Note that not all courses are offered every year. For upcoming offerings, including course descriptions, please see section information in the UBC course schedule at https://courses.students.ubc.ca/cs/main, or contact the department.
ARCL 322 Archaeological Foundations of East and Southeast Asia
Survey of the archaeology of East and Southeast Asia, with an emphasis on the beginnings of the economic, social, political, and artistic traditions and systems of the great civilizations, and the conditions in which they arose. Theories of cultural development emphasizing Neolithic and state-level societies will be discussed.
ANTH 215 Japanese Popular Culture
Television shows, dramas, movies, advertising, marketing, manga (Japanese style "comics"), anime (Japanese animation), theatrical forms, popular literature, popular music, fashion fads, tourism, toys, and sports.
ANTH 315 Japanese Culture and Society
Japanese culture and society: patterns of organization, value systems, family, education, work, minorities and diversity, harmony and conflict, urban/rural differences, gender, sexuality, youth, tradition, continuity, change, and future prospects.
ANTH 416 The Ethnography of Japan
Ethnographies about Japan and processes of conducting fieldwork on Japan, covering topics such as work, leisure, identity, tradition, popular culture, rural/urban lifestyles, gender, sexuality, internationalization.
ANTH 435 The Japanese Tea Ceremony: Ethnography of Performance, Practice, and Ritual
An exploration of Chanoyu, Japanese Tea Practice, as a culturally embedded ritual, performance, and aesthetic form, and as a way of understanding underlying elements of Japanese culture. This course has a studio component and a nominal fee may be charged.
ARTH 253 Asian Architecture: Sacred and Urban Spaces
Select built forms in Asia, such as temples, tombs, palaces, cities and gardens, and their relations to cultural, social and political systems.
ARTH 362 Art in Japan: Objects and Spaces
Changing relationship between art objects and the built environment in the Japanese archipelago, in its social and historical context.
ARTH 363 Art in Japan: The Problem with Painting
Key debates in the history of painting and its institutionalization.
ARTH 368 Art in Japan: Print Media
Historical and theoretical questions concerning the development of print media in Japan, from Edo period woodcuts to the advent of digital technologies.
ARTH 369 Art in Japan: Modern Visual Culture
Self and community in the art and visual culture of modern Japan.
ARTH 464 Seminar in Japanese Art
Since content varies from semester to semester, students are advised to check course descriptions which are available in the department office.
ARTH 553 Studies in Japanese Art
Since content varies from semester to semester, students are advised to check course descriptions which are available in the department office.
ASTU 201 Canada, Japan and the Pacific: Cultural Studies
An interdisciplinary introduction to the cultures of Canada and Japan, and the interrelations between them. Specific topics vary from year to year but will include themes such as constructing the past; nationalism; self-perceptions; cross-cultural perceptions; multiculturalism in Canada and Japan; images in architecture, film and literature; mythologies.
ASTU 202 Canada, Japan and the Pacific: Political, Economic and Geographical Perspectives
An interdisciplinary introduction to political, economic and geographical interactions between Japan and Canada, the links between these countries and other Pacific Rim nations, and the historical origins of these connections. Specific topics will vary from year to year, but will include themes such as economic integration in the Pacific region; the role of resource economies such as Canada's; security relations in the Pacific; the role of Japanese investment in the Asia-Pacific region.
ACAM 250 Asian Canadians in Popular Culture
Popular culture's role in the production of Asian Canadian and diasporic communities, with emphasis on race, gender, sexuality, and other identity categories.
ACAM 300 Dis/Orienting Asian Canada
The histories, cultures, social dynamics, and life experiences of Asian communities in Canada in the context of global migrations. Restricted to students with second year status or higher.
ACAM 320 Selected Topics in ACAM Studies
Selected Asian Canadian Asian Migration topics. Consult acam.arts.ubc.ca for this year's offerings.
