Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations

The Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations has a long history. Formally established in 2005 when the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies divided along geographic lines, the Department dates back to the 19th century when Penn was one of the first universities to offer courses in the languages and civilizations of what was then referred to as “the Orient.” That is why the Department was called Oriental Studies until it became Asian and Middle Eastern Studies in 1992.

EALC is a department of interdisciplinary scholars who focus on the humanistic tradition of East Asia, covering both the classical and modern civilizations of China, Japan and Korea. We teach and research the disciplines of history, literary history, linguistics, art history, performance and gender studies, philosophy, religion and ethics. The Department offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in both Chinese and Japanese Studies and is building a parallel program for Korean Studies.

Language is an important part of our program. In addition to Chinese, Japanese and Korean, offered from introductory through advanced levels, we also offer Cantonese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Thai on a regular basis.

School of Arts & Sciences

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  • Publication
    Takeshi Kaikō – 開高健（1930−1989)
    (2016-01-01) Seigle, Cecilia S
    It has been 27 years (as of 2015) since the death of Takeshi Kaikō, Japanese writer, novelist, essayist, journalist, and a recipient of many literary prizes. This essay comprises of correspondence between Kaikō and myself, which lasted for 14 years since I first wrote to him in 1972 from necessity to ask some questions on his novel “Darkness in Summer” (夏の闇), which I was translating. We became good friends. Many years later, his long-time editor and publisher commented that Kaikō evidently told me things that he never told his long-time editors. I told him that was because I was not a woman to Kaikō, just a friend. Kaikō is still an object of research and study among scholars and interested readers. I believe these letters will disclose a side of Takeshi Kaikō that cannot be learned from reading his published work.
  • Publication
    Some Observations on the Weddings of Tokugawa Shogun’s Daughters – Part 2
    (2012-10-01) Seigle, Cecilia S
    This section discusses the complex psychological and philosophical reason for Shogun Yoshimune’s contrasting handlings of his two adopted daughters’ and his favorite son’s weddings. In my thinking, Yoshimune lived up to his philosophical principles by the illogical, puzzling treatment of the three weddings. We can witness the manifestation of his modest and frugal personality inherited from his ancestor Ieyasu, cohabiting with his strong but unconventional sense of obligation and respect for his benefactor Tsunayoshi.
  • Publication
    Some Observations on the Weddings of Tokugawa Shogun’s Daughters – Part 1
    (2012-10-01) Seigle, Cecilia S
    In this study I shall discuss the marriage politics of Japan's early ruling families (mainly from the 6th to the 12th centuries) and the adaptation of these practices to new circumstances by the leaders of the following centuries. Marriage politics culminated with the founder of the Edo bakufu, the first shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616). To show how practices continued to change, I shall discuss the weddings given by the fifth shogun Tsunayoshi (1646-1709) and the eighth shogun Yoshimune (1684-1751). The marriages of Tsunayoshi's natural and adopted daughters reveal his motivations for the adoptions and for his choice of the daughters’ husbands. The marriages of Yoshimune's adopted daughters show how his atypical philosophy of rulership resulted in a break with the earlier Tokugawa marriage politics.
  • Publication
    Gift Exchanges in Edo Castle
    (2012-08-01) Seigle, Cecilia S
    The Japanese love of gift-giving was firmly established during the Edo period, specifically under the fifth shogun Tsunayoshi. This study was done as part of inquiry into the institution of Ooku, and I remark on the significance of gift exchanges as substitute social activities for the women of Ooku.
  • Publication
    30年前のブログ
    (2014-07-01) Seigle, Cecilia S
    I was in Japan for one year (1985-1986) on the research grant of the Japan Foundation while writing my book Yoshiwara and subsequent book Ooku. Recently I found a collection of my brief observations and comments on various aspects of Japanese life. I had come to the United States as a college freshman in 1953, and although I had gone back to Japan for brief visits and research since then, I had not lived there over a couple of months. My comments in 1985-86 are interesting because of the passage of time since then. It is also light-hearted and humorous although points I attempted to make are serious. Since I never published these essays, I would like to publish them with added observations and comments from 2014. Although blogs as such did not exist in 1985-86, I would like to call the essays "Blogs of 30 years ago."
  • Publication
    Review of Thomas T. Allsen, Culture and Conquest in Mongol Eurasia
    (2002-01-01) Atwood, Christopher P.
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    The Art and Architecture of Mongolia
    (2005-01-01) Atwood, Christopher P.