East Asian Studies

Professors: Frost, Sugimori (Chair), Weng, White, Yang

East Asian Studies is an interdisciplinary major that introduces students to the region that includes China, Japan, and Korea. Home to some of the world’s most ancient and complex cultures, today East Asia remains a powerful locus of global trade, finance, and popular culture, as well as a region of significant geopolitical interest. East Asian Studies majors at Kalamazoo College combine required courses, study abroad experiences, and elective classes to develop extensive knowledge of a specific country (China, Japan, or Korea) and broader familiarity with the region as a whole. The major requires at least six units of either Chinese or Japanese (or demonstrated equivalency) and at least a long-term (six-unit) study abroad in China, Japan, or Korea. In addition to language courses in Chinese or Japanese, students take courses taught in English on the literatures, histories, cultures, and societies of China, Japan, and Korea. East Asian Studies faculty members work with students to craft plans of study that suit their interests and goals. The skills and cross-cultural expertise that East Asian Studies majors acquire are applicable in a wide variety of career fields, including, but not limited to, education, business, government, law, and communications.

Students interested in the major are strongly advised to begin language study as early as possible in order to maximize their experiences abroad. Students should also consult with East Asian Studies faculty early in their time at Kalamazoo College to craft appropriate plans of study. Whether planning to attend graduate school or to seek employment in an East Asia-related occupation, students are also encouraged to pursue coursework in another specific disciplinary area in order to enrich their qualifications.

Due to the overlap in requirements, it is not possible for students to major in East Asian Studies and minor in Chinese or Japanese unless they are pursuing coursework in both languages.

Requirements for the Major

Number of Units

8 units; not including SIP or language classes through CHIN 203 or JAPN 203. Students interested in completing SIPS in EAS, or in the Japanese or Chinese programs are encouraged to undertake them in the Fall Term in conjunction with the senior seminar and should consult with potential advisors as early as possible.

Required Courses

Required courses develop language skills and expertise related to specific countries and familiarize students with the history and culture of the region as a whole. With approval of the director, courses with relevant East Asian content not currently listed here (e.g., one-time offerings by visiting faculty) can be applied to the relevant categories.

  1. Language courses (Note: these courses do not count toward the 8-unit total)
    CHIN 201, 202, 203 (or demonstrated equivalent competence at CHIN 203 or higher)
    OR
    JAPN 201, 202, 203 (or demonstrated equivalent competence at JAPN 203 or higher)
  2. HIST 103 Introduction to East Asian Civilizations (1 unit)
  3. One history course taken on campus (1 unit)
    From among HIST 280, HIST 282, HIST 283, HIST 285
  4. One literature course taken on campus (1 unit)
    From among CHIN 225, CHIN 235, JAPN 238, JAPN 239 or JAPN 255
  5. One culture and society course taken on campus (1 unit)
    From among CHIN 222, CHIN 245, CHIN 250, CHIN 260, JAPN 240, JAPN 245, JAPN 250, JAPN 260, SEMN 201
  6. Senior Seminar (1 unit)
    EAST 490 East Asian Studies Senior Seminar

Electives (3 units)

Elective courses offer students the opportunity to explore East Asia through a variety of disciplinary approaches. Majors will take three courses from at least two categories listed below. Students who wish to count on-campus courses related to East Asia that are not on the list below should consult the director. With approval of the director, students may count as an elective one non-language course from a long-term (six-unit) study abroad program or two non-language courses from an extended term (nine-unit) program.

  • Advanced Language: CHIN 300, CHIN 301, JAPN 301, JAPN 302, JAPN 401
  • Literature: CHIN 225, CHIN 235, JAPN 236, JAPN 238, JAPN 239, JAPN 255
  • Culture and Society: CHIN 222, CHIN 245, CHIN 250 CHIN 260, JAPN 240, JAPN 245, JAPN 250, JAPN 260, SEMN 201
  • History: HIST 280, HIST 282, HIST 283, HIST 285, HIST 288, HIST 289, HIST 397
  • Arts: THEA 290
  • Social Sciences: ANSO 220, ANSO 288

Study Abroad:

Students must complete at least a long-term (six-unit) study abroad in China, Japan, or Korea.

