Japan through its Literature and Symbols: The Spectacular, Normative, and Iconic

In this class we would take a deep dive into all things Japan and Japanese culture through the window of iconic symbology, both putative and historical. Featured will be The Tale of Genji (manga and 11th century work), alongside entrenched symbolism and imagery such as Mt. Fuji, the sumo wrestler, and the geisha. Themes include historical turning points and trajectories of images and literature, gender dynamics, media narratives, the tea ceremony, Orientalism and cultural colonization, “Cool Japan,” and other.