Syllabus on Campus Square ↗️ (Kobe University students only)

Course Description

This course provides an introduction to Nikkei diaspora literature through the study of short stories by Nikkei authors, focusing on themes of diaspora, race, identity, and belonging to enhance students' literary analysis skills.

Course Objectives

1. Understand the literary works of Nikkei authors from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

2. Analyse literature using literary criticism and apply it to the study of Nikkei diaspora literature.

3. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the factual, conceptual, and procedural knowledge required to analyse and understand Nikkei diaspora literature.

4. Study a sample of Nikkei diaspora literature, focusing on short stories and later developing the skills to study longer and more complex novels.

5. Understand the unique experiences and perspectives of people of Japanese descent living outside of Japan by exploring stories through literary criticism.

Classes

1. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] Introduction to Nikkei Diaspora Literature

What would you like to learn in this seminar?

What does the professor expect in this seminar?

What will we do in this seminar?

What is Nikkei diaspora literature? 

2. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] What is literature? 

What is literature?

Kazuo Ishiguro - "The Summer After the War" (pages 1 to 7)

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro (UK).

Analysis: (a) plot; (b) context.

“The Summer After the War” (pages 1 to 7).

Discussion questions.

3. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] Kazuo Ishiguro - "The Summer After the War" (pages 8 to 14)

Analysis: (c) themes; (d) quotes.

Close reading pages 8 to 14.

Discussion questions.

4. [ON-DEMAND CLASS] Diaspora Literature: Tracing Roots and Routes

What is diaspora? 

How do diasporas influence cultures?

Why is diaspora literature important?

5. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] Kazuo Ishiguro - "The Summer After the War" (pages 15 to 20 end)

Analysis: (e) characters; (f) symbols & imagery.

Close reading pages 15 to 20 (end).

Discussion questions.

6. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] Hisaye Yamamoto - "A Day in Little Tokyo" (pages 114 to 121 end)

Author: Hisaye Yamamoto (US).

Analysis: (a) plot; (b) context; (c) themes; (d) quotes;  (e) characters; (f) symbols & imagery.

Close reading pages 114 to 121 (end).

Discussion questions. 

7. [ON-DEMAND CLASS] Jeff Chiba Stearns - One Big Hapa Family

In the award-winning documentary One Big Hapa Family, mixed-race Japanese Canadians challenge historical silences to celebrate their complex identities and reframe the Japanese diaspora through interracial marriage and multi-ethnic belonging.

8. [ON-DEMAND CLASS] The Concept of Race in Diaspora Literature

What is race?

How do diasporas view race in their literature? 

How does diaspora literature challenge common ideas about race? 

9. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] Jeff Chiba Stearns & Lillian Michiko Blakey - On Being Yukiko 

Authors: Jeff Chiba Stearns & Lillian Michiko Blakey (Canada).

Analysis: (a) plot; (b) context; (c) themes; (d) quotes;  (e) characters; (f) symbols & imagery.

Close reading.

Discussion questions.

10. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] Masako Fukui - When Blossoms Fall (pages 1 to 7)

Author: Masako Fukui (Australia.

Analysis: (a) plot; (b) context.

Close reading pages 1 to 7.

Discussion questions.

11. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] Masako Fukui - When Blossoms Fall (pages 8 to 19)

Analysis: ; (c) themes; (d) quotes.

Close reading pages 8 to 19.

Discussion questions.

12. [ON-DEMAND CLASS] Understanding Identity in Diaspora Literature

What is identity? 

In what ways is identity portrayed in diaspora literature? 

13. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] Masako Fukui - When Blossoms Fall (pages 20 to 31)

Analysis: (e) characters; (f) symbols & imagery.

Close reading pages 20 to 31.

Discussion questions.

14. [REAL-TIME ONLINE CLASS] Masako Fukui - When Blossoms Fall (pages 32 to 43 end)

Close reading pages 32 to 43 (end).

Discussion questions.

Class reflection.

15. [ON-DEMAND CLASS] Introduction to Literary Analysis

This class introduces literary analysis which illuminates the hidden layers of storytelling in literature. We'll unlock the secrets of profound reading, decoding everything from symbolic nuances to thematic intricacies. Drawing from Thomas C. Foster's celebrated guide How to Read Literature Like a Professor, we’ll dissect quest narratives, unearth symbols, and decipher character archetypes. This class will transform your reading experience, revealing the rich tapestry woven into the fabric of diaspora literary works.