HIST0236A-S26
History Modern Japan 1850-1945
History of Modern Japan, 1850-1945
This course reviews the major events and enduring questions of modern Japanese history beginning with the Meiji Restoration (1868) up to Japan’s defeat in World War II (1945). Through a variety of materials, including novels, philosophy, historical essays, and films, we will explore the formation of the modern Japanese nation-state, the “invention of tradition” in constructing a modern national identity, Japan’s colonial incursions into East Asia, 1920s mass culture, the consolidation of fascism in the 1930s, and the transwar legacies of early postwar Japan. We will pay particular attention to the relationship between transformations within Japan and larger global trends.
This course reviews the major events and enduring questions of modern Japanese history beginning with the Meiji Restoration (1868) up to Japan’s defeat in World War II (1945). Through a variety of materials, including novels, philosophy, historical essays, and films, we will explore the formation of the modern Japanese nation-state, the “invention of tradition” in constructing a modern national identity, Japan’s colonial incursions into East Asia, 1920s mass culture, the consolidation of fascism in the 1930s, and the transwar legacies of early postwar Japan. We will pay particular attention to the relationship between transformations within Japan and larger global trends.
- Term:
- Spring 2026
- Location:
- Main
- Schedule:
- TBD
- Type:
- Lecture
- Course Modality:
- In-Person
- Instructors:
- Subject:
- History
- Department:
- History
- Division:
- Humanities
- Requirements Fulfilled:
- HIS NOA SOC
- Levels:
- Undergraduate
- Availability:
- View availability, prerequisites, and other requirements.
- Course Reference Number (CRN):
- 21831
- Subject Code:
- HIST
- Course Number:
- 0236
- Section Identifier:
- A