Japanese Literature 2: A Closer Look

Following on from ‘Through the Looking Glass: An exploration of Japanese literature’ this module will support students to explore the unique aesthetics, philosophical depth and cultural specificity found in contemporary Japanese texts.

Studying a range of genres including literature, anime, romance, crime, science fiction and more, students will analyse the English translations of some of Japan’s leading writers and artists.

Students will consider the way these texts convey details of who we are and how we respond and relate to otherness and our environment.

The course will examine how Japanese writers explore topics such as violence, war, grief, belonging, technological advancement, climate change and ideas around individual and social identity.

Students will discuss some of the overarching themes and explore the way writers engage with societal structures, patriarchy, climate change, and the impact of rapid technological development.

Learning and teaching

There will be two-hour meetings once a week (20 contact hours in all) which will include discussions, lectures, and reflective writing tasks.

Learners will be encouraged to read/view the texts introduced, complete the weekly reflective tasks, and obtain feedback from the tutor and other members of the group.

Learning Central & Teams will contain relevant links to resources, class handouts, and PowerPoint presentations.

All learning materials will be made available to the students prior to class.

Students will explore the following key issues and themes:

• The differences between Japanese and Western Literature.
• The portrayal of possible future scenarios involving technological development and its consequences (posthumanism).
• The portrayal of possible future scenarios relating to climate change and its consequences on identity and belonging.
• Commonalities in the portrayal of otherness in terms of gender, identity, societal place, and disability.
• Students will consider the growing conflict between social obligations and personal feelings in Japan, and identify how writers are exploring this growing unrest, drawing links to Japan’s hierarchical structures.
• Students will consider the contemporary global reception of Japanese works.

Each week will be grounded in a particular text. Indicative examples include:

• Kazuo Ishiguro The Artist of the Floating World (1986)
• Haruki Murakami Men Without Women (2014)
• Mieko Kawakami Breasts and Eggs (2008)
• Riichiro Inagaki Dr Stone (2019 - 2025)
• Yasuhiro Nightow Trigun Stampede (2026)

Coursework and assessment

Formative assessment / feedback will occur on a weekly basis through class discussion and group work.

Assignment 1 (Critical analysis): 20% - Exact nature of the task will vary from year to year. 500 words. Week 5-6.

Assignment 2 (Essay): 80% - Exact nature of the task will vary from year to year. 1500 words. End of the module.

Reading suggestions

Primary Texts

• Kazuo Ishiguro The Artist of the Floating World (1986)
• Haruki Murakami Men Without Women (2014)
• Junko Takase May You Have Delicious Meals (2025)
• Natsuo Imamura The Woman in the Purple Skirt (2019)
• Keigo Higashino The Devotion of Suspect X (2005)
• Naoki Higashida The Reason I Jumped (2005)
• Masamune Shirow Ghost in the Shell (1989)
• Riichiro Inagaki Dr Stone (2019 - 2025)
• Yasuhiro Nightow Trigun Stampede (2026)

Secondary Reading

• Galbraith P. W. & Giannoulis, E. (eds) The Future of Humans and Emotional Machines, (2026)
• Çay, M. ‘From Folk Tales to Anime: Disappearance of the Feminine Body in Japanese Culture’ (2025)
• Freedman, A. & Slade, T. (eds) Introducing Japanese Popular Culture (2018)
• Marcus, M. Japanese Literature: from Murasaki to Murakami, (2015)
• Shirane, H. Suzuki, T. & Lurie, D. B. (eds) The Cambridge History of Japanese Literature, (2016)
• Aoyama, T. Reading food in modern Japanese literature, (2008)
• Hernandez, A. D. H.; Screech, T.; Kataoka, M. & White, O. Global Japanese History and Culture, 2026

Library and computing facilities

As a student on this course you are entitled to join and use the University’s library and computing facilities. Find out more about using these facilities.

Accessibility

Our aim is access for all. We aim to provide a confidential advice and support service for any student with a long term medical condition, disability or specific learning difficulty. We are able to offer one-to-one advice about disability, pre-enrolment visits, liaison with tutors and co-ordinating lecturers, material in alternative formats, arrangements for accessible courses, assessment arrangements, loan equipment and dyslexia screening.