Japanese History Course

[Ukigumo]

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Premodern Japan, I've signed up for a distance-learning diploma in Japanese history and culture (I'm not looking forward to the anime/manga/maid cafe section ). It generally looks like a nice course, if a little basic. I started looking around for university-level course but found the syllabi were heavily skewed toward business and modern popular culture which isn't my thing in the slightest.

Does anyone know of any slightly more academic/higher level (perhaps even degree level) online Japanese history courses that I could have a look at? I don't mind paying to enroll upon them.

 

[mdchachi]

Not sure what makes a history course more academic than others but here's a course. More academic to me, means more of a deep dive into something.

Modern Japan: 1868 to Present | History | MIT OpenCourseWare

This course surveys Japanese history from the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603 to the present and explores the local and global nature of modernity in Japan. It highlights key themes, including the emergence of a modern nation-state, the rise and fall of the Japanese Empire, the...

ocw.mit.edu

 

[Ukigumo]

Academic = nothing about ninjas

 

[mdchachi]

So I guess you would argue the academic rigor of this course entitled Godzilla and the Bullet Train: Technology and Culture in Modern Japan may not be of the highest level?

 

[Ukigumo]

There's nothing that hints of ninja -content in the title so it's fine

 

[Glton]

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Premodern Japan, I've signed up for a distance-learning diploma in Japanese history and culture (I'm not looking forward to the anime/manga/maid cafe section ). It generally looks like a nice course, if a little basic. I started looking around for university-level course but found the syllabi were heavily skewed toward business and modern popular culture which isn't my thing in the slightest.

Does anyone know of any slightly more academic/higher level (perhaps even degree level) online Japanese history courses that I could have a look at? I don't mind paying to enroll upon them.
I've been browsing around for something more academic or degree-level—ideally focusing more on historical and cultural depth rather than the modern pop-culture-heavy syllabi I keep stumbling upon (business, J-pop, etc. just aren't my thing).

While organizing my study plan, I started thinking about how to manage some of the heavier assignments more efficiently. That's when I considered trying Appendix in Research Paper: What You Need to Know - not for shortcuts, but to get help structuring essays and clarifying complex historical arguments. It seems like a decent tool if used responsibly, especially when juggling several topics at once.

If anyone knows of any high-level online courses in Japanese history (preferably with a more traditional academic focus), I'd love some suggestions!

You might want to check out Harvard's JapanX series on edX—especially the "Japanese History from Ancient to Modern Times" course. While it's not a full degree, it's taught at a university level and focuses more on political, social, and religious history than pop culture. Also, SOAS University of London offers online courses and diplomas with a strong academic tilt toward East Asian studies.

 

[Ukigumo]

Oh thank you so much, I'll look into those