This course is a broad introduction to major topics and significant themes in East Asian history with a primary focus on places we now call China and Japan. Significantly, we will explore the history of both from a comparative perspective that stresses the impact and influence of each society on the other in an effort to transcend the intellectual limitations imposed by the political boundaries of the nation-state. In doing so, we will interrogate problems of historical knowledge and representation relevant to anyone possessing a sincere desire to develop a contemplative and compassionate understanding of our shared human past.