Cross Listed as ASST486, JAPN486
Over six decades after Japan's surrender, the issue of how to remember the Pacific War continues to raise controversy both within Japan and between Japan, Korea, and China. This tutorial will consider how individuals, groups of individuals, and nations construct and reconstruct historical memories by examining how various Japanese, as well as Koreans and Chinese, have sought to remember the Pacific War. The course will begin with a discussion of theoretical writings on the social and political construction of historical memory and the distinctions between official, collective, and historical memory. Then we will consider Japan's unique position as both wartime aggressor and victim, focusing on how the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Occupation, and the Tokyo war crimes trial have shaped how the war has been remembered. We will also deal with how the war has been portrayed in literature, film, and other media. Finally, the course will explore how Japanese, Korean, and Chinese memories of the war continue to influence relationships within East Asia. We will examine the mnemonic sites contested by Chinese, Korean, and Japanese memories by discussing issues pertaining to military comfort women, the Nanking massacre, Unit 731, history textbooks, and Yasukuni shrine. Themes will include how the construction of memory is linked to the nation, how the passage of time influences the construction of historical memory, and the dilemmas of coming to terms with pasts contested both within and between countries.
Class Format: tutorial; students will meet with the instructor in pairs for an hour each week; a student either will write and present orally a 5- to 7-page essay on the assigned readings or be responsible for offering an oral critique of the work of their partner
Requirements/Evaluation: students will be evaluated on their written work and their analyses of their partner's work; there will a final paper (15 pages) on the themes of the course.
Additional Info:
Prerequisites: none; open to all
Enrollment Preference:
Department Notes: meets Group B requirement in History major only if registration is under HIST
Material and Lab Fees:
Distribution Notes:
Divisional Attributes: Division II, Writing Intensive
Other Attributes: HIST Group B Electives - Asia
Enrollment Limit: 10
Expected Enrollment: 10
| CLASSES | ATTR | INSTRUCTORS | TIMES |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIST486-T1(F) TUT Historical Memory Pacific War (W) | ![]() ![]() |
Eiko Maruko Siniawer |
TBA |

