Summer Class Offers Intro to Japanese Manga, Anime

Washington University will provide a course on Japanese culture titled "Cool Japan + Hot St. Louis" as part of its summer class selection. Christopher Born, Kazue Harada and David Holloway designed the class and will also teach it. The university operates in Clayton, University City and St. Louis City.

The course introduces students to the historical contexts and social implications behind contemporary culture in modern Japan. Students don’t have to speak a word of Japanese to take the three-credit course.

“We’re not teaching ancient sword fighting,” said Born, adjunct professor at Washington University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Rather, the emphasis on this course will be on manga, a form of storytelling resembling that used in comics; anime, a form of animation; and literature. Other course topics will be fashion, film and music. Coursework focuses on contemporary popular culture in Japan.

The course is offered in the fourth summer session, which begins July 18 and continues through Aug. 18. It is open to all ages.

The class will happen from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. daily in Busch Hall.

“'Cool Japan' is the buzz word these days for unique Japanese culture, and it's hot in St. Louis," Born said. "Therefore that’s why we call this course ‘Cool Japan + Hot St. Louis.'"

Harada is working on her dissertation in Japanese studies. Holloway is a graduate of Washington University who now teaches contemporary literature to students there.

Born’s association with Japanese culture has an interesting twist. He grew up in New York City, where he associated with many people from Asian backgrounds. He was involved in Asian studies while working on coursework for his master's and doctorate at Princeton University.

High school students interested in enrollment information should call Becky Zurovec at 314-935-4807 or email her at zurovec@artsci.wustl.edu.College students and adult learners should contact the summer school office at 314-935-6700 or go to the school's website.

Regular tuition is approximately $2,700, but will be slightly less for high school students.