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Deirdre HarrisHi David,
I saw here that you were looking for a possible resource to share with your students about the Four Seasons in Japan. I was jumping around and found this:
https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0000283/
It's got written information from each season, with photographs, along with good information about each season. In addition, it also offers a list of some of the celebrations and events that are held in each of those seasons. Lastly, it has some data on weather patterns presented in a kid-friendly way to see the weather patterns in more of a scientific way. It's not super long, but is of good quality I think. I think it could be used for my 4th graders, as well as most other students. Hope this is helpful.
Deirdre HarrisYou are so welcome Katherine. I am so happy that you found this helpful. I was very excited when I saw the cool pictures and the great discussion questions. Thanks to you too for always posting interesting things, that spark my imagination to go in different directions than I normally would have.
Deirdre HarrisHi David, Your post resonated with me also when thinking about how important the "combination" of the objects and rutuals in Japan's culture was and is so important to learn (and teach students) about. When I think about the things we've learned about like you mentioned from swords, (and the ritual in the process of it's making), to the Samurai Warrior relationships, the friendship protocols, and the objects they gave one another to the tea ceremony that we learned about. I'm feeling like I could approach teaching my students from so many different ways. For example, I may have them choose an object from Japanese culture that they are interested in, then research it, and write about it's importance in the culture, when it was used, and it's purpose in the culture, and any ritual ceremony involved. You could also approach it in a more linear way, historically, and learn all things about a certain time period, sort of the way we did it with this class and Professor Dube's previous Asian Studies classes. From there, we could then compare and look at other countries and find examples like David also mentions with others, and finally can they find anything similar to this in their own lives. I can see some magnificent ways to approach sharing this wonderful information. Thanks for some great ideas.
Deirdre Harrishttps://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/schools/
I found this helpful new website about Japan's school system. It explains (in English) about their heirarchy of learning systems, and the country's methods for teaching their children. It includes culture, Folk Legends, Games, Quizzes, and so much more. It is OK for children and would not have anything that would need to be monitored for appropriateness.
I hope it is helpful to other teachers with their students.
Deirdre HarrisWhat an interesting, entertaining, and beyond satiric film. I was happy to watch this film and found myself rooting for this poor family right from the beginning. I agree with Melina that it can lead to so many discussions with classes about social inequities in the world, and ask them how money affects the cultures of all countries, comparing it to other countries. (A comparison with India would also be interesting.) The way the birthday party got so very silly, and out of control, then how violence worked it's way into the film are also unexpected, yet laughable. There are so many topics covered in this film that could lead to wonderful lessons, such as family traditions, food items cooked, the gullible mother and how the family we meet took advantage of another family so easily, using flattery methods, etc.. It was a lot of fun to watch, and I highly recommend it to most people. I don't think it's ok for children, at my grade level. There is too much sex, violence and other things going on. For High School possibly? Great film though. I enjoyed it.
Deirdre HarrisI loved learning how as Miguel mentions above how geography played a large role in the development of Japan. How they were isolated just enough from China and Korea to develop their own seperate identity, but close enough to share in many things like the development of their writing system. But instead of using characters, Japan used their characters as sounds, similar to the way we use our alphabet. Their geography also played a role in their strategies when having to defend themselves. They became good at fighting using the surrounding water, because they were an island nation. They also were influenced by surrounded countries in early food preparation, pottery-making and other arts out of necessity. I loved the photos of the pottery, and the connections made by Professor Pitelka himself. How exciting to have a real expert to learn from. Thank you.
Deirdre HarrisI am very happy that I enrolled in this class, which was right after Professor Dube's previous Class on China, and Asian Studies. Dr. Pitelka's knowledge of Japan is immense, and I feel that I have learned so much from this course, and look forward to finding ways that I can pass along much of the content to my students.
There is so much cultural diversity between Japan and the West, but moreover, between Japan and other Asian countries. It's interesting that Japan adopted many of their customs from China, and surrounding countries including Korea, and others, and yet they are unique in so many ways. They are a melting pot of the Asian countries and influences surrounding it of course.
Learning about the history, the Samurai warriors with their beautiful armor, and how they brought the heads back from wars to show their superiors...the tea ceremony and all of the nuances that abound, to the incense, the Geisha traditions and the foot-binding with the elite groups, the geography and capitals and how they moved with different emperors, to religion and it's roles with controversial shrines, to the National Living Treasures, the Kabuki Theater and the Noh Theater and their differences, to the blades and their interest in guns and falconry. There is so much we learned about, and that I want to share with my students.
Japan is a country steeped in beauty, grace, poetry, literature, tradition, and has created cohesiveness with their modern community festivals, but keep their traditions through the old practices, being mindful of their own dignity and how to preserve it.
I also enjoyed the class discussions and how so many in the class had been to Japan, or lived there briefly and were able to share their experiences with us. I enjoyed learning that Dr. Pitelka's father is a clay artist ( our own National Living Treasure) and he himself dabbles in the pottery-making as well. How very lucky we all were.
So, as I think before the new school year begins, how I will use this new information, please allow me to thank you all for your generous gifts of Japanese knowledge to me. I was my pleasure to be in this class.
Deirdre HarrisHello - Looking at folding screens from Japan, I came across a resource that I may use with my students. It's written in an understandable way, and looks at important questions like:
1. When do screens date from? 2. What were they used for? 3. What were the main themes? 4. Who were the leading screen painters?
