AQS00401 Regional Geography of the Seto Inland Sea

Hiroshima University Syllabus

Japanese

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

Lecture Code AQS00401 Subject Classification Specialized Education

Subject Name Regional Geography of the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内の地域地理学)

Subject Name
（Katakana）セトウチノチイキチリガク

Subject Name in
English Regional Geography of the Seto Inland Sea

Instructor QU MENG

Instructor
(Katakana) キョ　モウ

Campus Higashi-Hiroshima Semester/Term 2nd-Year, First Semester, 1Term

Days, Periods, and Classrooms (1T) Thur1-2：IAS K204

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

Lecture, discussion, group work.
The class will be conducted face-to-face.

Credits 1.0 Class Hours/Week 2 Language of Instruction E : English

Course Level 2 : Undergraduate Low-Intermediate

Course Area（Area） 23 : Arts and Humanities

Course Area（Discipline） 12 : Geography

Eligible Students

Keywords Seto Inland Sea, Island Studies, Geography SDGs

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 general ability to discover issues based on the ethics in research and subjective intellectual interests, and make planning to solve them.

Integrated Global Studies
（Knowledge and Understanding）
・The knowledge and understanding of the important characteristics and basic theoretical framework of individual academic disciplines.
（Abilities and Skills）
・The ability to collect and analyze necessary literature or data among various sources of information in individual academic disciplines.
（Comprehensive Abilities）
・The ability to think in an interdisciplinary way to discover issues based on ethical research practices and subjective intellectual interests, and propose a plan to solve them.

Class Objectives
/Class Outline This course analyzes the Seto Inland Sea by integrating Island Studies and Relational Geography to examine the dynamic connectivity between island and mainland spaces. Students will explore the region's history, industry, and environmental recovery through a theoretical lens, culminating in a Relational Geography groupwork on insular-urban interactions.

Class Schedule lesson1 Introduction: read the Seto Inland Sea from maps
lesson2 Island studies from global to Japan
lesson3 A cultural transit road: history
lesson4 A region of environmental destruction and recovery
lesson5 A region of contrasts: Islands and urban areas
lesson6 A productive region: industry
lesson7 An attractive region: tourism
lesson8 Conclusions

There will be a presentation and final report. Students will research about industries in the Seto Inland Sea area in a group and present the results in class. Results will also be summarized in a report.

Text/Reference
Books,etc. Recommended Reading: Funck. C./ Cooper, M. (2013): Japanese Tourism
Qu, M., Miyagawa Coulton, T., & Funck, C. (2020). Gaps and Limitations-Contrasting Attitudes to Newcomers and Their Role in a Japanese Island Community. 広島大学総合博物館研究報告, (12), 31-46.
Qu, M., Funck, C., Usui, R., Jang, K., He, Y., & Lew, A. A. (2023). Island studies and socio-economic development policies in East Asia. Island Studies Journal, 18(1).
Nishimoto et.al. (ed.) (2007) 瀬戸内海事典Setonaikai Encyclopedia (For those who read Japanese)

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

(More Details) DVD, PPT, student's PC, maps

Learning techniques to be incorporated Discussions, PBL (Problem-based Learning)/ TBL (Team-based Learning), Post-class Report

Suggestions on
Preparation and
Review For each class, re-read the material from the previous class.
Tasks will be assigned in each class.

Requirements

Grading Method Tasks in class, homework 80 points
Report and presentation 20 points

Practical Experience

Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it

Message Bring a laptop to class

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
Lecture Code	AQS00401	Subject Classification	Specialized Education
Subject Name	Regional Geography of the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内の地域地理学)
Subject Name （Katakana）	セトウチノチイキチリガク
Subject Name in English	Regional Geography of the Seto Inland Sea
Instructor	QU MENG
Instructor (Katakana)	キョ　モウ
Campus	Higashi-Hiroshima	Semester/Term	2nd-Year, First Semester, 1Term
Days, Periods, and Classrooms	(1T) Thur1-2：IAS K204
Lesson Style	Lecture	Lesson Style (More Details)	Face-to-face
Lecture, discussion, group work. The class will be conducted face-to-face.
Credits	1.0	Class Hours/Week	2	Language of Instruction	E : English
Course Level	2 : Undergraduate Low-Intermediate
Course Area（Area）	23 : Arts and Humanities
Course Area（Discipline）	12 : Geography
Eligible Students
Keywords	Seto Inland Sea, Island Studies, Geography SDGs
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 general ability to discover issues based on the ethics in research and subjective intellectual interests, and make planning to solve them. Integrated Global Studies （Knowledge and Understanding）・The knowledge and understanding of the important characteristics and basic theoretical framework of individual academic disciplines. （Abilities and Skills）・The ability to collect and analyze necessary literature or data among various sources of information in individual academic disciplines. （Comprehensive Abilities）・The ability to think in an interdisciplinary way to discover issues based on ethical research practices and subjective intellectual interests, and propose a plan to solve them.
Class Objectives /Class Outline	This course analyzes the Seto Inland Sea by integrating Island Studies and Relational Geography to examine the dynamic connectivity between island and mainland spaces. Students will explore the region's history, industry, and environmental recovery through a theoretical lens, culminating in a Relational Geography groupwork on insular-urban interactions.
Class Schedule	lesson1 Introduction: read the Seto Inland Sea from maps lesson2 Island studies from global to Japan lesson3 A cultural transit road: history lesson4 A region of environmental destruction and recovery lesson5 A region of contrasts: Islands and urban areas lesson6 A productive region: industry lesson7 An attractive region: tourism lesson8 Conclusions There will be a presentation and final report. Students will research about industries in the Seto Inland Sea area in a group and present the results in class. Results will also be summarized in a report.
Text/Reference Books,etc.	Recommended Reading: Funck. C./ Cooper, M. (2013): Japanese Tourism Qu, M., Miyagawa Coulton, T., & Funck, C. (2020). Gaps and Limitations-Contrasting Attitudes to Newcomers and Their Role in a Japanese Island Community. 広島大学総合博物館研究報告, (12), 31-46. Qu, M., Funck, C., Usui, R., Jang, K., He, Y., & Lew, A. A. (2023). Island studies and socio-economic development policies in East Asia. Island Studies Journal, 18(1). Nishimoto et.al. (ed.) (2007) 瀬戸内海事典Setonaikai Encyclopedia (For those who read Japanese)
PC or AV used in Class,etc.	Handouts, Visual Materials, Microsoft Teams, moodle
(More Details)	DVD, PPT, student's PC, maps
Learning techniques to be incorporated	Discussions, PBL (Problem-based Learning)/ TBL (Team-based Learning), Post-class Report
Suggestions on Preparation and Review	For each class, re-read the material from the previous class. Tasks will be assigned in each class.
Requirements
Grading Method	Tasks in class, homework 80 points Report and presentation 20 points
Practical Experience
Summary of Practical Experience and Class Contents based on it
Message	Bring a laptop to class
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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