JAPA 340: Topics in Japanese Literature

JAPA 340-DL1: Japanese Tales of SuprNatural
(Fall 2026)

Online

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Section Information for Fall 2026

Myth, Yōkai, Ghosts, and Modern Transformations

This course explores Japanese supernatural narratives from ancient myths and medieval tales to modern literature and popular culture. Through close readings of myths, legends, ghost stories, yōkai traditions, horror fiction, and contemporary retellings, students will examine how supernatural beings and experiences reflect changing ideas about identity, society, memory, and the boundaries between human and nonhuman worlds.

Beginning with foundational texts such as the Kojiki (712 CE) and medieval collections including the Konjaku Monogatari-shū and Uji Shūi Monogatari, the course traces the development and transformation of supernatural storytelling across Japanese history. Readings include early ghost stories and legends, Edo-period works such as Yotsuya Kaidan, modern literature by writers such as Osamu Dazai, and contemporary fiction by authors such as Haruki Murakami and Yukiko Motoya, alongside influential works of J-horror.

Special attention is given to the persistence and transformation of traditional motifs—including spirits, yōkai, supernatural transformations, and encounters with the unknown—in contemporary literature and popular culture, including anime and video games. By comparing texts across historical periods and media, students will consider why supernatural narratives continue to be created, adapted, and reinterpreted, and what these stories reveal about Japanese culture and changing understandings of the human and the nonhuman.

*This course is part of the Mason Core curriculum and fulfills requirements for Literature.

This is an online asynchronous section.

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Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Study of selected topics in Japanese literature in English translation. Content varies. Notes: May be repeated when topic is different with permission of department. Offered by Modern & Classical Languages. May be repeated within the degree for a maximum 6 credits.
Mason Core: Mason Core, Literature
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies, Non-Western Culture
Recommended Prerequisite: ENGH 101 or equivalent, or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.