KANSAI GAIDAI UNIVERSITY

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Wa: Rules and Principles in Japanese Arts, Design and AestheticsWa is a pivotal concept in Japan that encompasses many situations. It is a way to maintain social interactions harmoni-ously, as well as a dynamic framework for creating art. Wa is used in this course as a keyword that offers two levels of understanding about Japanese art: one being “Japaneseness” and the other being the cultivation of quiet, peaceful, and harmonious qualities. Through the study of Zen, nihon-ga, ceramics, ikebana, calligraphy, literature, photography and design, this course explores the connections between Wa and other key concepts connected to art practice and Japanese aesthetics. Japanese Influence on Western Art and DesignTrade between Japan and the West began in the late 16th century and led to Japonism at the fin de siècle. Japanese art profoundly influenced Western art and design in the develop-ment of such modern art and design as Impressionism, Aestheti-cism, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and so on. Therefore, this course examines Japanese art and explores how Japanese art and aesthetics influenced western art and design.Fashion in Japan: Art and History of the Kimono and Western Dress CultureFrom the origins of the kimono to the anti-fashion design of Rei Kawakubo, this course will be exploring the parallel routes of traditional clothing (wafuku) and western fashion (yôfuku) in Japan. From showing social ranking to expressing oneself, analyzing clothing in Japan will be seen as an encompassing dynamic, coming from the need of covering one's body to an artistic and performative statement about Japanese culture, aesthetics, silhouettes and body consciousness. Employing different materials (books, artworks, movies, magazines, etc.) this course will examine and analyze how kimono and western fashion are embedded in Japanese society, history, popular culture and visual arts.Japanese Design: Aesthetics and Visual CultureThis course aims at understanding Japanese aesthetics, culture, and society through design. Students will examine a broad range of design examples reflective of the social, political, and economical culture of the time. The course will begin by exploring Japanese aesthetics and prewar design and continue by discussing contemporary design with regard to the emergence of design, “made in Japan,” pop culture, and “disaster and design.” Through lectures, discussions, presentations, and museum visits, students will understand how traditional Japanese aesthetics are reflected in contemporary design and how individual Japanese designers uniquely delivered traditional aesthetics to interna-tional style.Global Business TeamsAs the world continues to become increasingly interconnected, many students will work in global contexts and will need related competencies. Creating effective work teams is challenging, even among people from similar backgrounds. Global teams face additional hurdles related to cultural differences, geographic and time zone separation, communication styles, differences in decision-making strategies, and role expectations, to name a few. This course is designed to assist students in developing compe-tencies related to effective teamwork in a global context.Intercultural Communication in JapanThis course is a practical introduction to theory and research in the field of intercultural communication as applied to a Japanese context. The primary course content focuses on perceptions, behaviors, values, and cultural patterns of human interaction, thereby assisting students in developing a clearer understanding of their own communicative perspectives as related to life in Japan. A variety of methods and activities, including class discus-sion, group work, lecture, cultural enactment, video critique, storytelling, critical incident, written reflection, and in-class engagement, will be used to help students develop intercultural communicative competence.Culture, Power and Belonging in Japan: Anthropo-logical Perspectives on the Making of Minorities and Majorities This course focuses on the shifting conditions of cultural minor- ity and marginalized groups in Japan, in particular: the Ainu, Okinawans, those of Buraku outcaste heritage, ethnic Koreans tracing their heritage from the colonial era, Nikkei "return" migrants, and the growing Chinese, South Asian and other AestheticsCommunicationAnthropological Approaches to Cultural IssuesArt Across CulturesTopics in Art25