The Japanese Colonial Empire
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| INTS2021 | School of International Studies | 2 | 20 | Spring China |
- Code
- INTS2021
- School
- School of International Studies
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Spring China
Summary
This module specifically introduce students to the rise and fall of the Japanese colonial empire in East Asia from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century. There will be three components: (1) how the Japanese colonialist values came into being as a response to the radical transformation of the political order in East Asia; (2) how imperial Japan came to dominate Okinawa, Taiwan, Korea, and Manchuria; 3) and how its colonial empire finally collapsed. The module will also present evidence on how the colonial eras of these regions have been told and retold through competing narratives. By examining these narratives students will be invited to reflect critically on how historical memories have been shaped and how historical writings have been influenced by different socio-political circumstances.
Please note: This module is assessed at the end of Spring semester. First sit/ Re-sit exams are scheduled normally in the summer and can take the same form as the missing/ failed component of the assessment (exam, essay etc.) or other form, as decided by the School.
Target Students
Students interested in Modern Japanese history or imperialism and colonialism in general
Classes
- One 1-hour seminar each week for 11 weeks
- One 2-hour lecture each week for 11 weeks
Assessment
- 50% Coursework 1: 2,500 words of coursework (Essay and weekly posting)
- 50% Exam 1 (2-hour): 2-hr exam
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
This module explores the history of the Japanese colonial empire. For several centuries before the Meiji era, Japan consisted of three main islands, Honshu (本州), Shikoku (四), and Kyushu (九州). Yet from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century, while confronting other western imperial powers, modern Japan reconstructed itself and expanded way beyond its traditional territories, covering internal colonies, such as Hokkaido and Okinawa, as well as other colonized regions, including Taiwan and Korean peninsula formally and Manchuria, coastal China, Southeast Asia informally in its heyday. Although Japan’s colonial empire collapsed seven decades ago, its legacies still affect the peoples of East Asia today, not only in their views of their own past, but also in their interactions with their neighbours at present and in the future.Learning Outcomes
a)Knowledge and understanding
•Summarize the historical chronologies, and political and social processes of imperial Japan.
•Identify the key elements in the legacies of colonial Japan involved in framing modern East Asia
•Engage in some of the leading debates on the colonial histories
b)Academic skills
•Think historically
•Plan, conduct and present a research project
•Convey their thought effectively in an academic setting
C) Students will have the opportunity to acquire a wide range of transferable skills.
•The content of the module will help students to grasp complex ideas and concepts, evaluate competing arguments, and practice their reasoning skills.
•In lectures students will develop listening and note taking skills.
•The seminars will provide an opportunity for students to engage in discussions and debates, and work effectively in small groups.
•The written assignment will encourage students to conduct independent research.
•The written assignment will help students to develop their writing skills.
•The exam will provide an opportunity to work under time constraints.
Conveners
- Dr Nagatomi Hirayama