and limitations of robots, develop practical interdisciplinary engineering skills, and understand how the design of robots is driven by culture. In-class laboratories will give students hands-on experience in assembling mechanical systems, making circuits, programming Arduino micro controllers, and testing robot behaviors. Tours to robotics laboratories in the Kyoto, Japan area will give students the chance to observe cutting-edge robotics research and interview Japanese researchers about how their environment influences the robots they design. Students will learn to assemble and program simple robotic devices, read and discuss original works and commentaries about robotics and Japanese culture, and work in teams to complete projects that examine an existing robot, its technical capabilities, and its relationship to Japanese culture.

OSPKYOTO 102K. Third-Year Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication, Second Quarter. 5 Units.

Continuation of JAPANLNG 101. Goal is to express thoughts and opinions in paragraph length in spoken and written forms. Materials include current Japanese media and literature for native speakers of Japanese. Cultural and social topics related to Japan and its people. Prerequisite: JAPANLNG 101 if taken 2012-13 or later (JAPANLNG 117 if taken 2011-12 or earlier).

OSPKYOTO 103K. Third-Year Japanese Language, Culture, and Communication, Third Quarter. 5 Units.

(Formerly OSPKYOTO 119K). Continuation of 118K. Goal is to express thoughts and opinions in paragraph length in spoken and written forms. Materials include current Japanese media and literature for native speakers of Japanese. Cultural and social topics related to Japan and its people. Prerequisite: JAPANLNG 102 or OSPKYOTO 102K if taken 2012-13 or later (JAPANLNG 118 if taken 2011-12 or earlier).

OSPKYOTO 199A. Directed Reading A. 1-4 Unit.

May be repeated for credit.

OSPKYOTO 199B. Directed Reading B. 1-4 Unit.

May be repeated for credit.

OSPKYOTO 210K. Advanced Japanese. 5 Units.

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