87352 - Literary Civilisation of Contemporary Japan (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will have acquired an advanced level of knowledge of contemporary Japanese culture and literature with reference to the original sources. They will be able independently to conduct documentary and bibliographic research, so as to apply their skills in the editorial and publishing field and in the promotion of the cultural heritage.

Course contents

The aim of course is to deepen some significant cultural aspects of Japan through the reading of books of children’s literature, especially Fantasy, and the two Nobel Prize-winning Kawabata Yasunari and Ōe Kenzaburō.

Nobel Prize-winning Kawabata Yasunari and Ōe Kenzaburō (1-2)

Origin and development of children's literature (3)

The post-war period (4-5)

1960s the rebirth of children's books (6-8)

The 70s Break the taboo Entertainment (9-10)

80s-90s New fantasy (11-12)

1990s Consolatory literature (13)

XXI century The return of war in children's books (14-15)

Picture books (15)

The syllabus will be provided at the first lecture and will be included among the material available on the 'Teaching resources on Virtuale' platform.

To foster a better connection with the integrated course unit of Literary Civilisation of Ancient and Modern Japan both course unit will be mainly dedicated to the theme of fairy tales and folk tales.

Students who wish to deepen the linguistic aspects are invited for programs suited to their linguistic knowledge.

Lessons are held exclusively in presence and are not registered.

Lessons start on March, 31 2027.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography for students attending class

Compulsory Books:

Kawabata, Yasunari, Il paese delle nevi, Milano: Mondadori, 2024.

Kawabata, Yasunari, La bellezza del Giappone e io (Materiale didattico-Virtuale)

Ōe, Kenzaburō, Io e il mio ambiguo Giappone (Materiale didattico-Virtuale)

Ōe, Kenzaburō, L'animale d'allevamento, Milano: Il sole 24 ore, 2012. (qualsiasi edizione)

Inui, Tomiko, I segreti della casa sotto l'albero, Roma: Atmosphere Libri, 2017.

Kashiwaba, Sachiko, Il meraviglioso paese oltre la nebbia, Ferrara: Kappalab, 2014.

Kadono, Eiko, Kiki, consegne a domicilio, Bologna: Kappalab, 2018.

Uehashi, Nahoko, Il guardiano dello spirito, tr. Luca Tarenzi, Milano: Salani, 2009; [oppure Kōkun, la dea dei profumi, tr. Luca Capponcelli, Roma: Ne/oN, 2024.]

Tsujimura, Mizuki, Il castello invisibile, Milano: DeA Planeta, 2019.

Compulsory Papers (Materiale didattico-Virtuale):

-Amitrano, Giorgio, ‘Kawabata’.

-Boscaro, Adriana, ‘Introduzione’ Ōe Premio Nobel 1994, Torino, UTET 1999, pp. IX-XXX.

Compulsory book:

Tisi, Maria Elena, Il Fantasy nella narrativa contemporanea per l’infanzia in Giappone. Collana “Studi orientali” diretta da Saverio Marchignoli, Bonomo editore. Bologna: Libreria Bonomo Editrice, 2026.

Further reference material will be presented in class and available on Virtual.

Further reference:

Bienati, Luisa (a cura di), Storia della letteratura giapponese. Dalle riforme Meiji all'era digitale. Torino : Einaudi, 2026.

 

Bibliography for students NOT attending class

Compulsory Books:

Kawabata, Yasunari, Il paese delle nevi, Milano: Mondadori, 2024.

Kawabata, Yasunari, La bellezza del Giappone e io (Materiale didattico-Virtuale)

Ōe, Kenzaburō, Io e il mio ambiguo Giappone (Materiale didattico-Virtuale)

Ōe, Kenzaburō, L'animale d'allevamento, Milano: Il sole 24 ore, 2012. (qualsiasi edizione)

Inui, Tomiko, I segreti della casa sotto l'albero, Roma: Atmosphere Libri, 2017.

Kashiwaba, Sachiko, Il meraviglioso paese oltre la nebbia, Ferrara: Kappalab, 2014.

Kadono, Eiko, Kiki, consegne a domicilio, Bologna: Kappalab, 2018.

Uehashi, Nahoko, Il guardiano dello spirito, tr. Luca Tarenzi, Milano: Salani, 2009; [oppure Kōkun, la dea dei profumi, tr. Luca Capponcelli, Roma: Ne/oN, 2024.]

Tsujimura, Mizuki, Il castello invisibile, Milano: DeA Planeta, 2019.

Compulsory Papers (Materiale didattico-Virtuale):

-Amitrano, Giorgio, ‘Kawabata’.

-Boscaro, Adriana, ‘Introduzione’ Ōe Premio Nobel 1994, Torino, UTET 1999, pp. IX-XXX.

Compulsory book:

Tisi, Maria Elena, Il Fantasy nella narrativa contemporanea per l’infanzia in Giappone. Collana “Studi orientali” diretta da Saverio Marchignoli, Bonomo editore. Bologna: Libreria Bonomo Editrice, 2026.

Further reference material will be presented in class and available on Virtual.

Further reference:

Bienati, Luisa (a cura di), Storia della letteratura giapponese. Dalle riforme Meiji all'era digitale. Torino : Einaudi, 2026.

 

 

Teaching methods

Frontal lesson: presentation, reading and analysis of selected works.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered attending students.

Not attending students are requested to contact me not later than April 2027.

The present course (6CFU) is a module of 87350 - JAPANESE LITERARY CIVILIZATION (CI) (LM). If the student has the Integrated Course (12CFU) in the study plan, the final grade will be the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two modules (87351 - ANCIENT AND MODERN JAPANESE LITERARY CIVILIZATION (1) (LM) and 87352 - CONTEMPORARY JAPANESE LITERARY CIVILIZATION (1) (LM)). Oral examination of the two parts has to be on the same date.

The exam will be conducted orally and will assess the student's command of the material studied in the course.

The use of AI is not permitted during the assessment. Using AI in this way constitutes a violation of academic integrity. However, its use is permitted when preparing for the exam, for example when drafting summaries or concept maps. Please note that the content assessed in the exam will be based on the bibliography listed in this syllabus. Therefore, it is the responsibility of anyone using AI to ensure that the tool has not introduced distortions, excessive simplifications, or inaccuracies into their preparation.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology. → 29-30

Good marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarize them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology. →25-28

Preparation on a limited number of topics covered in the course, albeit expressed in correct language and limited autonomous analysis skills, will lead to average evaluations →21-24 Training gaps and/or inappropriate language – albeit in a context of minimal knowledge of the exam material – will lead to grades that will not exceed the sufficiency →18-20

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

Exam sessions are scheduled for the following months of the academic year:

-1 May/June for all students

-1 June/July for all students

-1 October for all students

-1 November for all students

-1 January for all students

-1 February for all students

 

 

Teaching tools

Power point. Visual and audiovisual materials.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

 

 

Office hours

See the website of Maria Elena Tisi