As the second of two introductory level courses for Asian studies majors (it is preceded by ASAN 202, on Southeast and South Asia), this course covers a broad range of disciplines in examining the parts of Asia currently known as Japan, China, Korea (including South and North), and Taiwan. Lectures and reading focus on the various nations sequentially, and include analysis using approaches from the fields and studies of anthropology, sociology, history, literature, religion, politics, and economics. The goal of the course is to give a broad historical introduction to elements of both the humanities and social sciences in this part of the world, and to provide a basis for further study in more advanced and specialized classes.