ASB09201 Modern and Contemporary Japanese Society

Hiroshima University Syllabus

Japanese

Academic Year 2026Year School/Graduate School School of Integrated Arts and Sciences Department of Integrated Arts and Sciences

Lecture Code ASB09201 Subject Classification Specialized Education

Subject Name 日本近現代社会論

Subject Name
（Katakana）ニホンキンゲンダイシャカイロン

Subject Name in
English Modern and Contemporary Japanese Society

Instructor YOKOYAMA TAKASHI

Instructor
(Katakana) ヨコヤマ　タカシ

Campus Higashi-Hiroshima Semester/Term 2nd-Year,  Second Semester,  3Term

Days, Periods, and Classrooms (3T) Thur1-4：IAS K110

Lesson Style Lecture Lesson Style
(More Details) Face-to-face

Credits 2.0 Class Hours/Week 4 Language of Instruction J : Japanese

Course Level 2 : Undergraduate Low-Intermediate

Course Area（Area） 23 : Arts and Humanities

Course Area（Discipline） 07 : History

Eligible Students Students who wish to deepen their understanding of gender, sexuality, and Japanese history

Keywords Gender, Sexuality, Modern and Contemporary Japanese History

Special Subject for Teacher Education 　 Special Subject 　

Class Status
within Educational
Program
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced
Evaluation
(Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students) Integrated Arts and Sciences
（Knowledge and Understanding）
・Knowledge and understanding of the importance and characteristics of each discipline and basic theoretical framework.
（Abilities and Skills）
・The ability and skills to collect and analyze necessary literature or data among various sources of information on individual academic disciplines.
（Comprehensive Abilities）
・The ability to conduct research proactively by combining knowledge,  understanding, and skills for the tasks, based on flexible creativity and imagination.

Class Objectives
/Class Outline [Theme: Japanese Modernity through the Lens of Gender and Sexuality]
This course re-examines modern Japanese history from the perspectives of gender and sexuality.
“Gender” refers not only to biological sex but also to socially and culturally constructed forms of sex, as well as the academic field that studies such constructions. Questioning gender within society and culture requires historical thinking.
Engaging with gender means discussing the social and cultural relationships between men and women. These relationships concern the family and household, as well as sexual life (including prostitution). Thus, gender studies are naturally connected to the study of sexuality.
This course explores how these aspects of “sex” have interacted with politics, society and culture throughout history. Covering a long span from the Meiji period to the postwar era and situating Japan within broader East Asian trends, the course reconsiders the overall shape of modern Japanese history in a way distinct from high school–level Japanese history.

Class Schedule lesson1　Introduction — The significance of viewing modern Japan through gender and sexuality
lesson2　Transformations in divorce from the Edo to the Meiji period
lesson3　Were Samurai-class Women Weak in the Edo Period?
lesson4　Constructing the national mother: Empress Shōken
lesson5　The challenges of “civilization” — Gender equality, monogamy, and prostitution
lesson6　From the women’s suffrage issue to the Imperial Rescript on Education
lesson7　The modern family and sexuality
lesson8　The “New Woman,” the Modern Girl (moga), and the “Good Wife, Wise Mother” ideal
lesson9　The “Modern Girl” phenomenon in colonial Taiwan and the politicization of fashion
lesson10　Shiseido as a company — Strategies and culture of cosmetic production and sales
lesson11　The National Defense Women’s Association — Symbol and reality of women’s mobilization on the home front
lesson12　The proliferation of the sex industry in the postwar era and the Prostitution Prevention Law
lesson13　Transformations in spaces of sexuality — From outdoors to love hotels
lesson14　Possibilities for men’s history? — The modern history of facial hair as an example
lesson15　From the eugenics movement to new eugenics — The history of sterilization and contemporary prenatal diagnosis / Conclusion

A final examination will be administered to the students.

Text/Reference
Books,etc. No textbooks will be used. Handouts will be distributed, and lectures will be based on them.
Please refer to the Japanese version of the syllabus for details.

