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This course introduces students to the fundamental grammatical forms of Classical Japanese (kobun), also known as Literary Japanese (bungo). Prior to the standardization of modern Japanese, bungo served as the official written form of the language from the Heian period through the mid-twentieth century and continues to influence contemporary Japanese poetry, as well as legal and business language. Students will gain an understanding of the historical development of Japanese across different periods while learning to distinguish the nuances of particles and to conjugate verbs. We will systematically study the core components of Classical Japanese using textbooks, excerpts from canonical texts, and supplementary materials. Grammar is taught through contextualized examples drawn from Japanese literary classics, while also reinforcing knowledge of modern Japanese. Students will practice translating short passages into English. (ASIAN-LL)

This class is intended to build proficiency in reading a variety of classical Japanese written styles, focusing on texts from the Heian until the early Meiji period. Emphasis is given to texts written in classical Japanese (kobun or bungo). The last quarter of the course will include a brief introduction to kanbun kundoku, or a collection of techniques for reading and writing texts composed in Chinese. We will also practice reading texts composed in hentaigana (variant kana) and kuzushiji (calligraphic writing), which will introduce students to the wahon (native books) literacy movement. Each year, we will study texts organized under a different theme. (LL)

This course introduces students to the fundamental grammatical forms of Classical Japanese (kobun), also known as Literary Japanese (bungo). Prior to the standardization of modern Japanese, bungo served as the official written form of the language from the Heian period through the mid-twentieth century and continues to influence contemporary Japanese poetry, as well as legal and business language. Students will gain an understanding of the historical development of Japanese across different periods while learning to distinguish the nuances of particles and to conjugate verbs. We will systematically study the core components of Classical Japanese using textbooks, excerpts from canonical texts, and supplementary materials. Grammar is taught through contextualized examples drawn from Japanese literary classics, while also reinforcing knowledge of modern Japanese. Students will practice translating short passages into English. (ASIAN-LL)

This class is intended to build proficiency in reading a variety of classical Japanese written styles, focusing on texts from the Heian until the early Meiji period. Emphasis is given to texts written in classical Japanese (kobun or bungo). The last quarter of the course will include a brief introduction to kanbun kundoku, or a collection of techniques for reading and writing texts composed in Chinese. We will also practice reading texts composed in hentaigana (variant kana) and kuzushiji (calligraphic writing), which will introduce students to the wahon (native books) literacy movement. Each year, we will study texts organized under a different theme. (LL)

Students choose a faculty member to oversee this independent study. The student and the faculty member work together to develop class readings. (ASIAN-LL)

Guided independent study for graduate students. (ASIAN-LL)

Guided independent study for graduate students. (ASIAN-LL)