INQ-277 | Japan in the Long Twentieth Century

Crosslisted As: HIST277

Topic Description:

How did the Japanese people live through the turbulent course of events in the twentieth century? How have people remembered and commemorated this century? This course helps students take a close look at Japanese history and culture through the direct experience of visiting museums, historical sites, and conducting conversation with local people to learn about their experience and memory of the past century. We will visit three major cities, Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima. Important sites to be visited include the Tokyo National Museum; Yūshūkan, a modern history museum inside the Yasukuni Shrine; Showakan (National Showa Memorial Museum, a museum of Japanese history from 1926-1989); the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and the Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museum. Through these visits, students will explore multiple layers of Japanese history, culture, and the daily life of Japanese people. We will also visit Kansai Kaidai, the Japanese university with which Roanoke College has a direct exchange program.

Course Types Offered: Travel

Topic Approved: February 2016