. What can we tell from signatures and seals? 6. How did production evolve over time? 7. How did Japanese Folding Screens Influence Western Art? 8. Are screens difficult to maintain? 9. What should a new collector look for over time?
The website also has beautiful examples of some screens auctioned at Christies, and if anyone is interested here is the link:
https://www.christies.com/features/Japanese-screens-collecting-guide-7164-1.aspx
Deirdre HarrisI was researching Kabuki theater and found an interesting article that described the various aspects of Kabuki theater from the Edo period and how some of the stage tricks were done. One aspect not mentioned before I found interesting. They had cables rigged to help people fly across the stage, and also had trap-doors in the floor so that characters could disappear if a scene was ending, or the storyline called for it. It looks like performances are happening around the world, and there is a photo of one in San Salvador, with other interesting photos. Here is the link if anyone is interested.
Deirdre HarrisHi Katherine,
I love your ideas for students mentioned above to teach about Japan by starting with a discussion about the art of Japan, and move into a comparison of European and US artists, (or any other countries) and then use your idea of noticing that how in some countries, they revere their artisans as Living Human Treasures, and like you mentioned, ask them to try and think of who might deserve that title in our country, or in today's world? What criteria would they use. They could create rubrics to use to choose the artists, and include photos to create a google slides presentation perhaps. Just a take on your idea. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Deirdre HarrisThank you professor Dube for sharing these amazing and fun press kit images, on some modern takes on the Traditional Kimonos from Japan. How very fun and whimsical many of these new creations are. My favorite items were the boots with the cranes, pine, plum flowers, and spikes! I think that many modern Japanese people would be very proud to be a part of these creations, as I get the feeling from Professor Pitelka's lectures that the people want to be seen as both being traditional, and keeping this part of their lives for historical and other reasons, and also being seen as on the cutting edge, or at least keeping up with modern ideas, and not being afraid of taking fashion chances. I think they would be proud to be seen as being able to stretch their creativity and techniques, and cross-over into more hip and cool textiles that will keep Japan in the mix as creators and artists. Especially having their crafts being shown around the world in the West, and in Britain, etc... Very fun. Thanks for that. Students will love looking at these, and I feel will be more open to seeing that Japan is not just about old-fashioned themes.
Deirdre HarrisHi Thomas, Great idea to do an object biography as a student activity! There were so many aspects of his difficult life that kids today could connect to, that first I think making a personal connection with this real-life character would be a starting point. Then choosing an object that he might have had in his collection, (by doing research) and then sharing this out with the class, each student could tell about a different object in his vast collection.
I also like your idea of having students write an autobiography of themselves in a similar way. I think bringing nature and the high value Japan culturally places on nature, and spiritual connections could also be part of their activities. Showing the short animated film 99 could also be a way to bring in this idea of a spiritual connection that all Japanese culture seem to have for their beautiful country. I wish our country held nature in a higher esteem than it seems to now.
Deirdre HarrisHello, I enjoyed these Session 5 Video Lectures so very much. They shed so much light on traditions and rituals of Japan that I didn't know about, and would love to share with my students. In reading the article about "Kimono and the Construction of Gendered and Cultural Identities ", my thoughts veer off in so many different directions. From how government has continued to restrict the people of Japan by forcing it's people to look a certain way, and to wear certain clothes, both men and women, to the point of not allowing women to wear their hair short, cut the way the men were asked to, to how the coming of age ceremony has a slight similarity to a "Sweet Sixteen" celebration for girls. (Boys don't seem to have this in Mexican culture that I am aware of.)
The reading makes me feel that the girls have to invest not only more money in their Kimono, but carry the burden of Cultural Japanese tradition of the old world, but in a modern way. The boys on the other hand only need to purchase a western suit, which they can wear for future job interviews, and that seems to be all there is to it. The ceremony seems to take on so much more meaning for the girls and their families to show their "Japaneseness".
It seems to me that Japan wants their cake and to eat it too in many respects. They want to keep the old traditions, but show the world they are modern as well. They want to keep their cultural identity through so many rituals and methods, some of which are artistic and new, but seem to force their people to project an image that the government wants and enforces, to show the world they accept the Western ways, but not allowing the old traditions slip away. They want it both ways.
I feel that one way we could teach our students to appreciate their freedoms in our country, is to be thankful that our government doesn't interfere in how we dress, wear our hair, etc... we can also show that it's a gentle balance for a country like Japan, so very proud of it's culture and traditions, to try to move into the future while appreciating the past. We can look for comparisons in both cultures, ours and theirs, and do research on other countries traditions as well. Thank you for these very interesting articles and slides.
Deirdre HarrisDear Katherine,
Thank you so much for sharing this link to the short film clip about the Japanese warrior who repaired all of the broken umbrellas after the rainstorm. It was delightful. I am sure this would be a fun film, that could easily be shared with any age, to show the devotion that people had for sacred objects. It was fun, and I found myself chanting to myself "atcha gotcha" for the rest of the afternoon. Thanks again.
Deirdre HarrisHello Dr. Pitelka, I wanted to thank you for sharing the essay you wrote for the exhibit in Detroit with the beautiful photographs of the ceramics, incense burners and more. What a small-world story. I know that during our discussion, you had asked about how many of us had tried Matcha Ceremonial green tea, and I immediately ordered the "Ujido, the path of zen", small bag, (only about $20), and tried it at home. It was delicious, and very special, after all we have learned and shared together. Thank you for the essay, and the new favorite drink. Here is the website, if anyone wants to order some of it's offerings:
