[Kayla Kolean]

2. Certificate of Completion

I would like to get a certificate of completion. Please let me know if you need anything else from me. I enjoyed this seminar immensely and will definately recommend to other instructors! Thank you!

Kayla Kolean

[Kayla Kolean]

This has been one of the best seminars I have attended in recently memory. I loved the resources that were supplied, especially because they were high quality images that I can share with my online students. Our lecturer Professor Morgan Pitelka was super knowledgeable and great at answering questions and teaching about Japanese history with objects.

I was able to take away something from each week’s lecture to add to my own understanding of Japanese history, culture, geography, etc. as well as to my lessons for my students. In the first lecture, I learned more about pottery from Jomon and Yayoi periods that I added to enhancing an existing lecture and activity I have on these groups. I learned a lot about samurai influence and culture from tea ceremony to Noh performance. My students are always very interested in samurai culture, so I am excited to add more visuals and information about what samurai’s did after they were done fighting. Could even add information I learned about head-taking, with the images shared during this seminar to show samurai warring practices. During the final lecture, I learned about the emperor and empress images from the Meiji Period and the fine line between appearing Western as well as Traditional Japan. This can then be linked to daily issues in traditional clothing debates and talking about who is allowed to make, sell, and ware these traditional clothes closely associated with the identity of being “Japanese”.

There was so much information, I often watched the posted lectures a second or third time to better digest the information. I am so glad that I will have access to these lectures and resources in the future as I start incorporating material and ideas I gained into my teaching. Thank you so much! 

[Kayla Kolean]

I did not know about this phenomenon in Japan. Very interesting, and it speaks to Japan's emphasis and priority of tradional Japanese arts and traditions. I would love to see a list and images of past and current winners and their work(s).

[Kayla Kolean]

I am aware of "hafu" for mixed-race individuals. Many mixed-race individuals have recently spoken out about the terrible racism and prejudice that they experience from a young age. Here is a documentary called Hafu about these individuals: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/hafufilm 

As the world becomes more globalized, and Japan deals with its current population decline issues, I hope that more diversity will happen in Japan in order to overcome this racism and prejudice that people of less than 100% "Japanese" ancestory experience.

[Kayla Kolean]

I had not seen the images of the Emporer and Empress in Western dress and traditional Japanese clothing. I am excited to share these with my students next year to show the shift during this time.

I think that pop culture is a way that Japan is currently sharing and preserving its own country. Media that overseas audiences see depictions of the tori (orange gates), summer matsuri (festivals), and kabuki. Even during the 2021 Olympic performance, a modernized kabuki performance was featured. These are ways where Japan can not only celebrate its own traditions (or modern inventions of Japanese traditions) but as a way to export their national identity and ideas.

Many of the students come to my class with knowledge of these events and customs, which is awesome! So instead of teaching them from scratch, we start with discussions about students sharing what they know about a custom and working from their own prior exposure and experiences.

Do many of your students come to your class with prior knowledge of some Japanese cultures? If so, what customs or culture understanding (or even misunderstanding) do they bring?

 

[Kayla Kolean]

I would like to create a resources like the Lecture 2 posted above to show students how many different aspects of Japanese culture can be tied to the Samurai and "Samurai Supremecy" during this early modern period.

• Specific clothing (surcoat, wearing two swords)
• Tea ceremony (way of socializing and showing off wealth)
• Noh Theater (masked actors with unique and highly regimented performance)
• Pottery and other Artisian product commissions (Mikawachi ware made by captured Korean artists and Japanese artists)

Can you think of any other things to add to this list?

[Kayla Kolean]

I have been to Ise Jingu when I lived in Japan. I did not know that these shrines were rebuilt every 20 years, but it totally makes sense. I remember thinking that this shrine was so new looking and large. This must be a very expensive endevour. This place was very large with shrines scattered throughout a olden forest with large cedar trees. Usually shrines in Japan are quiet small, especially compared with Buddhist Temples (like Todaiji Temple from last lecture). It struck me that there were large homes for spirits, and it was not an open exibit for people to walk though the homes, and all of them were fenced off, so you can look on from the outside of these buildings. 

Here is a wonderful resource on how to properly pray at these sites: https://www.isejingu.or.jp/en/pray/index.html

 

[Kayla Kolean]

I have attended some tea ceremonies in Japan and in the US, and I am always reminded of how structured it is. I really enjoyed learning about the origins of the tea ceremony more and how it was a way for elites to show off their wealth and status, while socializing and sipping tea. In the discussion we touched on how Japanese aesthetics can sometimes look plain, but even a plain tea bowl or macha container could be worth an astounding amount of money. I associate this time period as one where Japan turned inward and spent a lot of time and effort on elevating art and crafts within Japan. I did learn that this practice was used by samurai, who were prominent in society at this time, but were not really required to go off and fight with anyone, therefore they can stay at home and commission items for tea ceremonies and to decorate their homes. 

I have some students each year for our research project select tea ceremonies in Japan. I now have some new resources to give these students in their research! Thank you!

Have you experience a Japanese tea ceremony? If so, what were your impressions of the ceremony?

[Kayla Kolean]

I did not know about this, and was suprised to learn of this as a way to prove how successful you were. You can apparently forge numbers of people concured, but not if your lord demands a literal head count, right?!

