Module manager: Professor Kweku Ampiah
Email: k.ampiah@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
Level 2 Japanese (or equivalent).
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Please note this is an optional module and runs subject to enrolments. If a low number of students choose this module, then the module may not run and you may be asked to choose another module.
By the end of this module, students will:
- Have a greater awareness and understanding of the language and vocabulary of Japanese texts specific to the areas of Japanese Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in a Historical Context;
- Have a high degree of competence in reading Japanese texts relating to Japanese Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in a Historical Context;
- Have a greater understanding of the broader significance of the particular texts studied;
- Have developed their abilities to discuss texts critically in terms of the context in which they were produced.
By the end of the module students will have acquired a wealth of vocabulary and technical words in Japanese relevant to the discourse of Japan's imperial history and post-war foreign policy.
This would make it possible for them to comprehend the basis of Japanese foreign policy in the contemporary world. It would provide them with the ability to conduct archival research in Japanese diplomacy. They would also gain a deeper understanding of the language of Japanese imperialism in the 19th and the first-half of the 20th century.
Reading comprehension skills of documentary Japanese, specific to the areas of Japanese Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in a Historical Context.
The module will be run in student-led seminar-style classes. A variety of contemporary and important texts from the fields of Japanese Diplomacy and Foreign Policy in a Historical Context will be selected.
Given the broadness of the course (encompassing history and contemporary foreign policy issues), the specifics of individual texts will necessarily vary from year to year but will include such themes as 'Imperialism and Asia' and 'The San Francisco Peace Treaty'.
Classes will consist of elements of extensive and intensive reading, followed by discussion and analysis of sections of the texts that are of interest in terms of their use of language and/or contextual relevance.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar | 20 | 1 | 20 |
| Private study hours | 180 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
90 hours preparation for classes
45 hours preparing coursework essay
45 hours preparing for exam
Ongoing monitoring of comprehension, translation, and critical thinking skills in student-led seminars.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 3000 words | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 50 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) (S2) | 2.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 50 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 30/04/2025
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