JAPN 350 Tales of the Supernatural

In this course, the student will study various tales of the supernatural, including folk tales, myths, and ghost stories created in the ancient, through early modern periods, both aurally (from CD) and in writing. All the kanji in the text are presented with furigana attached so that a substantial quantity of reading may be accomplished time-efficiently. While reading and interpreting the text, the student will attempt creative writing of his/her original stories following the specific narrative styles. The student will also be introduced to the rakugo, humorous story-telling, performed in the traditional Japanese variety theater called yose.