EALC171 - Knights with Katanas

This course aims to provide an overview of some of the main themes and problems in the history and historiography of medieval Japan by drawing on comparisons with European counterparts and interpretive models. To this end, each week's readings on Japan are paired with one or more works on medieval Europe dealing with a similar theme. The primary purpose is not only to draw comparisons between the two civilizations and their development but also to use the great riches of scholarship on the European Middle Ages to shed light on possible new avenues of inquiry and perspectives on Japan.