Chinese Courses

CHIN 101 Beginning Chinese I This course is an introduction to the Chinese language. Pronunciation system, basic vocabulary, written script, fundamental grammatical structures, as well as some cultural background of the language will be studied. The goal of this course is to set a good foundation for making Chinese a functional language for the students. CHIN-101L must be taken concurrently.
CHIN 102 Beginning Chinese II This course follows Beginning Chinese I. All four skills -- listening, speaking, reading, and writing -- are equally emphasized. By the end of this course, students are expected to understand simple questions and answers, to be able to ask and respond to simple questions, to understand simple statements, and to be able to participate in simple conversations on a few familiar topics. Students will also be expected to read and write simple notes in meaningful sentences constructed with basic grammatical patterns. CHIN-101. CHIN-102L must be taken concurrently.
CHIN 201 Intermediate Chinese I This course follows CHIN 102 and starts the Intermediate Chinese language sequence. It will create an authentic language environment for the students and help make learning Chinese an interesting experience. The students will develop their fundamental language skills with a balanced emphasis on listening, speaking, reading, and writing. A communicative approach will be adopted, and accuracy will be emphasized at the same time. Culture will be brought into the classroom through songs, poems, and so on. Short cultural talks related to course material will be given.
CHIN 202 Intermediate Chinese II This course follows CHIN 201, Intermediate Chinese I, and emphasizes interactive skills. More authentic materials will be used, and more topics and situations concerning contemporary Chinese society will be introduced. Class activities include visiting local Chinese communities and interviewing native speakers of Chinese language.
CHIN 203 Intermediate Chinese III The course concludes the Intermediate Chinese sequence. Students should be prepared for exposure to various spoken and written styles of Chinese and for a steady expansion of their vocabulary. After completing three quarters of Intermediate Chinese, students will have gained a solid foundation in Chinese grammar and vocabulary and have developed good strategies for effective reading and listening comprehension. In addition, students will have acquired further confidence in their ability to speak Chinese.
CHIN 222 20th-Century Urban China This course interrogates literary and cinematic representations of Chinese cities in the twentieth century. By examining urban narrative in Chinese fiction, drama, poetry and film from the Republican and People's Republic periods, this class offers a new understanding of Chinese modernity as marked by its unique urban sensibilities as well as its historical and cultural onfigurations.
CHIN 224 Chinese Sci-Fi This course uses Chinese Sci-fi fictions and films to explore how an understanding of the tumultuous past and a perception of the rapidly shifting present in the Chinese cultural context are rendered in an imagination of alternative contemporary realities and of the future of China and of this interconnected planet. All the course materials are in English translation.
CHIN 235 Modern Chinese Literature in Translation This course examines the literary world of modern China by closely analyzing representative stories and novels written during the 20th century. As quickly becomes clear in the course, literature in modern China has had and continues to have a close relationship with politics as well as with a wide variety of discussions on cultural identity in post-traditional China. Among the main goals of the course are to explore how literature comes to grips with a thoroughgoing crisis of an established culture that results in a series of consequences unprecedented in Chinese history. Above all, the course seeks to understand how and why literature has played the role that it has, and what implications for the meaning of literature can be determined from examining the relationship between writing and society in modern China.
CHIN 245 Chinese Film This course examines the cinematic traditions of China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong in light of the following topics: the foundational legends of Chinese cinema, the relationship between film and politics, representations of historical crisis (e.g., the February 28 Incident (1947), the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966-76), and the British handover of Hong Kong (1997)), revolutionary aesthetics, and "spectacular" violence.
