KANSAI GAIDAI UNIVERSITY

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particular attention to three shaping forces of international history: power competition, pursuit of economic interest, and inter-cultural relations among countries and people in the region. The course also examines major sources of foreign policies of the countries involved in the region: roles played by central decision-makers, domestic political context, and the constraints and opportunities offered by the international environment. This interdisciplinary course includes opportu-nities for students to deal with primary historical sources.Japanese Politics and Public Policy from a Theoretical PerspectiveAs an upper-level introduction to Japanese politics, primarily after WWII, this course will first be focusing on explaining the rise of the LDP, its long-term dominance, ultimate collapse, and re-emergence as the strongest party in Japan. Second, students will explore the rise of Japan's post-war economy and subsequent decline. Third, the class will address Japan's set of increasingly complex foreign policy arrangements and contemporary battle over constitutional reform (especially focused on Article 9). Finally, the course will examine the interesting world of collusion between political elites and non-state specialists in violence. Japan and Nuclear WeaponsThe nuclear weapon is the single most lethal instrument of war that the human race ever invented. Its sheer destructive force itself justifies the interest in it. However, nuclear weapons also have a great impact on international politics as well as on Japan, which is the only country to have sustained the full force of nuclear weapons. All the countries in the world including Japan after they watched or experienced the formidable impact of the nuclear weapon in the actual battlefield in 1945 have to answer three questions: Should states acquire this absolute weapon; is it good to spread nuclear weapons across countries; and could or should states use this weapon if necessary? This course will be a journey to find answers to these questions.Political Economy and Public Policy from an East Asian PerspectiveThrough scientifically based theories (as opposed to normative ones) and issues pertinent to global political economy, this course will examine the political, economic, and social conditions condu-cive to the development of cooperative behavior on a global scale. Students will cover the main questions and puzzles in this sub-field of political science, and the discipline's best answers to date--and in doing so--will utilize illustrative cases from East Asia (principally Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China) as prisms with which to understand the theories presented.Asian Regionalism and Economic DevelopmentWith the goal of providing an overview of Asia as a region, this course begins first by addressing the nature, functional principles, leadership, and policy making process of Asian regionalism. It will also introduce and assess the origins and its developments of leading regional cooperation mechanisms: ASEAN, Six-Party Talks (Northeast Asian Security Cooperation Architecture), SAARC, and SCO. The second part of the course will focus on the key factors that influence growth and development in Asian economies. Religion in JapanProviding an introduction to the most important types of religious expression in Japan, this course will cover ancestor worship, Shinto, Buddhism, and the New Religions, with a focus on contemporary beliefs and practices, especially religion that is encountered every day. Various approaches to the interpretation of religion will be discussed. Topics include: the fox deity; Yasukuni Shrine controversy; Tenrikyo; Soka Gakkai; Buddhist heavens and hells; Buddhist Pure Land; rites for aborted fetuses. This course is open to students at all levels.ShintoShinto, the ancient religion of Japan, is an important part of the Japanese cultural imagination. Shinto is visible everywhere, and there are few Japanese people who do not have some contact with Shinto, many of them on a regular basis. Yet it is not easy to answer the question, “What is Shinto?” Students in this course will examine Shinto from as many perspectives as possible: religious, philosophical, anthropological, and political. Students are encouraged to explore Shinto in today’s Japan as part of their coursework. Zen BuddhismBuddhism, like any religion, provides answers to the “big questions” of human existence: How did human life first occur? ASIA/JAPAN STUDIES COURSESWar and PeaceInternational Political EconomyInternational DevelopmentAsian Religion and Philosophy33