What makes a good story and how do you tell it? This class will examine the close relationship of artistic and literary productions in Japan from the Heian Period to the present day, considering the ways that stories are imagined in different media, genres, and social contexts. We will consider the significant differences between visual and textual narrative through focused readings of primary and secondary texts and narrative theory. Emphasis will be placed on developing critical reading and looking skills through a series of hands-on exercises designed to illuminate the process and significance of creating, viewing, and transmitting the stories that have moved people in Japan up to contemporary times.