PC or AV used in
Class,etc. Handouts, Visual Materials, moodle

(More Details)

Learning techniques to be incorporated Quizzes/ Quiz format, Post-class Report

Suggestions on
Preparation and
Review Lesson 1: Understand the aims of the course.
Lesson 2: Examine how changing divorce practices reflect shifts in gender power relations.
Lesson 3: Question the assumption that the Edo period was uniformly male-dominated.
Lesson 4: Understanding how women’s authority, different from the Ōoku, was envisioned in the Meiji era.
Lesson 5: Learning how Meiji intellectuals engaged with Western views of women.
Lesson 6: Understand the logic through which women were excluded from politics during the Meiji period.
Lesson 7: Consider how the modern family was compelled to respond to transformations in “sex.”
Lesson 8: Understand the similarities and differences among the New Woman, Modern Girl, and Good Wife, Wise Mother ideals.
Lesson 9: Consider why Western clothing, kimono, or qipao were preferred in colonial Taiwan.
Lesson 10: Understanding how cosmetics were treated from Meiji to Shōwa.
Lesson 11: Consider why a women’s organization originating in Osaka gained ten million members.
Lesson 12: Learn what led to the abolition of the licensed prostitution system and the Prostitution Prevention Law.
Lesson 13: Understanding how spaces for romantic and sexual relationships have transformed over time.
Lesson 14: Consider how men’s history can be made engaging.
Lesson 15: Consider the similarities and differences between forced sterilization and prenatal diagnosis.

Requirements No prior study of Japanese or world history in high school or liberal arts education is required for this course.

Grading Method Final Exam: 80%
Minute Papers after Lectures: 20%

Practical Experience

Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it

Message I will structure the lectures so that they can be understood even without prior knowledge of Japanese or world history. However, reviewing high school textbooks before or after the lectures will further deepen your understanding. Additionally, I recommend checking out any interesting references mentioned in the lectures at the library and reading them.

Other

Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes.
Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

Academic Year	2026Year	School/Graduate School	School of Integrated Arts and Sciences Department of Integrated Arts and Sciences
Lecture Code	ASB09201	Subject Classification	Specialized Education
Subject Name	日本近現代社会論
Subject Name （Katakana）	ニホンキンゲンダイシャカイロン
Subject Name in English	Modern and Contemporary Japanese Society
Instructor	YOKOYAMA TAKASHI
Instructor (Katakana)	ヨコヤマ　タカシ
Campus	Higashi-Hiroshima	Semester/Term	2nd-Year, Second Semester, 3Term
Days, Periods, and Classrooms	(3T) Thur1-4：IAS K110
Lesson Style	Lecture	Lesson Style (More Details)	Face-to-face

