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AnonymousI was under the impression that women were considered as second class citizens in Asia. I have noticed that there are historical accounts that suggest otherwise. During our sessions and our readings I continue to hear/read about women in leadership roles. Under Accounts of the Eastern Barbarians the story of Pimiko begins by stating that the people agreed to have a woman as their ruler. During our sixth session an aristocratic woman named Sei Shonagol was mentioned. She was described as a very influential and powerful woman. I'm looking forward to our upcoming session on the women of modern China.
AnonymousI was very impressed by yesterday’s seminar, what interested me the most were the imperial tombs and their grandiosity. I went on to do some research about this subject and I found an interesting article by National Geographic on when these royal tombs were first open to scholars for study. Here is a link to it : http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/04/080428-ancient-tomb.html
Regardless of the governments permission to access the tombs, archeologist were not allowed to excavate any of the burial sites. According to experts, the possible reason for officials not to give complete access was due to a fear of uncovering blood ties between Japanese imperial line and the Asia mainland as mentioned also by Professor Yamashita.
I’ve been thinking of how I can use this information in my classroom and came up with some ideas; one of them being a comparison of these royal burial sites to the Mayan and Olmec pyramid ruins in Palenque and Oaxaca, México. They can research the constructions of these structures, who were the persons buried in there and their importance; why were those sites chosen and their possible significance, and what objects or artifacts have been found in the area and their usage. I will stress on the importance of pottery as this was the first synthetic material ever created by humans.
edited by iverdin on 4/5/2016
edited by iverdin on 4/5/2016
AnonymousIn Professor Yamashita’s lecture, I found his discussion on the Jomon and Yayoi very fascinating. Since I teach early humans to my sixth graders, his discussion on how they were hunter gatherers, practiced slash and burn agriculture, and their overall living structures were ideas I could share with my students on how early humans lived. I could do a possible Venn Diagram to compare and contrast how early humans and hominids lived compared to these two different time periods (Yayoi and Jomon people). I also appreciated the different artifact images he showed which would be a great hook activity for students to examine and make inferences on how these people would live to get them invested into learning about these time periods.
I also found it interesting how Professor said that the Yayoi people had evidence of queen and female rulers, and that archaeologists can infer that they probably had a matriarchal society. This would be such an interesting fact and idea to share with the students, since many of the ancient societies were ruled by men. Thanks to mvelarde for pointing out these ideas in the readings as well, I will make sure to look out for them.
AnonymousLike iverdin, I was also fascinated by the Professor's discussion on the ancient tombs, specifically Emperor Nintoki’s Tomb. Thank you for sharing the national geographic article to get more background information on them, definitely a handy resource for us and our students. I also did more research on the tombs, and found this article that gives more context into their background and how they were created:
When he first started talking about these tombs and he commented on how some needed an aerial view to be seen, I immediately thought about the Nazca Lines in Peru, and how those also need an aerial and have a mystic history behind them in terms of their creation. I will be visiting Japan this summer, so definitely want to check out the museum and find out more information about them from locals there. It would be an interesting lesson to have students explore these different historical mysteries and come up with ideas on how they came about just like the Professor had us do in class with the purpose and creation of the tombs. Ultimately, it would also be cool to have students create model representation of these different tombs and have them write up a report on the history behind the tomb and then present it to their peers.
edited by jenniferlopez on 4/5/2016
AnonymousProfessor Yamashita's lecture was amazing. I learned how Japanese islands can be separated into the northern islands that have more of a Ural Altaic linguistic history whereas the Southern Islands have more of a Malay-Polynesian linguistic history. Other things also differentiate the northern islands versus the southern islands, residents of the northern islands have loops as their fingertips and are mostly blood type B, and the southern Japanese islanders have whirls as their fingertips and have major blood type A. These differences imply that both the north and south developed in distinct ways and have a very different linguistic traditions, which might also have driven distinct cultural practices and beliefs.
Professor Yamashita highlighted this idea by pointing out that South Pacific Japanese islanders had more of Horizontal Cosmology where what separated gods and humans is water whereas the north has a type of Vertical Cosmology where gods and humans are separated by the sky/the heavens. This made me think about the environmental differences between the north and the south. The south was very much influenced by the Pacific Ocean to the south that brought new people who carried knowledge and ideas that came to be assimilated within the Japanese culture. Whereas the north was heavily influenced by countries of the north west. To an outsider, these differences are very subtle but I guess the importance lies in noticing these nuances that facilitate the study of Japanese development.