ACAM 350 Asian Canadian Community-Based Media
Digital media production in the context of community engagement. Includes critical media literacy, community-based research ethics, project design, training in media forms such audio, video, photography, and web publishing.
ACAM 447 Directed Studies in Asian Canadian and Asian Migration
General reading and/or a research undertaking within the scope of Asian Canadian and Asian Migration.
ASIA 100 Introduction to Traditional Asia
A survey of the histories and cultures of Asia before 1600 and the coming of the Europeans. Emphasis will be given to parallel themes in the development of the civilizations of South, Southeast and East Asia. This course is not eligible for Credit/D/Fail grading.
ASIA 101 Introduction to Modern Asia
A survey of the emergence of modern Asia. Aims at an understanding of how the various peoples of Asia have maintained distinctive cultural identities despite centuries of political, economic, social and cultural change.
ASIA 110 Introduction to the Major Eastern Religions
Introduction to the major Asian religious traditions (Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Christianity, Shintoism, and Shamanism); employs theoretical models drawn from religious studies.
ASIA 200 Cultural Foundations of East Asia
A comparative survey of the beliefs, assumptions and values which have shaped the civilizations of East Asia in both traditional and modern times
ASIA 204 Introduction to Asian Religions
The religions of India, China, and Japan in their interactions and cultural contexts, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto.
ASIA 211 Sex, Sexual Ethics, and Asian Religions
Sex and sexual ethics in the scriptures, monastic rules, rituals, and narratives of Asian religions, such as Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.
ASIA 212 Writing About Japan
Literary, historiographic, religious, and feminist approaches to Japanese myths, legal tracts, religious tales, fiction, and poetry.
ASIA 222 Encountering Asia
Introduction to the literary, religious, and philosophical traditions of at least two Asian cultures using foundational texts. Students will learn about these traditions by encountering them historically as well as through the lenses of their own diverse identities and contexts.
ASIA 223 Writing Asia
This writing-intensive course is to be taken concurrently with ASIA 222. The seminar builds on the materials of ASIA 222. Students must have knowledge of or be enrolled in the study of one of the languages offered in Asian Studies.
ASIA 250 Introduction to Buddhism
Origins, basic teachings, development of Theravada, Mahayana, and Tantric traditions, historical spread first through Asia and later the world, and Buddhism in contemporary societies.
ASIA 254 Sex, Gender, and Sexuality in Japanese Literature and Film
The integral role that sex, gender, and sexuality play in literary and cinematic works from Japan. Literary works will be read in translation, movies will be subtitled.
ASIA 300 Writing and Culture in East Asia
Practical, aesthetic, historical, technological and political issues pertaining to the use of Chinese characters - hanzi (Chinese), kanji (Japanese), or hanccha (Korean) - throughout the region.
ASIA 301 Buddhism in the Modern Era
Buddhism from the nineteenth century to present day with special emphasis on its history and character in local settings, including specific traditions such as Tibetan Nyingma and Japanese Zen, as well as the development of a modern and global "Buddhism."
ASIA 305 Asian Horror Cinema: National Nightmares and Specters of Trauma
Engaging with the ideologies, industrial histories, socio-cultural contexts, and aesthetics of horror films - and the genre itself - from various Asian cinemas.
ASIA 306 Esoteric Buddhism
Overview of Buddhism's rich and complex esoteric traditions in the Himalayan region and South, Southeast, and East Asia, with particular emphasis on texts, commentaries, and practices from a variety of traditions, locales and time periods.
ASIA 310 Studies in the History of a Major Asian Civilization
Study of an Asian culture area different from those covered in existing courses. Not given every year. Consult Department for details. May be taken multiple times on different subjects for credit.
ASIA 314 Premodern Japan
Japanese history (political, economic, social and cultural) to 1600.
ASIA 315 Japan from Feudal to Modern State
Japanese history from 1600 to the Meiji Restoration. Political, economic, social and cultural forces which were involved in transforming Japan.
