This seminar analyzes the sharp debates that historians have had over the nature of post-1945 Japan. Topics include the effects of the Cold War on US-Japan relations, the debate over Japanese business practices, the quality of Japanese education, the causes of the huge US trade deficit with Japan and the changing roles of Japanese women. Special attention will also be paid to the problems of reading and writing good history. Requirements include participation in class discussions, a book review, a "position paper" and a short research paper on an approved topic. Enrollment limited. Preference to first-year students.
FROST