East Asian Languages & Lits 274 - Voices From Japan's Margins

Reflecting their marginalized status in Japanese society, minority groups in Japan, including Ainu, burakumin, Korean-Japanese, and Okinawans, have until recently received minimal recognition in modern Japanese literature. This course examines “minority literature” in Japan in order to develop students’ knowledge of the experiences of ethnic minorities in Japan as well as the ways in which these experiences have been reflected in literature and film. The class considers how this literature has been received in Japan and how “minority” subjects have utilized the media of film and literature to present their own voices.