[Lizette Bernal]

Since the tea course at the SuihoEn Japanese Garden I previously mentioned is not available at the time, I visited the Chinese American Museum. In here, I went into a shop called “Sun Wing Wo General Store and Herbs” where plenty of Chinese artifacts and goods are sold. What’s neat about this place is the color and vintage appeal. It’s nice to be in a place that feels authentic to the culture and this place offers that. Aside from the items on the shelves and displays, this shop also offers traditional Chinese medicine such as acupuncture. I still haven’t decided if the tools used for acupuncture were more or less frightening than what I thought about them beforehand. What’s most interesting at this location is the postal service available for costumers. I was informed that in the late 1800’s, when the Sun Wing Wo store opened, workers arrived with poor education and needed a writing service provided to communicate with others from their homeland. Now, they have a similar writing station for visitors to write postcards (which I couldn’t do at the time) to their friends and family.

[Lizette Bernal]

 

The USC East Asia seminar was very informative. I was embarrassingly naive and ignorant to almost everything East Asia, so it’s no exaggeration when I say that I’m walking away with a deeper understanding of the traditions, lifestyles, customs and historical events of this region. While there were many countries covered in our sessions, I learned the most about Japan. I was fascinated by the architecture of Japan and the delicate attention to detail they had when constructing many of their home designs. Professor Toshihiro discussed the elegancy of keeping things a secret within their architecture. It’s never about the big picture, it’s about the capabilities of one’s imagination when confronted with a limited perspective.

I was also pleased to find out how Japanese people conduct their business negotiations. According to Professor Peck, Japanese people aren’t fans of saying “no” because it isn’t part of their business etiquette. To Japanese businesspersons, coming to an agreement means commitment and it’s a big risk to take without first thoroughly thinking about it. In fact, they have 16 ways they properly say “no” without actually saying it. They’d prefer to reconvene after the fact to ensure that all the right decisions are made.

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Cynthia,

I must've missed when Dr. Yamashita discussed that the architects of the Pearl Harbor attack studied in the US - a total shock! I agree that it's expected for people, anyone, to grow compassion for a group if they've spent enough time with them. But, it's also no surprise for people to visit (aka investiagte) others with a purpose. I believe it's a question of morality. Nonetheless, very distasteful and horrific. 

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Iris,

I love that you used this quote! If I remember correctly, Japan's always been the quite, more lenient country. I think frustration and desperation have a lot to do with their thinking that power is the biggest tool. Having neighbors like China and Korea (north and south) minimizes their land vastly. With enough defeats, I can see their rationale to act based on what works for others, referencing again power.

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Matthew,

The photos of the better-fed children were in fact alarming. I wasn't aware that malnourishment led to discoloration of hair. Though I was quick to blame the society for their lack of attention to the needs of the young, it reminds me of the high cost of healthy food in American. It definitely speaks on class and how there is a division between rich and poor, or upper and lower classes. In both situations however, malnourishment can be prevented but at what cost? Does it mean sacrificing power?

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Matthew,

First and foremost, yes to charts and the presentation of data! I'm a visual learner, and like you mentioned, the visual information provided more clarity. Andrew (also attended the seminars) and I were talking about how effective the presentation by Professor Katada was because of the standstill slides. We'd also like to incorporate the same presentation/lecture skills we saw during the seminar.

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Angela,

Pokémon Go was/is such a pop-culture game - still very relevant to our society. I would even go as far to say that it is going down in our American history books. 

Almost every Japanese store I visit has very intricate pieces. Their attention to detail never goes unnoticed, especially with smaller items like writing materials, dinning tools, and decor. I would like to visit Daiso Japan to pick a lucky cat magnet myself. Thanks for your post!

[Lizette Bernal]

Kurt,

I agree with you completely! It is amazing how much a student sacrifices while studying to get a degree just to put it all aside when deciding to start a family. I'm thinking however, if this topic is an actual conversation in Japanese households. In other words, are Japanese families comfortable with the idea that women should raise children rather than pursuing a job? If it's a norm in the Japanese society, it'll definitely take some time to readjust,

[Lizette Bernal]

Hi Andrew,

It's tough to say what Americans truly needed to be able to reckon with the idea that real-life disasters can't be easily tamed. We do have Hollywood to thank for the dramatic scenes in most movies and even then, Americans are way under prepared, in my opinion. Maybe it starts with the culture? Japanese people seem to understand that disaster is out there and may be defeated by something unpredictable. Perhaps, like you mentioned, Americans are too invested in the idea that nothing can harm the country.

[Lizette Bernal]

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3036881/five-chinese-arrested-japan-secretly-photographing-university

Title: Five Chinese arrested in Japan for secretly photographing university admissions exam for foreign students

Author: Kyodo

Publisher: South China Morning Post

Date: November 8, 2019

Some 31,000 people took the exam this June, and more than 60 per cent of the examinees in Japan were Chinese nationals. Photo: A

Five Chinese arrested in Japan for secretly photographing university admissions exam for foreign students

Five Chinese nationals including the head of a Tokyo cram school for Chinese-speaking students have been arrested for secretly taking images of Japanese university admission exams for foreigners, investigative sources said Friday.

