[Andrew Frank]

Sara, I love the idea that you mention incorporating "art therapy" into classrooms, aiding students in processing national (as well as their own personal) trauma. In regard to your difficulty in seeing how Takashi's work may be a response to the violence of Nagaski/Hiroshima, I believe that what Professor Tsutsui was hinting at was the vast array of ways trauma is processed in art: in the darkness of Gojira and the "monster movies," the violent cynicism of Akira, and the bright fantasticism of Takashi. I myself am personally a big fan of the horror film genre and know that Japan has a long history of "ghost stories" (dating back to the Edo/Meiji period). Many of their horror films are deeply violent and sinister, and in their American adaptations, have actually been "brightened" (i.e. Ringu to The Ring, Ju-On to The Grudge). I feel perhaps the only difference is that America does not simply dive "deep enough" in creating art that is a direct reaction to our own personal history of trauma...

[Andrew Frank]

Marcos, I certainly agree that learning about the zaibatsu was fascinating - the notion of "financial cliques" (truly conglomerates) that dominate a marketplace does not seem far off from the United States's own economic structure. (Since I am a fan of entertainment, media groups specifically come to mind, like Comcast & Walt Disney Co.) I do question your statement about "private sector and government...knowing their place in the system" though. Although there seems to be monetery value in the dual economy of Japanese zaibatsu and "salarymen," and the idea of coporate parternalism can do a lot of good for employees (i.e. health, childcare, etc.), Professor Tsutsui mentioned that in this dual economy, the elite industry was very small in nature...If most workers ended up actually in middle-tech industries, with low wages, are we really looking out for the "little guy" (through a democratization of wealth, unionization, labor activism, etc.) or just letting the elite reign supreme? It is a debate that is especially relevant in America at the moment and will continue to be, at least through the 2020 Presidential election.

[Andrew Frank]

I totally agree, Liz, that there is a definite contrast in comparing American disaster movies to Japan's in the 20th century; a sense of darkness seems something Japan was not afraid to deal with on a grand scale. This is most clearly evident in the way that Gojira directly dealt with the trauma of Hiroshima/Nagasaki itself in 1954, by making the origin of the monster rooted in "U.S. bombing in the Pacific." When the American adaptation of the film occured, Godzilla: King of Monsters, not only refused to acknowledge the political aspects (the U.S. involvement) but the dark thematic elements of war/bombs all together. Was/is the United States more afraid as a culture to deal with the idea of our distruction? Is the fact we are such a "young country" to blame for our fear of Armageddon? I love that Professor Tsutsui brought up the fact that Japan was able to witness first-hand the resilience of its people after its giant earthquakes, tsunamis, and the ravages of nuclear war. (Even in the 1960s, it seems Tokyo itself was rebuilt "every week" for the Tokyo Olympics). Will it take more destruction in America for us to finally reckon with the reality that we Americans are not invincible?

[Andrew Frank]

The segment of Professor Katada's presentation that was perhaps most fascinating to me was the section on how contemporary Japan is functioning economically as a power in the global economy. I had absolutely no idea how Trump's "hostility" toward China (and leaving the TPPwith Japan), has helped develop a closer relationship between two Asian rivals: China and Japan. I also had no idea that the agricultural economy in Japan was so powerful that it almost dissuaded the entire country from joining the TPP...I can understand how an economy that is competitive within itself (between cars & agric.) can be beneficial to growing wealth, but how do other industries react when hearing about governmental favoritism to the agriculture industry? Are other segments of the Japanese economy frustrated by govermental protections, like the 1700% tariff on Devil's Tongue or 780% tariff on rice? I truthfully am very ignorant about all the details of how the U.S. economy functions and am now very curious about the industries that U.S. government protects as well...

[Andrew Frank]

Marcos, I am pleased you brought up the "competition of infrastructure" between China and Japan, in terms of building up Southeast Asian & African countries! I think it's fascinating that Professor Katada mentioned that China itself was once a recipient of Japanese aid, but has now found success worldwide in offering cheap, quick development projects. I am curious about how much developing nations have been dismissive of the idea of China's aid since the Indonesian high-speed rail fiasco in 2016. Only 100 yards built in 3 years seems to be a bit of a disaster in terms of development, especially if China's aids are only pretty much "loans." Why would any developing risk entering a situation like Sri Lanka, where their country may be basically occupied by China because they are unable to pay back development loans? This all seems to illustrate how desperate developing countries must be to gain power in the global economy, especially to receive help from the second-largest world economy like China...

