Stanford University HISTORY 90S: Japan Under the American Occupation - Syllabus Winter 2003

Kenji Hasegawa

In 1853, four American ships arrived on the coast of Japan to "open" the country. In 1945, a victorious American naval fleet arrived to close it. This course will examine the history of the post World War II American occupation through sources such as memoirs, policy documents, private papers, literature, films, and secondary material. What were the competing American and Japanese visions for postwar Japan and East Asia, and how did they play out during the occupation? How did Japanese society change or remain the same, and why? How did different people experience the occupation? Requirements - Class attendance and participation - Discussion leading Each student will be responsible for leading a class discussion. This entails a short presentation at the start of a class session that identifies major points in the readings and raises questions for discussion. - Writing assignments a. Panfora: For every weekly session students will post on Panfora a brief (around 400 words) and informal reading response. The purpose of the responses is to prepare you for active preparation in class. They should critically engage the readings and raise issues for possible discussion. Post by Monday 5pm. b. 5 response papers: For 5 sessions you will be required to hand in a short response paper (800-1000 words). The papers do not need to cover all the assigned material but should discuss what you think are the salient issues. Due in class. c. 1 final paper: The final paper (1500-2000 words) will be on a topic of your choice. The paper should at least in part be based on your own outside research. Due in the final class. Grading Breakdown Participation (20%), Panfora (20%), Response Papers (35%), Final Paper (25%) Texts John Dower, Embracing Defeat Michael Schaller, The American Occupation of Japan Mark Gayn, Japan Diary Course Reader (contains readings below marked with an *) and Webpage Frank Capra, "Know Your Enemy: Japan" "Our Job in Japan" Kurosawa Akira, "Stray Dog" William Goez, "Sayonara" Ozu Yasujiro, "Banshun" Hara Kazuo, "The EmperorÕs Naked Army Marches On" 1. Introduction "Know Your Enemy: Japan" (in class) 2. Textbook Narratives /Textbooks (Report how textbook presents this period, discuss interpretive issues. What are the events? Who are the actors? What is the significance of the period?) /Dower, Introduction, Ch1,2 /Basic Documents: Cairo and Potsdam Declarations *, SWNCC 150/4 *, JCS 1380/15 3. Ending the War, Planning the Occupation / "Our Job in Japan" (in class) /School of Overseas Administration, JapanÕs Prospect, Introduction, Ch.8,12 * /Owen Lattimore, Solution in Asia, Ch.1,2,6,7,8 * /Office of Strategic Services, "The Okinawas of the Loo Choo Islands," excerpts /Dower, Ch6 /Schaller, Ch1 4. MacArthur and Yoshida /Excerpts from Yoshida and MacArthur memoirs * /Dower, Ch7,8 /Hoover tour 5. Japan Diary /Mark Gayn, Japan Diary /Dower, Ch3,5 Film: Kurosawa Akira, "Stray Dog" (Time and location TBA) 6. "Kasutori Culture" /Maruyama Masao, "Theory and Psychology of Ultranationalism" "Carnal Literature and Carnal Politics" * /Sakaguchi Ango, "The Idiot" * /Dazai Osamu, "Merry Christmas" * "VillonÕs Wife" * /Yasuoka Shotaro, "Prized Possessions" * /Dower, Ch4 Film: "Sayonara" (Time and location TBA) 7. Race and Power /Nosaka Akiyuki, "American Hijiki" * /Oe Kenzaburo, "Prize Stock" * /Oshiro Tatsuhiro, "The Cocktail Party" /Dower, Ch15,16 Film: Ozu Yasujiro, "Banshun" (Time and location TBA) 8. Women /Beate Sirota Gordon, The Only Woman in the Room, Ch1,4,5 /Kojima Nobuo, "The American School" * /Karen Kelsky, Women on the Verge, Ch1 9. The Reverse Course and the Cold War /Michael Schaller, The American Occupation of Japan Ch4-16 /NSC48/2 /NSC68 /San Francisco Peace Treaty /US-Japan Security Treaty Film: Hara Kazuo, "The EmperorÕs Naked Army Marches On" (Time and location TBA) 10. The Emperor, Reconstruction /Dower, Ch9,10,11,17,Epilogue