This course examines the culture of the Edo period (1600-1868), a time when Japan was largely closed to the outside world, but when economic growth, urbanization, the rise of commercial publishing and the establishment of theaters combined to create one of the most vibrant, innovative periods in Japanese literary and cultural history. We will consider cultural output as a means of both upholding and subverting traditional values, focusing particularly on representations of love, sex, and gender in the "floating world" of the pleasure quarters, images of samurai honor, stories of ghosts and the supernatural, and nascent ideas about national identity. When relevant, we will also consider images of early modern Japan in modern literature and film. Readings will be in English translation. Prerequisites: Previous exposure to Japanese literature or history is helpful but not required.