Seminar on Humanities(History and Politics)Introduction 2

Academic unit or major

Humanities and social science courses

Instructor(s)

Isami Sawai

Class Format

Exercise

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

Class

-

Course Code

LAH.H165

Number of credits

020

Course offered

2025

Offered quarter

3-4Q

Syllabus updated

Mar 19, 2025

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

This seminar emphasizes extensive reading and discussion in Japanese. While this approach may be rare at this university, it is a well-established style in humanities and social sciences programs at other universities.

Each week (or biweekly, depending on the schedule), participants will read one book, write a one-page A4 paper, and bring their papers to the seminar for discussion. The assigned readings will generally be pocket-sized books (Shinsho or Bunko). (For the reading list, please refer to the “Reference books, course materials, etc.” section.)

Participants need to upload their papers by 2:00 PM on the day of the seminar. They can review the other participants’papers in advance. During the seminar, several papers will be selected for discussion, and all students are expected to share their opinions and questions, engaging in interactive and multi-directional debates.

The participants themselves will shape the discussion, while the instructor will primarily serve as a moderator. When necessary, the instructor may provide their own insights or offer guiding perspectives.

As a change of pace, guest lectures by practitioners from fields such as politics, government, NGOs, and the media, may be held. Additionally, we may organize activities that are common in humanities and social science seminars at other universities, such as hands-on experiences at the National Diet Library, visits to historical museums and archives, or bookstore tours in Tokyo. (These activities will be arranged flexibly based on participants’ interests. They will be optional.)

This seminar is scheduled to be held on Mondays during periods 7-8 or 9-10 (depending on the participants' requests). This is not an intensive course. The first session (April 7) will be a guidance session held in Room 910, West Building 9, at 5:15 PM. Those who are unable to attend can contact the instructor individually via email.

Who Should Join This Seminar? (Examples)
• Those who want to develop a reading habit as university students.
• Those who wish to refine their writing and speaking skills to express their ideas accurately.
• Those interested in history and politics but feel uneasy about relying solely on information from social media or Wikipedia.
• Those seeking a compass to navigate an era rife with conspiracy theories and fake news.
• Those who want to gain a fundamental understanding of history and politics as they prepare to become voters or working professionals.
• Those who aspire to work globally and wish to deepen their knowledge of Japan and the world.
• Those who love reading / Those who love debating/ Those who felt unsatisfactory with the Tokyo Tech Visionary Project
• History enthusiasts, political enthusiasts, military enthusiasts, geography enthusiasts, railway enthusiasts, etc.
• Supporters of any political party/ Non-partisan individuals/ Left-wing, liberal, centrist, conservative, right-wing individuals, etc.
• Those who want to learn how to research historical contexts as a foundation for creating an AI Itō Hirobumi
• Those interested in careers in the humanities, politics, government, NGOs, or media
• Those who aspire to become a prime minister, a revolutionary, or a refined idler.
• Those who feel they enrolled in the wrong university/ Those who want to study humanities and social sciences/ Those who aim to become researchers in history or political studies.

Who Should Not Join This Seminar?
• Those who simply want an easy way to earn credits
• Those who lack intellectual integrity or engage in discrimination and slander

Course description and aims

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Develop a habit of reading.
2. Acquire critical thinking skills through text analysis.
3. Gain writing and speaking skills that enable them to articulate their ideas clearly.
4. Distinguish between personality and opinion, and develop discussion skills that focus on the latter while being mindful of the former.

Keywords

History, Politics, Critical thinking, Discussion, Academic writing

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

As explained in the course description and aims

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

Nothing in particular. For the assigned readings, please refer to "Reference books, course materials, etc.”

Reference books, course materials, etc.

The assigned readings will be selected flexibly based on participants’ interests.
Below are examples of potential readings (not all will be covered). Other books may also be assigned.

・清水唯一朗『原敬』中公新書、2021年
・一ノ瀬俊也『東條英機』文春新書、2020年
・村井良太『佐藤栄作』中公新書、2019年
・原武史『象徴天皇の実像』岩波新書、2024年
・吉田裕『日本軍兵士』中公新書、2017年／『続・日本軍兵士』中公新書、2025年
・櫻澤誠『沖縄現代史』中公新書、2015年
・川端美季『風呂と愛国』NHK出版新書、2024年
・上村剛『アメリカ革命』中公新書、2024年
・鶴見太郎『ユダヤ人の歴史』中公新書、2025年
・西村晋『中国共産党 世界最強の組織』星海社新書、2022年
・家永真幸『台湾のアイデンティティ』文春新書、2023年
・高野秀行『謎の独立国家ソマリランド』集英社文庫、2017年
・筒井清輝『人権と国家』岩波新書、2022年
・岡野八代『ケアの倫理』岩波新書、2024年
・南川文里『アファーマティブ・アクション』中公新書、2024年
・梶原麻衣子『「“右翼”雑誌」の舞台裏』星海社新書、2024年
・木澤佐登志『闇の精神史』ハヤカワ新書、2023年
・ジョージ・オーウェル『動物農場［新訳版］』ハヤカワepi文庫、2017年
・シュテファン・ツワイク『ジョゼフ・フーシェ』岩波文庫、1979年
・カール・シュミット『政治的なものの概念』岩波文庫、2022年
・マックス・ウェーバー『職業としての政治』岩波文庫、2020年／『職業としての学問』岩波文庫、1980年

Evaluation methods and criteria

Paper Submission: 50%　　Participation into the discussion: 50%

Related courses

• LAH.H105 ： History A
• LAH.H205 ： History B
• LAH.H305 ： History C
• LAH.S414 ： Essence of Humanities and Social Sciences14:History

Prerequisites

Native or near-native level of Japanese

Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).

sawai.i.1085[at]m.isct.ac.jp

Office hours

Students can contact the lecturer in advance