DePaul Honors Course Highlight: Japanese History

A photo of a woodblock print at the Art Institute of Chicago from Tokugawa era Japan, depicting one of the most famous images of all time: The Great Wave of Kanagawa

       I am a member of the DePaul University Honors Program, and have been since I enrolled as a freshman last year. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Honors Program so far, and I wanted to take some time to share a great example of the great courses that are available. The course that this post is focusing on is called HON102: History of Modern Japan. This course essentially offers a foundational historical background of modern Japan (1800-1950) and all the things that went on during that time. 

       The way that the Honors Program works at DePaul is simple. For a typical student, their classes are split three ways: liberal studies classes, major specific classes, and electives. For students within the Honors Program, their liberal studies classes are swapped out for Honors versions. I have really enjoyed this aspect of my time at DePaul and I think being in Honors classes is a very valuable asset to my education. Typical Honors classes have around 20 students, 30 at most, and are largely discussion based regardless of the topic. This has resulted in an interesting revelation for me as a student. I have found that although my Honors classes are each on a different topic within a wide-ranging set of disciplines, they all feel very similar. I think that this consistency is a great thing and has helped me in the long run to maintain good study habits.  

A Japanese woodblock print from the early 1800s showing samurai and their typical dress. There is also some text talking about them and their responsibilities.
A photo of a woodblock print at the Art Institute of Chicago from Tokugawa era Japan, showing a mixed group of westerners and Japanese citizens as well as many of the cultural influences they brought to the country.

       Looking at the course I am taking during this quarter in particular, focusing on Japanese history, I think it has been one of my favorites so far. I am from the midwest and have had a very traditional American education, and so I do not have much knowledge of other countries in terms of culture or history. Naturally, given the opportunity to learn about a major country like Japan in an environment like a DePaul University Honors course, I was very excited. The class has definitely held up to my expectations and I have learned a lot, especially looking at the different ways that conflicts impacted Japan and comparing those with conflicts that have happened in the United States. Having opportunities like these at DePaul has been something that I did not think about when I applied and enrolled, but have been such a pleasant surprise in my experience as a student.

        One specific thing I wanted to bring up about this class was our trip to the Art Institute of Chicago. At no extra cost or time commitment to us as students, we took one of our class periods and went to the Art Institute together. Our professor, Dr. Kerry Ross, had worked with the curator of all Japanese art at the Art Institute and we had the opportunity to go into their back storage area and get up close with some of the works. We primarily looked at woodblock prints from the early and mid 1800s, something we had talked about in class, and we got to examine them with no glass or other people around. Additionally, we were given a demonstration using materials from this period about the creation of woodblock prints and the process that artisans used in Japan. On this blog post there are a few photos of some of the works we got to look at. This is one of the experiences that I have cherished as a member of the Honors Program, and I am very excited for more experiences like it in the future.

A photo of a woodblock print at the Art Institute of Chicago from Tokugawa era Japan, showing a few different shots of a building in Japan during this period, the design of the building was heavily influenced by western ideas.

       The Honors Program offers a lot of enrichment to your liberal studies education as a DePaul University student, and this class is just one example. There are countless opportunities both within classes and at outside events through the Honors Program that are extremely valuable to take advantage of during your time here. If you are considering DePaul, definitely consider the Honors Program as well!

                                    ~Jeff

Learn more about Honors at DePaul!