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Gisela GaonaGreat comments Christine, I'd like to just add that another factor that helped the rise of modern Japan was the idea that social outcasts should parkate in social and economic upward mobility. In the old feudal Japan, people were set into social classes and could not rise above their class. However, with the onset of WWI, Japan's rigid classes came to an end. According to this same reading, the government of Japan focused on the Burakumin class which was the most downtrodden of all the social classes. By helping and and permitting this class to rise above their current position, they brought up a large sector of the peasantry into a more suitable standard of living; thus helping to modernize Japan's society and economy.
Gisela GaonaThese two readings allowed me to have a deeper understanding of the Japanese occupation of Korea. In the chapter selected out of Lost Names, what was compelling to me was when the teacher of Richard Kim apologized to Kim's parents and stated, "As one Asian to another sir, I am deeply ashamed." I am assuming that part of the Japanese style of occupation is to completely rid the natives (in this case, the Koreans) of their culture, language, and identities. It seems to me that when I read accounts of Japanese invasions, they are always extremely brutal and unforgiving. Therefore, I did appreciate that in this story the Japanese teacher apologized to the Korean parents for the manner in which the Japanese government chose to conduct the occupation of Korea. In the future, I would like to read more about why Japan chose to occupy and invade countries in such an aggressive manner.
Gisela GaonaHello fellow citizen,
I have read your argument and as a self-strengthener I respectfully have to disagree with you. We do not need to limit our great Qing Dynasty by limiting their power like Japan did. Instead, we must look within ourselves for the answer to our problems and realize that China already has the answers. Like you stated dearest reformer, what we need to do is work towards building our military, our weaponry, and most of all modernizing our technology. These are all things that we need to adapt to in order to continue being the Great China that the world knows us to be. We can absolutely save China, but we should not compromise our culture, our monarchy, or our people in order to defeat the foreign invaders!
Gisela GaonaI appreciated the explanation of urban vs. rural population distribution in North and South Korea. According to Professor Dube, 3.2 million Koreans live in Pyongyang, while 25 million South Koreans live in Seoul. Moreover, more than one-third of South Koreans live in the city. I am interestered in visiting/or reading first hand accounts of how the city lifestyle compares to that of the country side. Speaking as an American who lives in a "rural" part of California, I know that visiting cities such as LA can be highly overwhelming. The traffic, the heavy use of advertisement signs, the weaving freeways that split and interlock due to ongoing construction can all be very overwhelming to someone such as myself who is used to open lanes on the freeway, and open spaces in general.
I am intrigued in figuring out if the difference between the city and country lifestyle in S. Korea is even more drastic than that of us Americans here in California.
Gisela GaonaHi Miriam,
Yes, I completely agree with you. Prior to this class, I did not that S. Korea was also in danger of a declining population. I have read many articles online that have touched on Japan's rapid loss in population-- specifically the working sector of the Japanese population. As I read your comment, I was wondering if the work culture of many Asian cultures has anything to do with this. I have read a large number of articles that detail how South Korean men specifically work insanely long hours. I saw a blog post of passed out S. Korean men on the street (some from drunkeness, but many more from exhaustion.) Perhaps due to the heavy sociatal pressures to increase work production, men and women are prioritizing work over starting a family.
Gisela GaonaHello everyone, my name is Gisela Gaona and I teach social studies and AVID in Bakersfield, CA. I love history and I love traveling. In fact, I use every Christmas Break and Summer Break as opportunities to travel. Most recently, I spent 6 weeks in Southeast Asia where I had the pleasure of living amongst the people of Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and China. It was this summer's trip that piqued my interest in the history and culture of East Asia. I am looking forward to learning more about this region of the world!
