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AnonymousRegarding the social concerns, I guess I was surprised that equity in the workforce seemed to be a struggle for women all over the world. The article says that "women's career choices were limited" because most people thought they'd retire when they got married or turned 30. There were court battles too! One professor wrote about how her neighbors looked down on her and blamed her son's illnesses on her being away from work. There are some very "traditional" views on roles and responsibilities in the family! I wonder, though, how different people feel about family roles since they seem to be changing ...
AnonymousSession 5
Since I am not a history teacher, reading about World War II was a good review for me. I also feel that I was given the Western version or perspective of what happened and it is interesting to read about it from a different viewpoint. Japan seemed to take a stance stemming from a superiority position. They opposed capitalism and also believed that liberalism expressed in hedonistic urban culture compromised the politicians. Japan opposed capitalism and feared universal socialism. In reading these accounts and beliefs of the Japanese, I am astounded at the piety and superior attitudes that ultimately led to World War II. In all of Japan’s ideals, they seemed to excuse the abuse of women and forcing them into prostitution and sexual slavery. They were responsible for the raping and pillaging of Nanjing at the request and encouragement of their commanding officers. Japan forced the Koreans to assimilate and were told that they were also children of the Emperor and made to worship at the shrines, but were not trusted to fight in the war. This part of World War II history is not what I remember learning about. If teachers could bring in the human element, students would be able to connect better and understand what was happening on a greater level. Hearing about what people went through, even the “enemy”, helps us to understand why these things have happened and how to prevent them from happening again.
AnonymousSession 5
Japan’s Decision for War with the United States
Reading about Japan’s decision to go to war with The United States brought me a greater understanding of why it all had to happen. The United States was fair in wanting Japan to give back all of the land they acquired from invading other countries and taking what was not theirs. I also understand the stance Japan took in defending their decisions and past actions. They felt the United States would not compromise with them and demanded their previous requests, in addition to a few more. After Japan suffered defeats in the central Pacific, the government under Hideki fell. Japan’s surrender acknowledged the importance of common prosperity and happiness for all nations. There was also the desire of self-preservation and stabilization of East Asia. The bomb that the United States painstakingly decided to drop, played a big part in the decision to surrender. Never before had a country experienced the devastation and destruction of a nuclear bomb. Japan agreed to all of the provisions to save the Japanese race and moreover, human civilization.
AnonymousEvery morning when my students come into class, the first thing they do is grab their journals and begin to write. Just as Nakane did, they freely write about their day, or anything they wish to write about. It occurred to me as I was reading that I could take a few minutes each day during this time to read an entry or a page from Nakane's diary. I don't like to influence their writing, because I believe they need to be able to have free space to express themselves, without fear of anyone reading or critiquing it. However, if they write first and then I read an excerpt, I could have them do a quick write or have a discussion with a neighbor about how Nakane's life is similar to or different from their own.
It could also be fun to create a timeline on the wall, plotting the dates and events from Nakane's diary.
A culminating activity when we finish her diary would be to create a project, art, writing, etc., that illustrates something noteworthy that they took away from reading her diary, or perhaps exploring what they might do, or how they might behave if they were placed in a similar situation. (At the beginning of the Chronicles of Narnia, we find the same situation; children are being sent away to escape from war.)
One thing I found interesting was that Nakane expressed that she was excited about this prospect of leaving her family and going away. (Sentence starter... How would you feel if you had to be sent away from your family because of war?)
AnonymousThe Japanese government was in deficit (in debts owed to merchants and Westerners) and needed to be competitive in EuroAmerican politics. The Japanese felt that if they did not industrialize they would not survive in the age of Euro American imperialism. In 1877, Japan was beginning to industrialize but needed to increase production to catch up to Western Mills in the cotton industry. Mastukata Masayoshi (1835 – 1924) – Finance Minister who studied with the finance minister of France rescued Japan from its economic distress. He adopted the European Banking System, had the government sell its model factories and began deflationary policies. By 1896 that Japan began to export cotton.
The Japanese had several economies that prospered as a result. The heavy industrial economy supplied 7.9-9.9% of work force. 6.6-8.3% of the work force came from manufacturing (bicycles, furniture, food products (tofu), restaurants, etc.). Japan’s Agricultural Economy supplied 47.4% of the workforce followed by fishing, mining, trade, etc., which supplied 36.4% of the workforce.
This prosperity from industrialization lasted until World War I had a great impact on the economy causing the financial crisis of 1927 (among a few other factors).
edited by rcharles on 1/21/2017
AnonymousDr. Yamashita has providing me with many things to think about as I develop my lessons. One is thinking about how history is remembered and how important this is in terms of international relations. It is interesting that following the holocaust Germany has made large steps in trying to heal the wounds that were caused. The Japanese atrocities on mainland China are remembered much differently. The Chinese believe that these events should never be forgotten and are still wary of possible Japanese aggression. Forgiveness is not something that is evident in Chinese-Japanese relations.
AnonymousThis weeks reading gave a lot of primary and secondary sources to review Japanese History.
Just some ideas:
AnonymousAlthough it is now May, 2017, I am just beginning to share the diary entries of Nakane Mihoko with my third grade class from the Fall session. My students have been writing journal entries almost every day since the first day of school. We talked about how Nakane's diary entries differed from what they were writing about, and how her journal had become a historical record. After reading ten of Nakane's diary entries, I challenged them to get out their own journals and write about some significant things that have happened to them today that they may want to remember in the future. We talked about how Nakane seems to have been happy when she left her family to go to Fukumitsu. Perhaps she just saw it as an extended field trip. We talked about why she had to move because of the bombing of Tokyo, and what it meant to go to the "front." We will continue to read the rest of the diary entries that I am in possession of, and I will write more later about what we did with this project.