CHIN 250 China From the Borders This course helps students approach China, one of the world's most vibrant multiethnic societies, and encourages students to investigate questions of race and ethnicity in the context of intercultural exchange in China and Asia. Despite China's historical legacy as the "Middle Kingdom" that imagined itself as the center of world civilizations, Chinese culture is far from a homogenous and self-contained entity. Chinese culture has always been in active conversation with other cultures. In this course, students will probe the historically evolving relationships between the so-called Chinese political and culture "center" and its non-Han peripheries. Students will investigate the multilingual, multiethnic traditions of Chinese literature and delve into many previously marginalized literary voices and creative expressions generated by China's diverse non-Han groups. The course will expand students' understanding of the ethnic diversity of China in the global context by introducing them to a variety of Chinese national narratives and minority-produced literary, cinematic, and artistic creations. We will particularly probe how minority intellectuals endeavor to salvage fast-disappearing minority linguistic and cultural traditions against state-led modernization in China, as well as how ethnic minority poets make transnational tribal connections with Native American communities. We will further place Chinese ethnic cultures in a global context by analyzing transnationally produced cinematic sensations to form sophisticated understandings of how Chinese minority cultural symbols enter into global cultural and capital circulations. Students have an opportunity to conduct research with Chinese-language and minority-language literary, cinematic, and artistic materials (mostly produced by the formerly overlooked minority intellectuals of China) to develop their skills to engage with multicultural sources in globalizing China. (All course materials are accompanied by English translations.)
CHIN 260 Women in China As in many countries subject to imperialism, women's movements in China were an important part of China's modernization project. How, then, have Chinese feminist theories and women's movements been different from those in the West? What is it like to live as a woman in a rapidly changing China through the 20th and 21st centuries? This course takes three approaches to explore these questions. To examine the characteristics and changes of gender roles we look at the representations of women in literature and film. To understand women's experiences we read women writers' essays, memoirs and fictions. To think about how women work as historical agents who make historical changes, we look at women activists, feminist thinkers and women's movements.
CHIN 270 In Search of the Supernatural: Myths And Spritis in Chinese Tradition This course explores the supernatural in Chinese mythology, folklore, and literature, examining myths of gods, spirits, and strange beings that blur the line between human and supernatural realms. Students will study cosmogonic myths, supernatural creatures, and ghost stories to understand how these narratives reflect cultural, social, and ethical themes in Chinese history. The course also addresses issues like transformation, justice, and gender dynamics. Modern media adaptations of these myths will be analyzed to explore their continued impact on contemporary identity and morality. Students will engage through readings, discussions, creative projects, and analytical writing to develop skills of literary analysis, critical thinking, and intercultural proficiency.
CHIN 295 Power, Propaganda, & Poetry in Chin Emp This course explores the dynamic role that poetry has played in negotiating systems of power in imperial China, both as a form of political propaganda and a popular mode of subversion. We will reflect on the enormous impact that Chinese poetry has had on key social issues relating to sexuality and gender, race and ethnic identity, political geography, colonialism, the environment, global epidemics, revolution, and more. *All reading in English; no knowledge of Chinese required*
CHIN 300 Advanced Chinese This course is a continuation of the Intermediate Chinese language sequence. The objective is to make a transition from textbook Chinese to real-life communication situations. The course uses a range of cultural materials and texts to facilitate a language exposure to a wide variety of written and spoken styles of Chinese. Some of the materials selected are original publications drawn from books, magazines and newspapers. This course focuses on content and style with extensive discussion and frequent written assignments in Chinese. It aims to consolidate what the students have learned in the past and help them develop better reading and writing skills. In addition, the improvement of speaking and listening abilities stays in focus throughout this course. This course may be tailored to the needs of the participants and may be taken for credit up to three times. CHIN-203 or equivalent is required
CHIN 301 Advanced Chinese: Short Fiction This course is an advanced-level language course in standard Mandarin Chinese, focused on readings and discussions of original works of modern Chinese-language short fiction. Students in this course will learn to read, discuss, and engage these works in the target language, as we explore themes of social inequality, love, violence, and untranslatability across various media, including films and cartoons, chosen to reflect an immense linguistic and cultural diversity. Completion of Intermediate Chinese III or demonstration of the equivalent language ability is required. CHIN-203 or CHIN-300 or instructor permission required.
CHIN 593 Senior Integrated Project Each program or department sets its own requirements for Senior Integrated Projects done in that department, including the range of acceptable projects, the required background of students doing projects, the format of the SIP, and the expected scope and depth of projects. See the Kalamazoo Curriculum -> Senior Integrated Project section of the Academic Catalog for more details. Permission of department and SIP supervisor required.
CHIN 600 Teaching Assistantship

