Asian History and Culture

Historians observe frequent exchanges and communication between China and Japan during the early history of East Asia. Some scholars argue that Japan was heavily influenced by Chinese culture, but others believe that Japan developed its own unique culture and identity. Based on your readings of the documents assigned to this class, what is your opinion of the characteristics of Japans early history? You can consider this question through the perspectives of ideologies, political structures or other topics.

EXAMPLE FOR REFERENCES:
Footnote your quotations and your use of information or ideas derived from any other writer. Your first citation to a source should provide the author’s full name; the full title of his or her work; and (for published books and articles) the place and date of publication; and the specific page or pages. In subsequent citations of that source you need use only the author’s last name, a brief version of his title, and the page number.
NOTE: please locate your footnote number at the end of a sentence, not in the middle.

Examples:
This is the full citation form for a chapter from a book:
“Confucian Teachings,” in Chinese Civilization: A Source Book, ed. Patricia Ebrey (New York: The Free Press, 1993), 18.
This is the full citation form for a book:
Warren Cohen, East Asia at the Center (Columbia University Press, 2000), 3.
This is the full citation for an essay or article or short story:
Lu Hsun, Medicine, in Selected Stories of Lu Hsun (New York: W.W. Norton, 2003), 30.