AnonymousIn this week's readings, specifically the chapter on "Classical and Warrior Japan 4," it was interesting to learn more about the importance of tea, and how it was used to promote good health. I would love to have students read this passage and engage with their traditions of tea in their family if they have any, and maybe even have students drink tea in class to set the mood. 
I also appreciated how the chapter mentioned how India and China highly value tea. Since I teach sixth grade history, I would definitely make this connection with the students so they can build their cross-unit connection knowledge.
I also found it interesting this chapter's discussion on the "harmonious functioning of the five organs" and how the different organs are connected to different colors, elements, seasons and directions. I'm wondering if those that teach science could connect these historical ideas when they teach the anatomy or different organs of the body to have the students analyze these ideas through a different lens.
AnonymousDue to an absence, I attended the Thursday lecture of Michael Schuman called Confucius and the World He Created. One of my goals in signing up for the USC US-China Institute was to better understand Asian culture and the differences in culture between countries. Fundamentally China is built on Confucianist ideals; similar to the Christian values that have inculcated the United States government, economics, and cultural values. Mr. Schuman made the point that to understand China - to do business there, to understand their economic and political policies, one must understand Confucianism particularly filial piety. The father is in fact the leader of the family making decisions, controlling finances. Similarly the leader of a company makes decisions for the direction the business will go. But with that authority comes responsibility in the way some American families and businesses don't always do so. One note of interest is that after the financial collapse of 2008 many American companies laid off workers; they didn't in China. This was in part due to an obligation to care for workers although it made business sense in that eventually corporations knew they would have to rehire and by keeping workers on-board, they didn't have to pay to seek and train employees. My objection to Confucianism has always been the fear of stifling creativity and independent thinking. I can't align my American values of independence with the Confucianist ideal of filial piety. Schuman's discussion made the point that if you play your role well (whether it be as a leader or someone who carries out those plans), all will prosper and there will be order which is a Confucianist ideal I do value. Schuman also asked what Confucius would think about China today? Again, I see a relationship between how we discuss Jesus in American culture. What would Jesus think of American society if he were to visit today?
AnonymousProfessor Yamashita began with what he called the "Puzzle of Japanese Origins" to prove that Japanese are not a pure race. He further used pre-historical evidence that included blood type, linguistic, and fingerprint patterns. The reading Sources of Japanese Tradition offers the connection between the birth of the Japanese in the Chinese dynasties with the migration of islanders from the South Pacific. Professor Yamashita then discussed the Shinto religion which is considered the indigenous religion of Japan. The Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, is interned at Ise Shrine. The second chapter of Sources of Japanese Tradition is a short read regarding the creation of the Sun Goddess in Japanese mythology. Regarding the continuance of early Japan, the readings move towards Prince Shotoku and the reign of this family to create a legal code and the "Chinese system" of governing. This would be an excellent source in the classroom to compare and contrast the early Chinese methods of ruling and the Japanese methods (influenced by China).
AnonymousDuring session 6, I found the Jomon and Yayoi periods very interesting. What engaged my attention was that the inhabitants of the Japanese islands were gatherers and hunters. It made me appreciate and understand the beauty of agriculture, and how at times, many of us take it for granted. I learned that this was a crucial time in Japan whereas the social class started to evolve and the power amongst land owners started to develop.
AnonymousI appreciate the lecture presented on April 4, there was so much truth, sadness and inequality that was expressed through the implementation of a rule that has in another way begun to further negativity impact and pigeonhole women into this idea that they are not good enough. The idea that a system designed to balance a population. that leads itself to female children, then after years of imbalance leaves men in a position where they are out numbered by there best options, doesn't in anyway make the women left over.
This is very much as societal as it it cultural, and having watched how abused and battered women in Korea were shunned because they left their husbands, simple because they may be unwanted, or that's not the ideal outcome, is very disheartening.
Session 6 has been by far my favorite session, and feel it will allow students to explore so much in to the concept and ideals of the one rule laws.
AnonymousProfessor Yamashita’s discussion on castles was quite fascinating! I would love to have the students do research projects on these different types of castles, by either doing a research report or PowerPoint presentation to give to their peers on the different types of castles and then create some sort of 3D model on the castle they present on. For those that teach seventh grade, I am wondering if these castles could be compared and contrasted to the castles seen during the Medieval time period. This would be an interesting discussion to have with students, and have them connect content from another unit.