ASIA 316 Race and Ethnicity in Japanese Literature and Film
Examines relations between majority and minority groups in Japanese society and changing definitions of "Japan" through literature and film from Japan.
ASIA 326 Critical Approaches to Manga and Anime
A critical introduction to Japanese manga and anime in the 20th and 21st centuries.
ASIA 344 Topics in Japanese Cultural History I: Aristocrats and Warriors
Focuses each year on a specific topic related to the courtly or warrior culture of Japan.
ASIA 346 Topics in Japanese Cultural History II: The Early Modern Age
Focuses each year on a specific topic related to the culture of early modern Japan.
ASIA 350 Asian Literature in Translation: A Comparative Approach
A comparative approach to the literatures of East, South and Southeast Asia focusing on a specific theme.
ASIA 354 Introduction to Japanese Cinema
Students will be introduced to the work of the major directors (e.g., Ozu, Mizoguchi, Kurosawa, Itami, Oshima, Shinoda). Ideological uses of literary texts and period pieces (e.g., Ugetsu, Life of Oharu, Double Suicide). Impact of depiction of Japanese in American film.
ASIA 360 A Specific Asian Literature in Translation
Introduction to the literature of a linguistic area of Asia not covered in existing courses. Not given every year. Consult the Department for details. May be taken multiple times on different subjects for credit.
ASIA 362 Pre-Modern Japanese Fiction (in translation)
The influential genre of early tales and fiction in pre-modern Japan.
ASIA 364 Modern Japanese Literature in Translation
An introduction to the literature and cultural history of modern Japan, with readings drawn from various literary genres, from 1868 to the present.
ASIA 366 Edo-Period Theatre
Edo-period puppet and kabuki theaters, with additional attention to the latter's representation in woodblock prints and the construction of gender roles in theatre.
ASIA 369 Asian Folklore
A survey of oral and expressive traditions in Asia, including jokes, superstitions, fairy tales, myths, music, and foodways; practical training in collecting and archiving folklore.
ASIA 385 Chan/Zen Buddhism: Doctrine and Practice
The history, doctrines, and practices of Chan Buddhism, particularly the profound influence of Chan Buddhism on various aspects of East Asian culture.
ASIA 387 Japanese Religions
An introduction to traditional Japanese religions including Shinto, Buddhism, Shugendo, Confucianism, new religions and folklore, and their roles in Japanese history, culture and society.
ASIA 405 The Interaction of Science, Religion, and Philosophy in East Asia
The influence of Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Christianity on the way peoples of East Asia understood and manipulated the natural world, focussing on the natural sciences.
ASIA 410 International Relations in Premodern East Asia
International relations, particularly between Korea and Japan in the premodern East Asian context, focusing on migration, trade, diplomacy, war, collective memory, mutual perceptions, and the context of the Sinocentric international order.
ASIA 430 International Relations in Modern East Asia: Korea and Japan
Trade, diplomacy, war, imperialism, militarism, colonialism, collective memory, mutual perceptions Korean-Japanese relations are examined as an exemplary case for exploring the dimensions of international conflict and partnership.
ASIA 444 Topics in Modern Japanese Fiction and Cultural History
Focuses on a limited time period or particular aspect of modern Japanese literature.
ASIA 450 Special Topics in Buddhist Studies
For upcoming offerings, including course descriptions, please see section information in the UBC course schedule at https://courses.students.ubc.ca/cs/main.
ASIA 453 Japanese Travel Literature
Japanese travel literature (myths, legends, poetry, tales, diaries, illustrated guides, satiric sermons, haiku, comic fiction, colonial reporting, and ethnography) from the 8th century to present.
ASIA 454 Japanese Poetry in Translation
An introduction to Japanese poetry from its origins in song and myth, to its development from a courtly art (waka) to a popular pastime (haiku). Influences on prose, autobiography, and theatre will also be considered.
ASIA 455 Adaptations of Japanese Classics
Introduction to literary, stage, and film adaptations of Japanese classics and legends and the ways in which these "new" works appropriate the past to comment on the present.
ASIA 460 Modern Asian Women in Narrative
Experience of women in the context of a particular Asian culture, as seen through literature, popular culture, film and folklore. Narrative as a medium for the representation and constitution of gender.
ASIA 464 Japanese Women's Self-Writing
Selected aspects of the more than 1000 years of self-writing (diary, autobiography, personal fiction). Theory and criticism about the use of writing as a medium of self-expression.
ASIA 466 The History of Christianity in Asia
A survey of Christian proselytizing drives in South, Southeast, and East Asia, focusing on the period since 1500 and the reasons for successes (the Phillipines and Korea, for example) and failures (Japan).
ASIA 468 Approaches to the Study of Asian Religions
The Western genealogy and problematics of religion, issues in its application to non-Western cultures and traditions, and the practical study of Asian religions, in Asia and its diasporas.
ASIA 477 New Religious Movements of East Asia
Examines the rise of new religious movements in China, Japan, and Korea over the last two centuries, from the Taiping, Tonghak, and Tenri-kyo to the Unification Church, SGI International, and Falun Gong.
ASIA 478 The Religious Image in Asia
The religious image and related material culture within Buddhism, Islam, Jainism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Sikhism with special attention to methodological concerns.
ASIA 485 Inventing Asian Religions in the West/East Encounter
An examination of how western imperial expansion transformed the descriptions and practices of Asian traditions through systems of classification, missionaries, discovery of languages, modernity, and fragmentation.
ASIA 490 Asian Classics - Fourth Year Seminar
Focus changes from year to year.
ASIA 495 Folk Cultures in the Asian Diaspora
The mediation of folklore (e.g. slang, songs, games, dance, foodways) in the everyday lives of immigrant and transnational Asian communities. Emphasis on Asian-Canadian folklore in Greater Vancouver through digital documentary media production and archival folklore research.
ASIA 498 Asia in Museums/the Museum in Asia
Museological representations of Asia and Asian forms of museological representation in colonial and post-colonial contexts.
ASIA 510 Monastic Biography and Hagiography in East Asian Buddhism
ASIA 521 Research Methods and Source Materials in Japanese Studies
This seminar is designed as a “bibliography” course which will familiarize participants with resources, approaches, and best practices in accessing and utilizing sources related to the study of Japan. We will focus on premodern Japan and draw from the instructor’s experience with literary resources, but the problems we consider are designed to be relevant to a wide range of fields.
ASIA 522 Readings in kambun kundoku
Focus changes from year to year, please check the Department website for current course syllabi.
ASIA 523 Topics in the History and Structure of the Japanese Language
Focus changes from year to year, please check the Department website for current course syllabi.
ASIA 524 Japanese for Specialists of China and Korea
Reading seminar in Japanese scholarly material dealing with China and/or Korea for graduate students who have a reading knowledge of Chinese and/or Korean and some knowledge of Japanese.
ASIA 525 Topics in the Social History of Japanese Religions
Focus changes from year to year, please check the Department website for current course syllabi.
ASIA 528 Problems of Japanese Intellectual History
This seminar’s goal is to challenge a number of long-standing assumptions regarding various aspects of Japanese society before the Meiji period. Major themes include the construction of individual and collective identity, aggressive pursuit of self-interest, defiant practice of forbidden religious traditions, interest in self-cultivation and personal betterment, understandings of happiness and well-being, embrace of “neglected” counter-ideological values as practiced, evidence of both individuality and equality, and resistance to modernity and the modern transformation.
ASIA 532 Topics in Traditional Japanese Literature
Classical Japanese texts from a variety of genres and periods are read, typically from manuscript or early modern editions.
ASIA 533 Topics in Modern Japanese Literature
Prospective students should be capable of reading 50-100 pages of Japanese per week.