Credits	2.0	Class Hours/Week	4	Language of Instruction	J : Japanese
Course Level	2 : Undergraduate Low-Intermediate
Course Area（Area）	23 : Arts and Humanities
Course Area（Discipline）	07 : History
Eligible Students	Students who wish to deepen their understanding of gender, sexuality, and Japanese history
Keywords	Gender, Sexuality, Modern and Contemporary Japanese History
Special Subject for Teacher Education		Special Subject
Class Status within Educational Program (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)
Criterion referenced Evaluation (Applicable only to targeted subjects for undergraduate students)	Integrated Arts and Sciences （Knowledge and Understanding）・Knowledge and understanding of the importance and characteristics of each discipline and basic theoretical framework. （Abilities and Skills）・The ability and skills to collect and analyze necessary literature or data among various sources of information on individual academic disciplines. （Comprehensive Abilities）・The ability to conduct research proactively by combining knowledge, understanding, and skills for the tasks, based on flexible creativity and imagination.
Class Objectives /Class Outline	[Theme: Japanese Modernity through the Lens of Gender and Sexuality] This course re-examines modern Japanese history from the perspectives of gender and sexuality. “Gender” refers not only to biological sex but also to socially and culturally constructed forms of sex, as well as the academic field that studies such constructions. Questioning gender within society and culture requires historical thinking. Engaging with gender means discussing the social and cultural relationships between men and women. These relationships concern the family and household, as well as sexual life (including prostitution). Thus, gender studies are naturally connected to the study of sexuality. This course explores how these aspects of “sex” have interacted with politics, society and culture throughout history. Covering a long span from the Meiji period to the postwar era and situating Japan within broader East Asian trends, the course reconsiders the overall shape of modern Japanese history in a way distinct from high school–level Japanese history.
Class Schedule	lesson1　Introduction — The significance of viewing modern Japan through gender and sexuality lesson2　Transformations in divorce from the Edo to the Meiji period lesson3　Were Samurai-class Women Weak in the Edo Period? lesson4　Constructing the national mother: Empress Shōken lesson5　The challenges of “civilization” — Gender equality, monogamy, and prostitution lesson6　From the women’s suffrage issue to the Imperial Rescript on Education lesson7　The modern family and sexuality lesson8　The “New Woman,” the Modern Girl (moga), and the “Good Wife, Wise Mother” ideal lesson9　The “Modern Girl” phenomenon in colonial Taiwan and the politicization of fashion lesson10　Shiseido as a company — Strategies and culture of cosmetic production and sales lesson11　The National Defense Women’s Association — Symbol and reality of women’s mobilization on the home front lesson12　The proliferation of the sex industry in the postwar era and the Prostitution Prevention Law lesson13　Transformations in spaces of sexuality — From outdoors to love hotels lesson14　Possibilities for men’s history? — The modern history of facial hair as an example lesson15　From the eugenics movement to new eugenics — The history of sterilization and contemporary prenatal diagnosis / Conclusion A final examination will be administered to the students.
Text/Reference Books,etc.	No textbooks will be used. Handouts will be distributed, and lectures will be based on them. Please refer to the Japanese version of the syllabus for details.
PC or AV used in Class,etc.	Handouts, Visual Materials, moodle
(More Details)
Learning techniques to be incorporated	Quizzes/ Quiz format, Post-class Report
Suggestions on Preparation and Review	Lesson 1: Understand the aims of the course. Lesson 2: Examine how changing divorce practices reflect shifts in gender power relations. Lesson 3: Question the assumption that the Edo period was uniformly male-dominated. Lesson 4: Understanding how women’s authority, different from the Ōoku, was envisioned in the Meiji era. Lesson 5: Learning how Meiji intellectuals engaged with Western views of women. Lesson 6: Understand the logic through which women were excluded from politics during the Meiji period. Lesson 7: Consider how the modern family was compelled to respond to transformations in “sex.” Lesson 8: Understand the similarities and differences among the New Woman, Modern Girl, and Good Wife, Wise Mother ideals. Lesson 9: Consider why Western clothing, kimono, or qipao were preferred in colonial Taiwan. Lesson 10: Understanding how cosmetics were treated from Meiji to Shōwa. Lesson 11: Consider why a women’s organization originating in Osaka gained ten million members. Lesson 12: Learn what led to the abolition of the licensed prostitution system and the Prostitution Prevention Law. Lesson 13: Understanding how spaces for romantic and sexual relationships have transformed over time. Lesson 14: Consider how men’s history can be made engaging. Lesson 15: Consider the similarities and differences between forced sterilization and prenatal diagnosis.
Requirements	No prior study of Japanese or world history in high school or liberal arts education is required for this course.
Grading Method	Final Exam: 80% Minute Papers after Lectures: 20%
Practical Experience
Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it
Message	I will structure the lectures so that they can be understood even without prior knowledge of Japanese or world history. However, reviewing high school textbooks before or after the lectures will further deepen your understanding. Additionally, I recommend checking out any interesting references mentioned in the lectures at the library and reading them.
Other
Please fill in the class improvement questionnaire which is carried out on all classes. Instructors will reflect on your feedback and utilize the information for improving their teaching.

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