Faculty Profile
Alex Bates
Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Literature (2006)
Contact Information
Stern Center for Global Educ Room 009
717.245.1127
Bio
Professor Bates is a specialist in modern Japanese literature and film. In addition to survey courses in these areas, he has taught courses in Japanese youth culture, war in fiction and film, ecocriticism, East Asian film, and cinematic adaptations of Japanese literature. Professor Bates's book on representations of the 1923 earthquake that destroyed Tokyo was published by the University of Michigan, Center for Japanese Studies Press in 2015. His research in this area has continued into other natural disasters in modern Japanese culture, including Japan's 2011 tsunami and nuclear disaster. Other research interests include ecocriticism, urban modernism, and early post-war Japanese literature and film.
Education
- B.A., Brigham Young University, 1998
- M.A., University of Michigan, 2001
- Ph.D., 2006
2018-2019 Academic Year
Fall 2018
JPNS 201 Intermediate Japanese
The aim of this course is the mastery of the basic structure of Japanese language and communicative skills. The student will have an opportunity to get to know more of Japanese culture.
Prerequisite: 102 or permission of the instructor.
JPNS 201 Intermediate Japanese
The aim of this course is the mastery of the basic structure of Japanese language and communicative skills. The student will have an opportunity to get to know more of Japanese culture.
Prerequisite: 102 or permission of the instructor.
EASN 205 War & Memory EASN Lit & Film
Cross-listed with FMST 210-02.
This class examines Japanese and Chinese representations of the war they fought between 1937 and 1945, along with Japanese representations of war with the United States. It explores film and fiction from Japan and China created both during and after the war. We will investigate questions of memory, victimization and responsibility as well as how artists attempted to represent experiences that stretched the boundaries of imagination. Priorities:
FMST 210 War & Memory EASN Lit & Film
Cross-listed with EASN 205-01.
This class examines Japanese and Chinese representations of the war they fought between 1937 and 1945, along with Japanese representations of war with the United States. It explores film and fiction from Japan and China created both during and after the war. We will investigate questions of memory, victimization and responsibility as well as how artists attempted to represent experiences that stretched the boundaries of imagination. Priorities:
JPNS 361 Advanced Japanese II
The emphasis in this course is placed on polishing and refining the students' language skills. Emphasis is placed on covering more sophisticated materials such as newspapers, magazine articles, film and literature.
Prerequisite: 232 or permission of the instructor.
Spring 2019
JPNS 102 Elementary Japanese
These courses establish the basic language skills including listening, speaking, reading and writing. These courses also provide students with a brief overview of Japanese culture.Prerequisite: 101 or permission of instructor
JPNS 102 Elementary Japanese
These courses establish the basic language skills including listening, speaking, reading and writing. These courses also provide students with a brief overview of Japanese culture.Prerequisite: 101 or permission of instructor
JPNS 202 Intermediate Japanese
The aim of this course is the mastery of the basic structure of Japanese language and communicative skills. The student will have an opportunity to get to know more of Japanese culture.
Prerequisite: 201 or permission of the instructor. This course fulfills the language graduation requirement.