Japanese Courses

JAPN 101 Beginning Japanese I Introductory course; basic grammar and vocabulary; emphasis on listening and oral foundations; hiragana and katakana and an introduction to kanji. Students are encouraged to begin this course sequence in their first year in order to complete the three-quarter sequence (JAPN 101, 102, 103) required for study abroad, as well as the second year sequence (JAPN 201, 202, 203) before study abroad.
JAPN 102 Beginning Japanese II Further introduction to basic grammar and vocabulary; development of fundamental reading and writing skills using hiragana, katakana, and approximately 50 kanji. JAPN-101; Must take JAPN-102L concurrently
JAPN 103 Beginning Japanese III Reinforcement of basic listening and development of oral and aural competency; further achievement of reading and writing skills using the kana and approximately 100 kanji. JAPN-102 or equivalent placement; JAPN-103L must be taken concurrently
JAPN 201 Intermediate Japanese I Further work in conversation, oral interpretation, and elementary composition using approximately 200 kanji; study of idioms fundamental to an active use of spoken and written Japanese. JAPN-103 or equivalent placement; JAPN-201L must be taken concurrently
JAPN 202 Intermediate Japanese II Further refinement in areas studied in JAPN 201. JAPN 201; JAPN-202L must be taken concurrently
JAPN 203 Intermediate Japanese III Further refinement in areas studied in JAPN 202. JAPN-202 or equivalent placement; JAPN-203L must be taken concurrently
JAPN 236 Pre-Modern Japanese Literature In this course, we will read Japanese literary works from the 8th through the 19th century. The ancient period will mesmerize us with majestic and bewildering myths; in the early medieval period we will be met by witty court ladies and swept up in swoonworthy romance; the late medieval period will take us into heroic battles; and the early modern period will delight and captivate us with a variety of tales, from the spooky to the hilarious. Along with prose works, we will be guided through these four periods by poetry: sad, beautiful, humorous-and always short and readable. We will also gain familiarity with other arts, such as theatre, painting, and calligraphy. No prior knowledge of Japanese language and/or culture required.
JAPN 238 Post-War Japanese Literature in Translation This course surveys important Japanese writers of the post-World War II era, with special attention to the profound transformations that followed the dissolution of the Japanese Empire in 1945. In the immediate postwar period the physical map of "Japan" shrank dramatically, and a national imagination that had for decades ranged across the plains of Manchuria and far into South Asia collapsed in on itself. This course investigates the ways in which prominent writers (and a few filmmakers) confronted this collapse and everything it implied, from a tentative renegotiation of Japan's place in the world (largely via its relationship with the United States), to a rapidly urbanizing society's relationship to its own hinterlands. Authors covered include Dazai Osamu, Abe Kobo, Murakami Ryu, Tawada Yoko, and Furukawa Hideo. All readings, lectures, and discussions in English.
JAPN 239 Modern Japanese Literature in Translation This course will examine a number of Japanese authors, from the late 19th century through the early 20th century, who have addressed the cultural and psychic disease that resulted from Japan's encounter with the West and transformation of Japan into a modern, nationalistic state. Authors read will include: Natsume Soseki, Mori Ogai, Higuchi Ichiyo, and Tanzaki Jun'ichiro.
JAPN 240 Japanese Culture through Film In this course we will watch ten live-action features made in Japan between the 1930s and the 2020s. Ranging from world-famous, award-winning classics (directed by Mizoguchi Kenji and Kurosawa Akira) to the rebellious flicks of the Japanese New Wave (Oshima Nagisa; Suzuki Seijun) to recent arthouse cinema (Tanada Yuki), they represent a variety of genres and engage, in their form and content, with multiple aspects of Japanese history and culture. We will work on our basic film literacy, learning how to describe what we see on the screen and how to translate our emotional responses into nuanced critical statements. We will also gain a deeper understanding of Japanese culture beyond cinema. No previous familiarity with Japanese language and culture, and/or film studies, required.
JAPN 245 Japanese Language in Society This course explores several major aspects of language use associated with Japanese culture and society. The course aims not only at familiarizing students with various aspects of Japanese language with reference to culture and society, but also their developing an appreciation for a different culture. When discussing the inherent inter-relationship between language and culture, including the beliefs, values, and social organization, we will focus on the ideas of power, hierarchy, gender, and history. No previous knowledge of Japanese or linguistics is assumed or required. Readings, lectures, and discussion are all in English.
JAPN 250 Manga/Anime and Gender in Modern Japan Why are manga/anime so popular? Let's find out. This course undertakes a critical analysis of manga (comics) and anime (animation). We will examine these media's historical origins, narrative features, the world's reception and much more. The samurai warrior, the bishônen (beautiful boy), and the sexy cyborg-gender in Japanese culture has vivid representations. This course explores constructions of masculinity and femininity, paying attention to the figures of the girl as the postwar descendant of the bishônen, the ostensibly undersocialized otaku and yaoi culture and transgender manga where imagination opens the door to alternate and critical realities.
JAPN 255 Japanese Science Fiction This course will look at the relationship between popular culture, media, and Japanese society through the lens of science fiction literature and film. Looking across the 20th century and into the 21st, we will use sci-fi to ask: how does popular culture reflect its moment, and how does it critique it? What role does genre play in our understanding of a text? How do genres travel internationally? In doing so, we'll develop skills for analyzing pop culture, as well as communicating that understanding in a variety of registers. No Japanese language ability is required.
JAPN 260 Work at Play: Labor in Japanese Pop Culture How do we imagine work? How has work and labor been invested with meaning in society? What fantasies do we hold about our jobs, and what fears? Does work mean something different now than it did in the past, and if so, how has that shift been reflected in or influenced by popular culture? This course proposes to think carefully and critically about these questions by drawing on popular cultural production in Japan, a country long imagined as having a particularly strong emphasis on work culture and labor.
JAPN 295 The Long Tradition of a Short Poem In this course we will read major Japanese poetic works, from the earliest extant monuments of the 8th century to the present day, including ancient love poetry, medieval poetry competitions, earlymodern comic poetry, and modern poetic experiments. The majority of the poems will consist of 31 or 17 syllables. Special attention will be paid to interactions of Japanese poetry with other arts, such as calligraphy, painting, music, and film. We will also discuss theories of poetry and poetics as they developed in Japan and elsewhere. Short poems from other literary traditions, such as limericks and couplets, will provide a comparative perspective.
JAPN 301 High Intermediate Japanese Language This course is the first level of the third-year Japanese language sequence, offering more advanced training in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. JAPN-203 or equivalent placement
JAPN 302 High Intermediate Japanese Language II This course is the second of the third-year Japanese language sequence, offering more advanced training in the four skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. JAPN-301 or equivalent placement
JAPN 395 Advanced Int Japanese Conversation This course is designed for students who have successfully completed Japanese 203 or have an equivalent or higher proficiency level in Japanese. The primary goal is to assist students to further develop oral and aural Japanese communication skills, by practicing the types of conversation that occur in daily situations, as well as being aware of pragmatics and cultural aspect accompanying those situations. Students will also increase their knowledge of Japan and its society, its customs, the ways of thinking of Japanese, taking into consideration individual speaker's various backgrounds while practicing the conversations. Must have taken JAPN-203 or have an equivalent or higher proficiency in Japanese.
JAPN 395 Tadoku: Extensive Reading in Japanese This course focuses on developing Japanese language skills through reading Japanese-language books. Readings are individualized for students based on their level of language proficiency. Students read books or stories at their own pace without using dictionaries. Must have taken JAPN-102
JAPN 593 Senior Integrated Project Each program or department sets its own requirements for Senior Integrated Projects done in that department, including the range of acceptable projects, the required background of students doing projects, the format of the SIP, and the expected scope and depth of projects. See the Kalamazoo Curriculum -> Senior Integrated Project section of the Academic Catalog for more details. Permission of department and SIP supervisor required.
JAPN 600 Teaching Assistantship