[Andrew Frank]

Angela, I love how insightfully you recapped all that was discussed in the "immigrant" portion of the lecture. I totally agree - stastically, the changes in population seem staggering (only "1.3 kids" born per couple? 40% of the population over 65-years-old by 2050?). I think it's significant to remember that, as Professor Katada mentioned, Japan is not a country of immigrants as America is...If even the United States has debates about the amount of immigrants & refugees let into the country, I cannot fathom how controversial the idea of immigration in Japan must be! What I am curious about is where the myth about foreigneors "not being good workers" began - was it all the way back when Americans (i.e. Commodore Perry) appeared on the Edo bay in 1853? It is also fascinating that so many Japanese have immigrated themselves to other countries in Latin America (1.5 million or so?), while those on the homeland still foster a sense of mistrust of foreign nations outside of Asia...

[Andrew Frank]

Liz, I believed it to be incredibly interesting to think about the relations Japan had to other worldwide figures at the time as well...The fact that in 1939, the U.S. abrogated their trade treaty with the country seems to be a "slap in the face" to a country who must greatly rely on steel & iron. The combination of the negativity from the U.S., along with Japan's relationship with other world powers, seems to create a perfect storm of embitterment and driving Japan to assert itself. If domestic terrorism also began to be a problem, along with a 1932 breakdown in national parties, it seems reasonable that the government would also hope to show its "strength" to its own people through an international attack. The question that has continued to stay with me is how effective Japan's decision to attack really was. Obviously, the country dealt with unnumberable deaths and malnutrition & hunger at home, but did the move actually help bring the country together patriotically and boost its economy post-war? I suppose that is an answer we will discover next session...

[Andrew Frank]

Iris, I love that you brought in this new information about life as a Japanese empress! What also impressed me about the readings, and what Professor Yamashita mentioned, was how women were on the frontlines in the acts of resistance during wartime. Knowing that a strong word like "defeat" was used first-hand in female's diaries seem to illustrate just how much women felt the effects of the horrors of war. While it is undoubtedly awful to recount the thousands of deaths overseas (like over one hundred eighty-five thousand in just 3 years!), women were the ones at home who had families to protect when the Allied bombings began in 1944. This is without even mentioning the fact that women at home dealt with attempting to feed their families while facing "dwindling food supplies" and tuberculosis/rickets/eye disease from malnutrition (p. 458-459). Unfrortunately, it seems women could not even express themselves as they wished either, as women were forced to dress in "monpe" and even unallowed to have certain types of hair (if it was too Western)...

[Andrew Frank]

Dennis, I definitely agree about now appreciating the "road" that led to the attack on the Allied Forces. What certainly surprised me was discovering that the Meiji Reforms were built out of an actual mission around the world, as Professor Yamashita explained. The fact that the Meiji restoration was a "return to the past" and Confuscian ideals, mixed with renovation and Western ideology, is also fascinating. It certainly makes sense that there was a great deal of resistance to this new government, i.e. the Boshin War & Satsuma Rebellion! If former warriors and landowners feel the new government does not provide for them economically (because of inflation) and is culturally-dismissive (with new "national gods"), it seems that they may have no choice but to rebel. 

The only feature of your response that I tend to find a bit perplexing is the way you describe the country's virtuesbeing  replaced in the 1920s with new ideals of "materialism, individualism, and decadence." Were the traditional values of "diligence, decorum, and decadence" really replaced or just transformed/built upon? It is an interesting question and one I hope to continue to investigate as we move forward in our study of Japan...

[Andrew Frank]

While reflecting on Session #4 with Professor Dube, what really began standing out to me was the relevance of our beginning talk on Hong Kong in 2019. After learning much more about mainland China's attempt to control Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's consequent desire to "take back" the autonomy they were promised, I clearly see the connection to the Qing Dynasty's own control of its people. 

As Professor Dube wanted us to remember, in pre-modern societies, governments only desire two things: 1) revenue (usually through taxing) and 2) secuirty (holding on to power). Although Dube emphasized that "Qing Accomodation" existed, and they were "light on the land" in terms of their government officials, it seems part of the internal rebellion by the Chinese people was a by-product of the kingdom's intense control over the economy. The fact that only twenty-four merchants were allowed to do business with the West seems to be a direct attack on, not only foreign traders, but all Chinese buyers & sellers themselves. In the eyes of the Chinese citizens, the fact that the Customs Inspector General himself was a foreigner might have also been received as a blatant disrespect toward Chinese citizens' own ability to trade. 

Although there were certainly many factors that led to the revolution, the Chinese government's control over its people during the Qing Dynasty (and today, in its control over Hong Kong) seem to be a direct contributor to rebellion amongst its people.

[Andrew Frank]

Angela, I really admire how your post clearly articulates the ideals of Sun Yatsen and makes a comparison between his five-yuan government system and the U.S.'s own three-branch government. I do admire Yatsen's ideology as well, in his ability to infuse parts of the West, while not trying to simply undercut China's cultural identity itself.

I am certainly biased, as I ended up doing much of my own research on Kang Youwei, but I believe he is equally admirable (and comparable) in his attitudes toward reforming Chinese government. I found it fascinating that, due to his studies abroad, Youwei began to recognize the value of "public opinion," assembly, and local government. In Youwei's case, he seemed to recognize the need for a monarchy (whether it be due to tradition or ruling power), but sought to transform it from an "absolute monarchy" to one that was constitutional. He also hoped to slip into the cultural consciousness the idea of teaching Western ideas (i.e. science, technology, & industry) alongside Chinese classics and Confucianism. While he did not succeed in convincing the kingdom to adopt his plans, if the Chinese monarchy did in fact reform their government, they could have perhaps empowered citizens to feel they had a "stake in their government" and avoided revolution.

[Andrew Frank]

One of the most fascinating parts of Professor Jung-Kim's presentation, in my own opinion, was the discussion of the female part in Korean popular culture (since 1800). I truly had no idea that strong female characters began popping up in tales, even while the Choson caste system was in place. Folklore like the Tale of Ch’unhyang seems to imply that female autonomy was on the rise much earlier than I would have anticipated, and was not simply a by-product of Western ideology (i.e. the Brothers Grimm did not popularize "Cinderella" till 1812). My question, or rather curiosity, would be how female Koreans were able to progress, in terms of breaking societal standards, so quickly over the course of a hundred years? Was it simply a product of the rebellious attitude of Koreans under Japanese control that produced the Korean "New Women?"

[Andrew Frank]

Cynthia, I love the way you made the "name-taking" conection to the United States' treatment of African-American slaves. I definitely agree with you that the Japanese hoped that, with cultural names removed, the Korean citizens would give in to the idea that their old kingdom was dead. This seems to go along with Japan's decision to suspend freedom of speech, press, & assembly as well. I believe what the Japanese didn't anticipate though was the way nationalism, the West, and Christianity would influence the Koreans' motivations. 

What is truly upsetting to me is the way that Koreans truly respected the West, while the West itself remained either ignorant or downright dismissive of the Koreans' plight. For example, while the Korean people valued the idea of a Declaration of Independence enough to create one of their own, Yi Chun's attempt to plead the West for help was completely disregarded. The Korean people, on the other hand, seemed to learn exactly how it is possible to adopt from another culture (i.e. Western family morality, democracy, industrialization), without letting the West completely take over their identity. 

[Andrew Frank]

Haena, 

I also found the chapter from A Concise History of Korea totally fascinating! You mention the way that Koreans were restricted from traveling abroad, but I also noted how Koreans were restricted from associating with foreign visitors.  The fact that Chinese embassies to Korea "entered Seoul through a special gate" and were "confined to a special walled compound" (Seth 212) seem to reveal just how adament the kingdom was about isolationism. I believe that part of the reason Korea became so alluring to foreigners was due to that very mysterious isolationism itself.

I also greatly enjoyed the Professor Jung-Kim's account of Christianity's influence. Looking back on my lecture notes, I think that Christianity was the perfect antidote to those Koreans (i.e. chungin, commoners, lowborns, & slaves) who were frustrated by the caste system in place in the kingdom. Christianity's message of equality under God ("neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free") most likely spoke to those who felt they were outcasts in their own society.

[Andrew Frank]

I completely agree! The article was incredibly moving, in Qui Jin's ability to demonstrate how a Chinese woman's whole life is placed "in the hands" of others (from footbinding parents to matchmakers to "a family seeking rich and powerful in-laws" to her husband). Knowing now that even society would blame the women for her husband's abusive behavior, as "retribution for some sin committed in her previous existence," it is clear how ingrained sexism was in Chinese society (as in American).

This article was also greatly complemented by the 1920 "On Freeing Slave Girls" piece, which seems to illustrate how Qui Jin's work began to slowly take effect in the national consciousness. The fact that a man is advocating for liberation for not only slave girls, but "prostitutes" and "concubines" is also inspiringly progressive. Once again, it seems he advocates for education, which seems to further bring up your question, Sara, of the commonality of this type of thinking.

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