ASIA 561 Problems of Modernization in Eastern and Southern Asia
Focus changes from year to year, please check the Department website for current course syllabi.
ASIA 562 Buddhism, Modernity, and the Nation-State in Asia
Focus changes from year to year, please check the Department website for current course syllabi.
ASIA 566 History of Christianity in Asia
A survey of Christian proselytizing drives in South, Southeast, and East Asia, focusing on the period since 1500 and the reasons for successes (the Phillipines and Korea, for example) and failures (Japan).
ASIA 570 Approaches to Asian Literature
Focus changes from year to year, please check the Department website for current course syllabi.
ASIA 577 New Religious Movements Of East Asia
Examines the rise of new religious movements in China, Japan, and Korea over the last two centuries, from the Taiping, Tonghak, and Tenri-kyo to the Unification Church, SGI International, and Falun Gong.
ASIA 578 The Religious Image in Asia
The religious image and related material culture within Buddhism, Islam, Jainism, Hinduism, Christianity, and Sikhism with special attention to methodological concerns.
ASIA 591 Critical Issues in Asian Studies
Proseminar introducing major methodological and conceptual themes in the contemporary study of Asia, modern and pre-modern. Required of all Asian Studies PhD students, normally in their first year.
ASIA 592 The Profession of Asian StudiesIntroduction to essential skills for academic and professional work in Asian Studies. Outlines career trajectories in the PhD and beyond, including grant applications, cv-writing, and job searches. Required of Asian Studies PhD students, normally in their first year.
ASIA 598 Asia in Museums/the Museum in Asia
Museological representations of Asia and Asian forms of museological representation in colonial and post-colonial contexts.
CNPS 594 Cross-Cultural Counselling
GEOG 281 Geography of the Pacific Rim
An introduction to changing geographies (social, economic, and political) of the Pacific Rim, with special emphasis on the relationships between Canada and Japan.
GEOG 352 Urbanization in the Global South
Urbanization in the developing countries of Latin America, Africa, and Asia; the role of cities in the development process and the features and problems of rapid urbanization.
GEOG 380 Geography of Asia
A comparative regional analysis stressing the historical development and changing cultural, economic, and political patterns of the area. Special reference to India, Indonesia, China, and Japan.
HIST 105 The Pacific War in History and Film
Thematic study of comparisons and relations between Japan and the world outside (primarily Europe and China). Commercial expansion, systems of world order, social institutions, religious and ideological expression, and state organization.
The building of a modern state, its crisis in the 1930s, and its postwar recovery; topics include business institutions, politics, imperialism, intellectual syncretism, social change, and Japan's growing influence in the world.
JAPN 100 Beginning Japanese IA
JAPN 101 Beginning Japanese IB
JAPN 160 Intensive Beginning Japanese I
JAPN 200 Beginning Japanese II A
JAPN 201 Beginning Japanese II B
JAPN 204 Basic Japanese Grammar
JAPN 260 Intensive Beginning Japanese II
JAPN 320 Intermediate Japanese I A
JAPN 321 Intermediate Japanese I B
JAPN 322 Intermediate Japanese II A
JAPN 323 Intermediate Japanese II B
JAPN 360 Intensive Intermediate Japanese I
JAPN 361 Intensive Intermediate Japanese II
JAPN 400 Advanced Modern Japanese: Reading and Writing I
JAPN 401 Advanced Modern Japanese: Reading and Writing II
JAPN 402 Advanced Modern Japanese: Conversation and Composition I
JAPN 403 Advanced Modern Japanese: Conversation and Composition II
JAPN 456 Newspaper Japanese
POLI 322 Japanese Government and Politics
A general introduction to modern Japanese politics from various theoretical and comparative perspectives.
PSYC 307 Cultural Psychology
THTR 340B Studies in Asian Theatre
This class focuses on the modern, Western-style spoken theatre in Asia in the 20th century, with plays from India, China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
WOOD 461 Globalization and Sustainability