Course Description

Modern Japanese novels, which form an important part of the culture of publication, have developed in various ways in a short period. In this lecture, I will help students understand modern Japanese novels from the beginning to Haruki Murakami, by explaining texts in famous novels. I will also introduce related novels and documentaries and help students obtain a deep insight into Japanese novels.

As a textbook, we use ‘‘Nihon Kindai Shosetsu shi’’ by Hiroshi Andoh. This book is devoted to the analysis of various novels, such as mysteries or science fictions. In addition to reading this book, I will cover related topics, including publishers and historical backgrounds. I will also make students watch movies and deal with recent novels. Besides the novels in the textbook, 21th century novels are covered. Combining these topics, I will help students acquire extensive knowledge on Japanese novels.