Menu
close
Katharine DavisI've realized that I neglected to post on this first pair of lecture videos, which is kind of crazy because Jomon pottery and haniwa are two of my favorite art objects found in Japan.
I found the information regarding the decorative nature of the Jomon pots to be especially interesting. Since pots are typically more functional in ancient civilizations, it was very interesting to listen to some of the speculations on why the pots were so extravagantly decorated.
I was also fascinated by the information about the broken doguu statues. The fact that so many were found broken (seemingly on purpose) and then buried (again, on purpose? How can we tell they were buried, versus simply being found in the ground?) certainly shows that there was some significance in the breaking and separating these figures. It would be fun to speculate with students on the meaning behind this custom!
Katharine DavisI have been studying the Japanese language since 2002, but have never really had a Japanese history course. I did take a Japanese art course during my time at Western Michigan University, and have since had the good fortune to visit Japan and see some of the objects we discussed from our textbooks. But this is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to study Japanese history alongside its artwork, and I truly enjoyed the experience.
Personally, I have always loved art--and the Japanese culture has excellent examples all throughout its long history to enjoy. Dr. Pitelka’s lectures on the various objects he highlighted and the rituals they were connected with were fascinating. I had read about some of the items, and even seen some with my own eyes in Japan, but his lectures and readings provided even more detailed information about them. The sessions were conducted very well, and I enjoyed the opportunity to ask my own questions and hear comments and questions from my fellow “classmates.”
As for using the material presented in my own classroom, I would love to incorporate more information about Japanese history and/or art in my language and culture lessons. Unfortunately, with the limited time we have in the school year makes it difficult to fit lessons on history and art in just anywhere. To address this, I think I would like to develop a few “mini-lessons” that I could easily slip into my classes where they could fit. For example, sometimes we finish a unit with a few days to go before a break, or we have just two or three days of a typical school week before a school break (like Thanksgiving week for example). These would be great times to incorporate short lessons that engage students in aspects of the Japanese culture that are not focused on their language-learning. Students are very curious to learn about the culture of Japan, and I do want to encourage this curiosity; I think introducing aspects about Japanese art history is a great way to incorporate this kind of information.
Of the topics that Dr. Pitelka introduced, I think some of the most popular objects and rituals that my students would be interested in are: samurai swords and samurai culture; kimono and other clothing; Shinto- and Buddhist-connected objects/rituals; prehistoric Japan; music, performance and instruments. I would like to focus on these major topics and create a short series of lessons to introduce them to my students.
Thank you so much for providing this opportunity for us to engage with Dr. Pitelka and his wealth of knowledge about Japanese objects and rituals. It was a pleasure to participate and was very informative!
Katharine DavisYour comment about kimono and national identity reminded me of an article I read recently: with the Olympics/Paralympics being held in Tokyo, Japan, a group designed 207 kimono for the different countries of the world!
Here is the article: https://mymodernmet.com/japan-designs-kimonos-for-tokyo-2020-olympics/
And here is the direct link to The Kimono Project (some aspects of the site are in Japanese): https://kimono.piow.jp/kimonolist.html
I think it would be really cool to show these to students after studying more traditional kimono styles/designs/patters and ask what they think. Do the like what the team came up for their home country? What about any other countries they have personal ties to? What if THEY got to design a country kimono? What would it look like?
Katharine DavisThank YOU for sharing YOUR thoughts, too! I really think this could be a fun class discussion! I love the idea of creating rubrics and presentations... maybe we could even VOTE in the end?
Katharine DavisThank you for sharing, Deirdre! This is a great resource!
Katharine DavisIf you aren't aware, there have been kabuki adaptations of modern stories that our students might find really fascinating! It could be a very interesting way to discuss how traditional arts try to maintain relevance and interest among younger people.
Recently a "Star Wars" tale was adapted into a kabuki play! Apparently it revolves around Kylo Ren, but I'm not certain if the script was adapted from a single film. (Anyone know?) Here's an article with some decent photos: https://japan-forward.com/kabukis-ichikawa-ebizo-brings-star-wars-back-to-its-japanese-roots/ (Unfortuantley I couldn't find a good article with videos...)
For any Studio Ghibli fans out there, you likely recognize Princess Nausicaa. This adaptation of MIYAZAKI Hayao's comic-turned-anime debuted in 2019 and only ran for a few weeks. It was streaming online for some time, but I'm not sure if it's available anywhere any longer. There is a short preview/trailer on this article site: https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/watch-kabuki-adaptation-of-miyazakis-nausicaae-of-the-valley-of-the-wind-is-now-online-082820
Katharine DavisI am so in love with the idea of "National Living Treasures." As an educator, to have the KNOWLEDGE and SKILL of a person to be so respected that the person themselves is treasured, rather than the objects they make, is wonderful.
Apparently this is only a thing in six (6) other countries (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Living_Human_Treasure), though three other countries (including the USA) have awards given for contributions to culture/heritage. I'm really surprised that this isn't a wider spread idea.