Also, his discussion on the different Tokugawa social class order was interesting on how it was fixed, as well as the connections he made to India. I am always looking to make cross content connections. He also discussed how they had a social class that was similar to the dalit or untouchable class in India. One could also make the connection of the fixed social class when comparing Ancient India and Tokugawa social classes as well. Again, having students engage in a discussion on these similarities could lead to some rich discussions.
AnonymousReading the chapter selections Professor Yamashita had prepared for us, I learned that Japan modeled their historical writings from China. During the lecture, he made a small remark that he is working on collecting the histories of commoners (whose stories are often over-looked in the broader context of history). As a commoner myself, and a woman (who often experience historical and political movements differently from the men creating policies) this impressed me. I struggle to find history as told through the common person's eyes. How did historical, political, and economic shifts affect the lives, psyches, relationships, customs, dress, food, (and as someone who makes a career teaching English) language of those who lived during the period.
I assigned my East Asian research project. A number of my students wrote about Dynastic histories. The language they used was confusing to me in that a particular person wasn't mentioned as having accomplished certain things, but rather the credit was given to the Dynasty as a whole. This was also addressed in the writings Professor Yamashita shared and again traced back to Chinese models of writing history.
This was a significant thing to learn and will shape the way I read history going forth. Historians are now valuing the lives of every day people and how circumstances affect their perceptions of their world and their place and purpose within that world without imposing the culture of the person writing the history. For example, how a woman in the 21st century might experience the same event differently from someone going through the experience in the 19th century (like divorce).
AnonymousThe Rise and Development of Warrior Japan - Professor Yamashita began with the beginning of the samurai and the Heiji uprising, and how the residents working on the land became warriors. Mountain and then flatland castles were developed in Japan for political and military reasons. We then discussed the first major portion of the presentation as the Battle of Sekigahara. Major warlord families are involved in the carving up of land, and the Tokugawa family rises to rule Japan after the great battle. The Tokugawa Order of government is established with specific rules of taxation, land distribution, and the system of alternate attendance.
The second major portion of the presentation focused on the vendetta registration system that the Tokugawa Order presented a system of vendetta control. From this system comes the famous incident of the forty-seven ronin. We discussed the historical incident at length. There is plenty of fertile ground for teaching with this theme. Chushingura is a play that I can introduce as a main reading for the unit of study. The story of the forty-seven ronin blends well with teaching William Shakespeare's Hamlet. The National Endowment for the Humanities displays excellent lessons (multimedia) for the blending of the two.
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/hamlet-meets-chushingura-traditions-revenge-tragedy
Overall, the vendetta registration system/forty-seven ronin can easily be adapted to the 10th grade English classroom, especially with connections to Hamlet and/or Macbeth by William Shakespeare.
AnonymousThe Rise and Development of Warrior Japan session provided by Professor Yamashita was very interesting to me. He touched on points in history I vaguely remebered from middle and high school, but presented them through a very differing viewpoint. Viewing all of his personal photographs from his travels as well as historical pictures of tombs and castles was very interesting. It made me understand the Japanese people, culture, and history in a much deeper and meaningful way. Discussion of the imperial and royal families and histories was very interesting as well. The entire presentation about the vendetta registration system was fascinating. I had no idea any of that was part of Japanese history nor had ever heard of anything quite like that before. I almost wish I was teaching higher grade levels so I could present this information to my own students from such an interesting way. The background and historical information he presented made me rethink what I thought I knew about Japan and its history and people. He touched on the family structure and emotional family components towards loyalty and imbalance which presented some very new viewpoints to me as well. I look forward to reading the rest of the articles he suggested and learning more about this part of Japanese history and culture.
AnonymousLooking back at my notes, I also wanted to add some other points and discussions Professor Yamashita made during this session. Professor Yamashita clearly pointed out the vertical and horizontal cosmologies where he made a connection between mythology "gods and the underworld" and humans where the elements of the Japanese culture reflected on such things as marriage customs, architectural styles, and technology development that included textiles and metal work. The arts (calligraphy, art, nature, wooden trays, etc.) really caught my attention because I truly appreciate Japanese art and crafts such as origami and fruit and vegetable carvings. I would love to learn how to do this. I lived in Monterey Park for many years, and every year they have a Cherry Blossom festival. This is where I had the experienced of observing people carve beautiful roses and flowers out of vegetables and fruit. I also met an artist where he created animals and many other things with paper (origami). It was truly fascinating and amazing to watch!