Thank you for sharing this image.

Here is a video I found on the history of "head-taking" with origins in China 200BC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXPrkZ5Kpmo

There was a lot of rules with the head-taking of samurai featured from 4:00-5:30minute. Astounding!

[Kayla Kolean]

I have only read bits and pieces of the Japanese classic "Tale of Genji". I was very excited to find a manga version in English that was released this year: https://www.amazon.com/Lady-Murasakis-Tale-Genji-Manga/dp/480531656X/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=RO4iS&content-id=amzn1.sym.5fe95cd4-8512-42fa-bf21-63d83b898785&pf_rd_p=5fe95cd4-8512-42fa-bf21-63d83b898785&pf_rd_r=1QAGV0ZVEDEP3T53HGX8&pd_rd_wg=yTdDe&pd_rd_r=c6190ada-094b-449e-844d-774051a46fe7&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m

I hope to get a copy for myself, and then scan any interesting sections to include in my lesson(s) on the Heian Era!

Do you use manga or graphic novels in your lessons?

[Kayla Kolean]

I did not know much about perfume and its importance in the Japanese Court society at this time in the Heian Era. I would like to include this as well in my cultural discussions with students. I feature Jomon and Yayaoi, then skip to Edo since that is what students are most interested in. However, if I was to add a section about the Heian Era, I would definately talk about perfume! I would then like to ask students if they themselves have certain scent memories (happy ones preferably) about their family, pets, places, etc. For example, growing up my family and I visited my grandparents during the summer, and my grandmother wore A LOT of suncreen (though now looking back that was great foresight on her part to protect her skin) and so everytime I smeel suncreen when I open a bottle to put some on my face, I think of my grandmother. I might also ask them if they think they could court someone with a terrible perfume, or if their best friend told them they disliked their perfume if they might change it. Just brainstorming questions based on perfume+court drama.

I was also struck by the idea that these gentry would not see each other. I might ask students if they would feel better in this society as a lower-class citizen who could make lots of friends and meet them daily, or a higher-class citizen who could only see a few people of the same gender daily and not see there potential love interest in person.

What might you include about the Heian Era to teach your students?

[Kayla Kolean]

I have been to this temple in Nara, Japan. It was huge! And what is even more astounding than the giant bronze Buddha inside, is that this temple was actually rebuilt twice! This temple was very large and kept getting hit by lighting and catching on fire, and then had to be rebuild. In the back of the current temple, you can see a scale model of how large the original temple was, and it was even more massive to be sure!

I read a bit more about Todaiji Temple via this Khan Academy article, and was struck by this fact:

The 8th century campaign to construct Buddhist temples in every Japanese province under Imperial control (mostly in the Kinai area, today home to Osaka and Kyoto) is estimated to have resulted in the construction 600-850 temples using 3 million cubic meters of wood.

That is a lot of resources! I am thankful the lecture and discussion touched on reasons a religion like Buddhism, which values the self over material goods, might have need for such lavish buildings. Learning that donations would help a person reach a higher level of peace in the afterlife is a great way to secure funding for these projects.

 

Have you ever been to Todaiji Temple or another large religious structure?

[Kayla Kolean]

That is a wonderful reference! I have not seen the show, but I understand the statement he was making. I am a person who is curious, and it bothers me to not understand stories or know the purpose to items. I doubt I could be a great archiologist as I would get so caught up in the fact that we just don't know, and might never know why and how the objects were made and used.

Did the Doju figurine intrigue you Rachel? At first I thought it was a totem of some sort, but then when the lecture went on to describe how the figures are sometime broken and found at opposite side on the gather area, I was blown away. I immediately thought of those broken heart charms that you might get with your best friend in middle school, which one half being "best" and the other "friend". Any thoughts?

[Kayla Kolean]

Just this year I started teaching about the Jomon and Yayoi Periods. I did not feel very comfortable talking about these periods since I had not done much research into them and made a basic overview for each.

I am excited to add the Flame-Rimmed Deep Bowl, and other artifacts shown in the lecture, to my presentation. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/44905 This gived photographic evidence of just what kinds of tools and items these people who live in this place created. This is a great way to also get students to brainstorm and think critically about why they might have made these items since the cost in terms of energy and creativity is relatively high for the other tasks people would have to do to survive. I was very much struck by what was mentioned in the lecture, that this could have been the first vessle in creation that allowed people to make and consume "Soup" for the first time (my students and I are always excited for food related content). 

I would also then like to jusctapose the Yayoi pots and show the difference between these two eras and allow students to speculate on why these changes may have been made. I could then relate this to changing trends in fashion or architecture nowadays for context.

Lastly, I was struck by the notion in our discussion when it was asked "are these people Japanese?". I would love to ask my students this as well, because it shows that just because this group started residing in the area we now recognize as Japan, do they have ties to the people living there now. When does "person of Japanese origin" really start? Great question and I spent awhile after the lecture and discussion thinking about. 

What parts of this lecture might you bring into your own teachings?

[Kayla Kolean]

That is SO cool! Do you know where you are stationed yet in Japan? I have several friends do this programme, and they all found it a very rewarding experience. Have fun! 

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