It might be fun to have a discussion with students, asking, "If the USA were to create a 'National Living Treasure' award, who do you think would be deserving of such a title? What kind of requirements would be necessary?"
Katharine DavisWhile the subject of "women" were not directly addressed in either video lecture, they came up during our live session and I (finally!) had the chance to mention a book I read recently, where I noticed Dr. Pitelka's name in the the Acknowledgements section. I found it to be a VERY interesting read about not just Japanese history, but seen through the eyes of a common woman. If you are intersted, Dr. Pitelka gave it a high recommendation during our session!
Katharine DavisWhat a small world! (Although, really, considering your background it's not at all surprising to know you were invited to lecture at the opening!) Thank you for sharing the essay! I'll have to look around and see if I can find my program, etc. from the exhibit. (I'm a terrible pack-rat so there's a good chance it's around here somewhere!)
Katharine DavisI had no idea there was a film! Thank you so much for sharing!
I recently bought three of these prints for my brother, as we both share a love for Japanese art/style and video games! Have you checked out their website? They have amazing stuff! I want to decorate my classroom with so many of their prints. I think my students would LOVE it!
Katharine DavisBack in 2014 I had the good fortunte to visit an exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) called "Samurai: Beyond the Sword," which along with samurai armor and swords, featured objects that had been fashioned from swords. It was really a fascinating exihibit! I happened to find this Flickr page with some "media preview" photos (https://flickr.com/photos/sflag/albums/72157641979222175/) and I also found an article/review about the event (https://www.toledoblade.com/A-E/Art/2014/03/16/Samurai-Beyond-the-Sword-exhibit-takes-over-the-Detroit-Institute-of-Arts.html) -- unfortunately the DIA doesn't seem to have info on it's own website. Apparently this exhibit was based off another called "Leathal Beauty," so perhaps it's still touring around in some form?
In the same vein as art museums, there is a small "Samurai Museum" in Shinjuku, Tokyo if anyone plans to visit soon! (https://www.samuraimuseum.jp/en/index.html) It wasn't extraordinary, but many of the pieces are authentic (if I remember correctly), and our guide was wonderfully personable and my friends (who speak no Japanese) and I had a great time visiting. If you are in Tokyo/Shinjuku for a few days and/or you are a big samurai fan, I think it's worth a visit.
Finally... our discussion during the Zoom session tonight reminded me of a short animated film I saw at the DIA in 2013/2014. In talking about how some objects are so revered... that they are given names... and someone in the chat even mentioned animisim in Japanese culture... the short film kind of dealt with this concept, I think. It is called 「九十九」(kyuu-jyuu-kyuu), which means "99" in Japanese -- although the English title was changed to "Possessions" (::eyeroll::). It is the story of a man who comes across some very old objects that have been abandoned and have developed resentful spirits because of their misuse. It was really fascinating! As it came to my mind during our sessio today, I started looking around online... and I *FINALLY* found it online! (There are English subtitles for anyone who does not speak Japanese.) It's only about 13 minutes long (and was up for "Best Animated Short" for the Academy Awards!) so I hope you take a moment to enjoy it!
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3rr0av
Katharine DavisA fun activity in a art class (or an art activity in ANY class) could be to have the students mimic a portrait like this and have them select a few special items to surround themselves with, items that either showed their status or what was important to them or important skills/acheivements they would want represented!
Katharine DavisHi David! I thought I could help with a couple of your comments/questions regarding climate and geography. I found this cool website that allows you to overlay the different continents/countries/cities onto each other. I'd been told Tokyo was about the same latitude at Atlanta, but it's a bit farther north, as you can see in the image I've attached. (Though I beileve the climate is very similar to Atlanta: very hot and humid summers, very mild winters.) I saved this image as a screenshot from this site: https://www.bytemuse.com/post/interactive-equivalent-latitude-map/
I love your comparison of those in the Heian era "competing for cred"! I think that is an analogy our kids would totally relate to!
Katharine DavisI'm sure there are plenty of books about this topic, but I received one in particular that I know discussed this topic in a good amount of detail (at least, from MY opinion): A History of East Asia by Charles Holcombe
I found a review about the book here: https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/a-history-of-east-asia-from-the-origins-of-civilization-to-the-twenty-first-century/ (this article is about an older edition of the book but it's a really in-depth review!)
I admitedly don't know much about China or its history -- most of what I know I've learned as "China-in-relation-to-Japan" so I was really happy to add this book to my personal library. I'm still making my way through it (it is very much an academic textbook), but I've learned a lot!
Katharine DavisI also found all the information about incense fascinating! I have always loved the scents that I discover on my visits to Japan, especially the aromas of incense at temples (and sometimes shrines). I had no idea about these competitions and that nobles often created their own "signature mixtures." The reading "A Wisp of Smoke" was also so interesting; to think that so much could be conveyed about characters in "Genji" through the description of the scents. I have not (yet!) read "Genji," but reading this article made me feel I am still wholly unprepared for appreciating this literary work.
