I can't comment on Professor Duthie's ability as a professor since I stopped going to class the latter half of the quarter, and when I did go, all I did was sleep or do homework, but as a GE class, this class was fairly easy.

The grading scheme was 30% class participation, which was split into 15% for discussion responses that are due each week before section, and 15% participation. Participation is actually taken very seriously, as Duthie has a point system for it (but my TA never really showed any effort at taking down names for participation points, so it could have been just my section).

Then there's a 35% midterm and a 35% final. The final and the midterm were the exact same format. There was a short answer part, which was 5 questions that you answer with ~10 sentences, with topics that range from describing a certain time period, or describing important historical events. He has you choose from 3 "categories" and you pick 1-2 questions from each category. Then there was 15 "identities", of which you choose 10 and identify them in a few sentences (3-4). Then there was the primary text identification, where he puts a paragraph from the primary text you read for discussion, and you identify it with the name, author, date, and what its about. He gives a study guide of sorts telling you the format of the test and what can be on it.

As said before, it is completely unnecessary to go to lecture. Reading the textbook/primary texts will give you all of the information to do well on the exams. My class never got a writing assignment as mentioned in earlier posts, so maybe Duthie will change it around a bit next time.

All in all, as long as you don't mind reading alot and exams consisting entirely of writing, then take this class with Duthie.

Great teacher, easy class...
Honestly, lectures and reading the book is not necessary at all, but his lectures are interesting. At first I did all the readings, but after the midterm I realized I didn't have to. You do have to, however, read the outside readings. I got 100% on both my midterm and final. All you have to do is study the exam guides he provides you two days before the test. SERIOUSLY, EVERYTHING ON THE STUDY GUIDE IS ON THE EXAMS VERBATIM. There's only one writing assignment, but he reveals that it is only a grade booster and that everyone who does it receives an A. Discussions are the only mandatory component to this class and remember to participate a lot, because it's 20% of your grade. Overall great class and is very interesting, especially if you are interested in the Japanese culture.

Test Format:
-First section: Five short paragraphs on anything from cultural development to dynasty description
-Second section: Define 10 out of 15 terms/keywords
-Third section: Give/Identify the author, date, title, and short description of the outside readings.

As a GE course, I'd say this is the easiest I've taken with the exception of Korea 50 with Duncan. I took this course as my first GE two years ago in my first quarter and the class was fairly interesting for the most part. Just read the material he gives, participate in discussion, and do well on the assigned weekly essays, and you'll do well. Exams are not hard if you read the textbook, it's not that hard to review for it.

Awesome professor, awesome class.

Duthie is a good lecturer that is passionate about teaching. He supplements the lectures with videos and pictures. He gives powerpoint slides that are NOT posted online, so you need to attend lecture to do well on the tests. Sometimes he goes too fast so you need to take pictures of the slides. He'll occasionally say "this will be on the test", and he's telling the truth- so take note of that and make sure you memorize that topic.

I read all of the textbook chapters and I don't think it helped me very much.

Workload is 2 longish (~15-20 page) readings per week and 1-2 textbook chapters each week. The readings are actually pretty interesting, so they're not that hard to read. Then you have to write a 300-500 word response to the readings.

The tests are just a series of short essays, some identification questions, and excerpts from the readings that you have to identify. Not hard if you memorize the lecture notes.

The only word to describe this class is subjective. Your TA grades virtually everything, and my TA was a pretty hard grader, taking off points here and there for no reason. A couple kids went to go ask for points back and the TA realized their mistakes, but the system can really be in or out of your favor. The grading is not objective at all, and even if you deserve a 100 you can get a B because the TA doesn't like how you described things. On the other hand, it was clear that other TAs were much more lenient, and other sections got easier As. The class was interesting but the grading system is completely subjective and does not necessarily award hard work and comprehension of the course material (but hey it could be in your favor too).

I would say take another class unless you want to risk the chance here of getting a bad TA.

I went to every lecture of this class and I love it.
The professor's voice is not loud so I often sit in the front rows. Make sure you have a nice TA because for different discussion section the score and the criteria for the weekly discussion post is a little bit different. There are weekly response essay, two midterms and one final. The midterms are not hard as long as you can memorize the materials in class and the readings assigned. It is a old-school history class and would make you clear about most of the big pictures of Japanese history.
Overall the class is not hard , but make sure you put effort in it. If you attend class and finish all the reading and memorize most of the materials, you will be fine with the exams.

This class was a great GE. The lectures were generally very interesting and Duthie is quite engaging. If you make notes of the key points from each of his lectures and from each period, the midterm and final should be fine. His past papers are a good representation of what you'll get on the final and midterm.

Each week you have one paragraph to write on readings which aren't too hard.

Reading the textbook is useful for getting a good understanding of each period and for studying but it is quite expensive and very hard to find pdf version. If you need one however, contact 310-913-6851 for cheaper price.

I would highly recommend this class for the literature/culture GE. The professor is very clear and engaging. He often incorporates visuals and interesting videos into the lectures and is pretty funny.

The midterm and final are very straightforward. They are mostly memorization of the information presented in the class, with some light analysis. Old tests are available in the test bank and the format and material covered is mostly the same.

Discussion involved reading a work from the time period then writing a short response. Some of the readings were long and boring but they were mostly ok/good. To me, these were helpful for remembering the cultural aspects of the different time periods.

Overall, 10/10 would recommend.

Japan 50 is an excellent class to take as a GE and also if you're interested in Japan in general. The professor is very approachable and organizes his lectures very well. He includes videos in lecture, so it's not just him talking the whole time. The workload is very manageable, with just a couple readings and a short 500 word written response a week. Discussion sections are mostly spent going over the weekly assigned readings and responses, and attendance is mandatory. The exams were mostly memorization and were not too difficult--there weren't any twists or surprises. I ended up taking an upper division Japanese poetry course with Professor Duthie because I liked his class and teaching style. I'd definitely recommend him for J50 and other courses as well!

This class was very interesting and I'm really glad I took it. Professor Duthie is awesome and since he translates all of the readings for the class himself, you're able to really get perspective behind the actual meaning of the works.

When I took the class, we had weekly assigned readings which we had to write 700-1000 word essays on. The class was a weekly three hour seminar in which we discussed the readings and each person in the class had to present on a reading once during the quarter (very casual presentation). Participation is very, very important, so you need to come to class prepared and ready to discuss the readings. The final was an 8-10 page paper on a topic of your choice.

I would recommend this class for Japanese majors, minors, and other Asian humanities majors/minors. It is helpful if you have some general knowledge of Japanese history or have taken Duthie's Japan 50 course (he referenced it a lot in class).