KANSAI GAIDAI UNIVERSITY

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knowledge of Japanese martial arts and their history as well as to increase their physical fitness levels through actual training of Kendō and Jōdō in a dōjō (special hall for marital arts training).In Kendō (剣道:けんどう) players use shinai (bamboo swords) as they compete to strike four specific areas on the opponent’s bōgu (armor). Kendo is characterized by always showing respect to one’s opponents, the honoring of protocol and culture, and the importance placed on enriching one’s heart through training. Jōdō (杖道:じょうどう) is reputed to have been invented by the great swordsman Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi about 400 years ago.Varieties of Capitalism in East Asia: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and ChinaThrough a comparative political economy approach, the economic systems of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China are analyzed, comparing political and institutional settings which governed their national economies. Historically, each has achieved economic success by drawing on the same blueprint: the Asian Developmental State model. Now they have evolved into distinct national formations of organized capitalism, with specific institutional advantages and structur-al problems. How do these four variations of East Asian capital-ism differ? What is their historical trajectory? Can these four countries transform their political economies to adjust to the challenges of globalization?The Japanese Economy: Growth and StagnationThis course analyzes the high-growth period in the 1960s, the bubble period in the late 1980s and the "lost decades" in the 1990s through 2000s of the Japanese economy from the viewpoint of the Japanese financial system. In particular, the course focuses on how the Japanese financial system has evolved in the postwar period and how it has affected the performance of the Japanese economy by way of changing the behavior of banks, firms and households. Special attention is paid to the "lost decades" and describing the characteristics of the "lost decades" and then explaining why it took so long to wipe out the aftermath of the "lost decades." The efficacy of Abenomics is examined, as well as economic policies advocated by the current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, in rescuing the Japanese economy from "lost decades."Cultural and Creative Industries in Japan/East AsiaThe Japanese/East Asian cultural and creative industries (e.g., visual/performing arts, advertising, crafts, design, film, multi-media, publishing, and games) are widely touted (particularly in policy circles) as vectors of global competitive advantage and economic growth. However, their myriad characteristics, dynam-ics, and challenges are seldom grasped. The course reviews canonical and up-to-date theoretical/empirical literatures relating to the Japanese/East Asian CCI at national, regional and global levels. It encompasses inter- trans- and post-disciplinary approaches, drawing upon the endeavors of Cultural Economics, Political Economy, Sociology, and Urban Studies. Key topics include: manga and anime, contents tourism, fashion, and cultur-al policy/soft power, among others.Urban Trends and Futures in Japan/East AsiaEast Asian cities have increasingly undergone socio-economic and socio-spatial restructuring in order to respond to local and global processes. Thus, while attending to global drivers of change, this course examines the local/regional dynamics of East Asian cityscapes to shed light onto current urban challenges and prospects. Emphasis throughout the course is placed on cities as spaces of everyday life and spaces of socio-economic change. Key topics include: urban socio-spatial exclusion, gentrification, peri-ur-banization, and environmental sustainability, among others.Women in the EconomyWomen face many constraints in their everyday decisions that men do not encounter. As the study of choice, economics provides a uniquely appropriate lens through which to view the decisions made by women, given the obstacles and policies they encounter. Because so many decisions women make involve the labor market, labor economics will be the centerpiece of this course. By the end of the class, the students will have a solid grasp of the ways that the economic outcomes of men and women differ, and they will be able to use and understand the most commonly used analytical tools applied by economists to approach the topic of gender inequality.Japanese HistoryAs a survey of the political, economic, social, ideological, and foreign policy aspects of Japanese history from 600AD to the economic miracle of the 1980s, this course will focus on Japan's attempts to establish a central government prior to 1600, as well as Japan's quest for national identity and security in the 20th century. Key topics include how geography has shaped Japan's history, the legacy of feudalism, the Meiji Restoration, the road to the Pacific War and Japan's defeat, and Japan's post-war econom-ic growth. Understanding these aspects of Japan's history will help students better understand contemporary Japanese society.Economic TheoryTopics in Regional EconomicsHistory in Asia28