Session 7 - 10/26 (afternoon), William Tsutsui

[Matthew Hurwitz]

I also thought it was interesting to hear about both how the Japanese approach disaster in their movies, and the ways in which they've reacted to disasters in real life. I agree with you that the Americans response to a giant earthquake would be much more chaotic than the Japanese response. The idea that this is based in part on our overwhelming focus on the Individual as the center of everything here in the States made me think about how that focus is reflected in the way our movies/tv deal with (or don't deal with) disaster. As a sci-fi fan, I immediately thought of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. BSG being the show that focused on all the destructive ways in which individuals are selfish and self-destructive in the wake of the apocalypse and highlighted a kind of depressing "realism" about how most Americans would react to bad situations, and Star Trek (I'm thinking of Voyager in particular here) which was reassuring in it's sunny opitmism about pulling together in the face of adversity, an approach which was comforting in it's naivete.

[Haena Shin]

I definitely enjoyed Professor Tsutsui's session about disaster movies and the popularity of it in the film industry post war. I thought it was so interesting how the people in Japan were so reserved to have conversations and actual dialogue about their emotions when it came to the effects of the war. It's amazing to learn how people were able to internalize with the dark flms and engage with them in a way where it was meaningful and validating to the struggles and the hurt they felt.  

It was humorous to see the many renditions and different takes of Godzilla films that took place. I particular found the bridge of the two characters, Godzilla and King Kong to be hilarious in how they tied both Japanese and American films together.

[Haena Shin]

Your take on the means of Japan's coping with the trauma of the threats and destruction are very interesting. Knowing that Japan has a huge anime culture and their production of various fiction characters, I wonder if animation provides the false sense of reality from Japan's actual state of mind. As young children to adults, I'm curious as to learn what their perspectives are in relation to the fantasy worlds they create versus the real world in their day to day experiences. I'm also interested in learning how the two perspectives may, if ever, tie together.

[Cynthia Stults]

Angela, reading your post made me think back to when the US government was looking at bailing out companies during the economic crises of 2008-2010. The idea that they would bail out banks and auto manufacturers was an incredibly hot button political topic, and even if the government provided loans instead of TARP funds, people were furious. Yet in Japan, this seems to be business as usual, seemingly without anyone opposing it. I do share concerns about Japan going the way of Greece, yet Japan has significantly stronger exports than does Greece.  

[Kurt Hansen]

When I was a kid, I watched Speed Racer, Astro Boy and Even Kimba the White Lion. These Anime cartoons were off the beaten track in the 60s and 70s, but they set up anime to be the giant success it is, in its current form. Today, anime is everywhere. Its gone from those old cartoons and manga to an industry in every aspect of world entertainment. The manga are available in every bookstore in the United States. They’ve continued on TV since Speed Racer and has spawned countless merchandise. The Power Rangers have been on Nickelodeon for 27 years. Anime movies have been some of the top grossing films every year. I’m also sure that these examples are nothing compared to gaming. Pokemon, Digimon, Yokai Watch, Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda series of games. These games are huge and have been for years. They create huge cultures and subcultures that will last forever. So many times we expect these fads to fade, but Anime continues on and on through reinvention and finding different inroads to permeate more and more of cultural society. I didn’t even talk about Hello Kitty and Sanrio.

 

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Andrew,

It's tough to say what Americans truly needed to be able to reckon with the idea that real-life disasters can't be easily tamed. We do have Hollywood to thank for the dramatic scenes in most movies and even then, Americans are way under prepared, in my opinion. Maybe it starts with the culture? Japanese people seem to understand that disaster is out there and may be defeated by something unpredictable. Perhaps, like you mentioned, Americans are too invested in the idea that nothing can harm the country.

[Robert Docter]

The post WWII economical path of Japan, often noted as a "Miracle economy", was a fascinating progression. American demilitarization, democraticizing business, the cutting of big firms, all sounded very progressive. Interistingly, especially in a cold war hysteria,  was the radical shift with union membership and demonstrations (keep in mind US involvement that led to this). The fear of Japan's economy and business handling was getting too radical and the reformism was halted. It was funny to hear about the Americans paid to teach better practices as a response to the reforms (ex. Dr. Deming). This then turns to the more open market on the global scale and the driving consumption of Japanese people (after years of not having oppurtunity to do so). Perhaps its the private sector and government relationship in all of this and the battle between too much reform and intervention versus economical freedom. 

[Dennis O'Connell]

This was such an engaging session!  We covered so much ground!  For me, the economics we discussed was the most difficult to understand, so of course I challenge myself to write out my notes here as a way of trying to understand them better.  

In the 1870s, Japanese foreign students returned from their various studies bringing technological knowledge with them.  Their expertise was wide-ranging, covering areas such as cotton, silk, plate glass, and breweries!  The 1880s saw the emergence of "zaibatsu" - "financial cliques".  The four largest were Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo, and Yasuda.  

Labor and Production Management was a hybrid between foreign technology and Japanese innovation.  Wages were based on seniority (rewarding longevity), job training was provided, and the company was quite "paternal" (providing housing, education, health benefits, etc.).  

The Three Sacred Treasures in business were lifetime employment, seniority based wage increases and pensions, and company unions. 

In my third grade curriculum we discuss the starting of a small business.  We discuss things like cost of production, profits, wages, and other basic economic concepts.  It might be interesting to expand the discussion to larger businesses.  We could look at American large businesses and then compare them to Japanese large businesses.  I am guessing my students would be so surprised to find that many of the company names they know are really Japanese companies! 

[Dennis O'Connell]

One of our readings focused on Japan prior to the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry.  It demonstrated that imperial power grew within Japan, but that this growth in power was tempered by the growth of Buddhist wealth and influence.  Aristocratic families, monasteries, and shrines gradually assumed the real functions of government.  The Fujiwara hegemony began as Fujiwara daughters married imperial princes in order to beget future emperors.  This Fujiwara power structure reached its zenith in 1000 AD.  

New teachings were introduced in Japan by Saicho and Kukai.  This brought some control over Buddhism and its influence.  Three forms of religious worship were emphasized: good works, meditation, and faith.  Architecture and art began to change due to the influences of Buddhist sects, the Shinto religion, and the mountain cult of Shugendo.  Aristocrats moved from representing religion in their art to depicting their own lives.  This type of Japanese painting was called "Yamato-e".  

The role of women in the production of art, literature, and music was typically restricted.  There did emerge a short time period, however, where women were allowed to write prolifically, producing some great works, including "Pillow Talk".

While I am not an expert in art history, it would be interesting to explore some concepts with my students.  How has religion influenced art in our society?  What has the role of women been?  How are these things changing over time?  How is our art different from the art of Asian countries?  How is it the same?  

[Cynthia Stults]

Dennis, I always look forward to reading about your ideas on integrating what we learned in this seminar into our elementary classrooms. I really think your idea about having students look at the role of religion and women in art in various cultures. At my school site, we have a signficant amount of religions and cultures represented within the student population. By integrating the art and religions of Asian countries, my new students would be able to share part of their culture with their classmates in a non-threatening way. Bringing in religious art from the other religions and countries from their classmates would likely help students to realize that as a human family, cultures have more in common than they realize. 

[Katherine Oh]

Lizette, 

I've never watched Godzilla before so I was so interested in the fact that Japanese people used the film to highlight the disasters they expereinced post-war. I watched alot of movies like Day After Tomorrow and I realized that these movies were not about the diasters caused by other people but disasters caused by man and global warming. These movies were made almost 10 years ago and now there are more pressing matters that make these fictional movies seem to become the reality of our present day. I think your comment about how Americans are too invested in the idea that nothing can harm the county is true, but we are starting to realize that the only harm we can face is the harm we put on ourselves. 

[Katherine Oh]

I was surprised to see how the Japanese economy has evolved and changed after the war. It is similar to South Korea's economy and the fact that they also endured so much from the wars and occupation but has been able to modernize and change as their economy strengthened. I think even our conversations about China as a world power and how capitalism and our way of using money as a way to have power and influence in the world is something to think about. I wonder what your students might think, in your economics class, after you teach them about the different economic systems in both China, Korea, and Japan compared to the US. 

[Katherine Oh]

Hi Cynthia, 

I grew up watching animated cartoons like Hello Kitty and Sailor Moon but I think movies like Spirited Away and the Miyazaki movies actually depict Japanese culture and society more accurately. I think Miyazaki was more intentional about revealing aspects of Japanese society through the relationships and depictions of the characters he created in his film. I think his movies revel the dynamics and relationships between families, workplaces, and even children. I highly recommend seeing one of his movies! My favorite is Totoro and Spririted Away because children are the main characters but the depths of the movie plot is so interesting. 

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