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  • in reply to: session 7, may 9 on religions #46777
    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    Here is a contemporary article from the NYTimes that digs into tattoos in Japan a little more, including indigenous roots, organized crime links, and the influence that westernization had in banning tattoos, and now in making them mainstream. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/23/world/asia/japan-tattoo.html
     

    After our lecture on Monday, I spoke with a colleague of mine in Tokyo. She said that in 2019, Tokyo hosted a massive international Rugby tournament. As you can imagine, many of the players sported many tattoos. Many onsens allowed them admission- which caused an outrage from tattooed Japanese people, and a demand to be let into onsens. 

    This article is also interesting too:https://unseenjapan.com/hajichi-the-banned-traditional-tattoos-of-okinawa/

    Many topics we've covered- religion, language, indigenous roots, outside influences- are included in this topic. 

    in reply to: Make-up Assignments #46776
    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    Hello all!

    For anyone looking for a way to makeup a class (I am!) there is a free webinar coming up this Friday (May 13) from Engage Asia on the art of Yabusame. As Japan works to preserve this  horseback riding/archery tradition, more women are becoming competitors, and there is also a lot of conversation about its connection to Shinto and culture in general. I'm excited to attend and will report back on my learning!

    here is the link to learn more about Yabusame: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4S
    here is a link to the webianr with Engage Asia: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QJ_L1vblTXqzBnZkldv_ew

    in reply to: session 7, may 9 on religions #46770
    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    I love seeing the connections in these lectures between East Asia and India, and the focus on where the forms of Buddhism connect and where they diverge. Students often make vast generalizations about the religions practiced in each area and why, and get very confused about the connectivity between China and India. 

    I'm glad the first article mentioned the Ellora Caves. The Ellora Caves in are an important piece of history to share - with santuraries built to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism from A.D. 600 to 1000. It shwocases an ancient multiculturalism that is often not talked about. 

    https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/243/

    Given how divisive a lot of these topics of religion and co-existence can be today, I like the idea of showing and sharing this history of peaceful co-existence with students. 

    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    This article about the Hanbok- whether it is a Korean or Chinese - brings up interesting points of cultural approproation, authenticity, and how cultures influence one another.  Who "owns" a traditional fashion, and who can wear or should wear it? How does traditional fashion play into a national identity? Also a good discussion on social media and the role of fashion in politics and diplomacy. I'm excited to share this with a lot of the resourcea 

     https://www.insider.com/chinese-social-media-users-attack-korean-stars-for-hanbok-photos-2022-2

    https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3166389/hanbok-years-kimchi-china-denies-cultural-appropriation-over

    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    I enjoyed these presentations and articles- esp. the resources bringing the Silk Road and its influence to the forefront, as it is a major objective we teach. 

    This material is great fodder for a discussion on who gets to tell the stories of history, and which stories are left out, and which are uplifted. The critical nature (and likely greatly exaggerated) of writings from the Silla dynasty would be interesting to work with in the classroom. Taking the same story and telling the same facts from a supporter's perspective would be an engaging way to promote more critical thinking with students. Additionaly, telling the stories of Sin Saaimdang and others from multiple pespectives would further enforce this idea. 

    It would be interesting to consider the pride Koreans currently have in Hangul and literacy rates in Korea, plus the global phenomenon that is the export of Korean culture, as a point of comparison to the role of literacy us upholding the elites in pre-1800 Korea. Is Hallyu a way of amassing global power, as keeping people illiterate once was?

    in reply to: session 2 (4/4) - Early China, Chinese Philosophy #46716
    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    I really enjoyed the overview of the expansiveness of the yin/yang. Especially as a millenial who was a teen in the 90s, I recall the yin and yang being extremely prolific in pop culture! Jewlery, t-shirts, etc. 

    Your question also makes me think about the "Pier 1" mass importation of South Asian and East Asian culture for home decor. This goes beyond Pier 1 and is in many high end home decor stores. The idea that a Westerner would buy a statue of a buddha, of Chinese gods and goddesses, and even a garden statue of Confucius without any sort of connection or knowledge of the culture and philosophy behind it is definitely reflective of values of consumerism and image over actual study and knowledge. 

    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    Found another article on the doll village: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/17/world/asia/japan-dolls-shrinking-population-nagoro.html

    I think students would find this story fascinating. Apparently this is becoming a tourist destination and bringing some life to the local economy? I also wonder the pandemic has possibly changed attitudes about urban vs. rural life? 

    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    In watching the presentations and reading through the articles, the themes of interconnectivity between China, Korea, and Japan- both historically and currently- are very apparent. Being able to look with students at current issues, then walking them back through history might help them contextualize modern issues and how they are connected to geography and history. Many are completely unaware of the basic geography of East Asia, so this will help. 
    Also, the final questions of the first presentation, the focus on an aging population and how that may shift societial norms, is interesting in the context of decreasing life spans in the U.S. Anytime we can draw those comaparisons, it makes for interesting classroom discussion. 

    in reply to: Self-introductions #46703
    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    Hello Lingjing! I am so glad to see an immersion teacher in this course! Your work is so important. My daughter will start Kindergarten next year at a Mandarin Immersion School here in Houston ISD. Thank you for all you do! 

    in reply to: Self-introductions #46695
    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    Hello everyone!

    My name is Jennifer Kapral, and I teach at the Asia Society Texas Center in Houston. I work with educators and students for hand-on workshops, a lot of which are focused on East Asia. We use our exhibitions as a foundation for bringing historical art to life. I love these workshops because they help me increase my content knowledge to better plan our activities. Clayton, you're so good at bringing in modern and relevant connections to history, which is so helpful in working with young people. We're excited to plan new, exciting activities now that we're working in classrooms in-person again. 

    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    I found this presentation so interesting, especially conversation around authenticity and the travel of food back and forth. Related to the California Roll, we have the Texan roll here in Houston, which has salmon, imitation crab, cream cheese, avocado, jalapeno, and crispy fried onion flakes. 

    I know the owners, Glen and Hana Gondo, of Tokyo Gardens Catering, who advised our major grocery chain (HEB) with the creation of the in-store Sushiya house.  HEB has a statement on their website: “Glen and Hana have helped H‑E‑B with the sourcing of authentic sushi products and the creation of many of the unique Sushiya rolls and poke bowl. Glen and Hana are extremely active in supporting the AAPI community and proud partners of H‑E‑B,”

     

    I think people may see grocery-store sushi and question how it got there. Glen’s parents were interned in Japanese internment camps during WWII. They went on to open the first Japanese restaurant in Texas. Glen has created this flourishing sushi business built on his passion for bringing Japanese food into mainstream culture in order to build more cross-cultural understanding.

    in reply to: Self-introductions #46084
    Jennifer Kapral
    Spectator

    Hi, I'm Jennifer Kapral, a veteran educator of 14 years, and currently the Director of Education at Asia Society Texas Center. I LOVE the food in Houston, us Houstonians are very proud of our food scene, including several Asiatowns and cool fusion concepts, like Vietnamese Crawfish broils. I love teaching about Asia to school tour groups and in classrooms. I've traveled to China (I love Harbin!) and have cancelled a trip to Japan twice due to a typhoon, then COVID. The pandemic has made me think a lot about virtual engagement, what that looks like. and how to best check for student understanding. 

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