Japaense literature,

This course surveys Japan's rich history of ghosts, monsters, and supernatural creatures (yōkai). We will encounter literary, theatrical, and visual depictions of them in contexts ranging from the horrific to the humorous. We will analyze these depictions for what they can tell us about premodern thinking on gender, the body, the afterlife, morality, and other important topics. We will also consider how traditional conceptions of the monstrous have shaped contemporary Japanese culture. This course uses selected examples of premodern, early modern, and modern yōkai stories to frame an in-depth examination of the way yōkai have been imagined and depicted over time. The course thus covers the 15th through the 20th centuries, and offers students the opportunity to interpret contemporary manifestations of yōkai culture in a broader historical context.

Hotta Yoshie in his maiden work hiroba no kodoku (1951) refers to India’s efforts to bring peace in the conflicting East Asian Region. Five years later, he visited India to attend the first conference of Asian Writers’ Association. He got opportunity to interact with many Indian literati and to travel around as well. After returning to Japan he published INDO DE KANGAETA KOTO  (1957). This writing attempts to break the stereotype image of India that existed among the Japanese people. He named one of the chapters of this writing as, “India is not a Poor Country”. He goes beyond mere commenting on the cultural aspects and applauds India’s efforts in building up of the nation. Furthermore, he recommends comparing the duo countries’ intelligentsia in the following words, “Nehru’s approach to his country, self-criticism, and the approach of Sōseki and Ōgai should be set in similar parameter. And I believe that it is very significant to do a comparative study of them.” (Chapter 4) This paper examines Hotta's view about India and compare it with the historical facts.