HIST19029 History of Modern Japan

This course will present a general overview of the major themes in modern Japanese history from the Tokugawa period to contemporary Japanese politics, society and foreign relations. It will begin with a discussion of Japanese cultural traditions, followed by an overview of the Tokugawa period. The rest of the course will investigate: Meiji Japan and the era of Taisho and Showa democracy, the rise of militarism, World War II and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, the American Occupation, the post-war economic miracle, contemporary Japanese politics, society and foreign policy, and Japanese-Australian relations.