Ding Bin, the 36-year-old school president of MK Education & Technology, and four compatriots including school employees, are suspected of conspiring to obstruct the business of the Japan Student Services Organisation, a government-linked organisation that administers the national standardised test.

One of the group members allegedly took the test under a fake name and used camera-equipped eyeglasses to capture images of the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students in Tokyo on June 16.

The exam, held twice a year, evaluates the Japanese language proficiency and the basic academic abilities of international students who wish to study at the undergraduate level at universities or other higher education institutions in Japan.

The most recent examples of exams are not made publicly available and the group was apparently attempting to build a larger data set of questions to give the school a competitive advantage, the sources said.

The school head and the four others – three men and one woman – allegedly carried out different tasks, including purchasing cameras, taking exams, receiving data and recreating the exam, according to the sources.

Some 31,000 people took the exam this June, and more than 60 per cent of the examinees in Japan were Chinese nationals, according to the administrator.

Concealed cameras in eyewear, watches, pens and other items used in everyday life are widely sold online and at shops in Japan relatively cheaply under the auspices of crime prevention, prompting experts to call for regulation to prevent them being abused in nefarious activities.

Small, easily concealed cameras have been used for illegal purposes in many instances across Japan.

Last month, a man was served an arrest warrant for allegedly filming a young girl getting changed at a nursery school in Obihiro, Hokkaido, while a man was arrested in March for allegedly placing a pen-shaped camera in a bathroom in Nagoya.

Yusaku Fujii, a Gunma University professor with expertise in security cameras, said the prices of such cameras have fallen and their performance has advanced “at a remarkable speed.”

“As they are hard to detect, we should tighten control by introducing a registration system for [purchases of cameras] that can be abused,” Fujii said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: 5 Chinese arrested for recording Japan exam.

Why it's Important: I came across this article earlier today and I find it rather perfect for teaching students about plagirism. While middle school students are likely to need an introduction to plagirism as a whole, high school students benefit from a quick review that this article may offer. The topic of this article focuses primarily on the severity of plagirism through technology, which may be extremely relevant to our students' current generation. The headline of this article is a great hook to enggage students because many are unlikely to see a connection with the words "arrest" and "cheating". Teachers can take this article and make real life connections with the outside world. After all, we aim to protect integrity and prevent students from facing incidents that may jeopordize their education - even as drastic as arrest. By reading this article, students can apply ELA skills like context clues, inferences, identifying main claims and suportive details, etc. 

[Lizette Bernal]

Language is powerful when negotiating Japanese deals (or any deals). Japenese people have a tendency of avoiding saying “no”. Professor ____ had a slide of the 16 ways they say no to avoid commitment. One of the reasons was writing a letter with the intention to say no when those involved could have said no in person. This reason stuck out most out of all 16 because I’m guilty of doing something similar. To avoid commitment with either a task, a gathering, or some sort of responsibility, I respond with “I’ll let you know” knowing very well I will probably avoid the whole situation in general. 

 

On another (less personal) note, I like that the Japense use silence to let an anger simmer down. In some cases, silence makes people uncomfortable. To think of silence as a way to end an argument takes skill and practice. I say this because when upset, people are likely to control their reactions. There’s a whole list of basic rules when doing business in Japan, what is the outcome of breaking these rules? Is it a “side-eye” unwelcomed impulse, or something as drastic as asking people to leave the premises?

[Lizette Bernal]

I was fascinated to find out that the Japanese culture favors lines and disapproves of angles. Again, it now makes sense why so many Japense sites have sliding doors as entrances instead of the usual “pull/push” doors which ultimately, has angles when opened. The professor talked about “creating space in time” when distinguishing what each room is in Japense architecture since there’s truly no permanent room. Rooms are rather brought to life depending on the occasion of the moment. I wonder then, if it’s unusual to find a place with fixed furniture? Would that environment then be considered out of the norm and not well accepted?

[Lizette Bernal]

I was mind blown, to say the least, when the professor discussed the delicacy found within Japanese architecture. It quite literally all makes sense now. Japanese treasure and value simplicity which explains the “secrecy” behind many of the landscapes in homes, stylistic choices in fashion, and decor. I love the idea of allowing only a minimal viewpoint of something massively beautiful (e.g. a small view of a large beautiful beach). I do agree that it allows the mind the creativity to appreciate it for a longer time than having the big picture given to it. This also closely relates to what the professor mentioned about teacups having designs inside of them instead of outside in aim to visually appeal to the person drinking it - pretty awesome perspective!

[Lizette Bernal]

 

For some time now, I’ve been fascinated with tea ceremonies. I’m glad that the professor touched on this topic. It’s actually humorous to think that tea ceremonies were created to keep sleepy monks awake during meditation. Since meditation is significant to monks, incorporating a tea ceremony is not a distraction but rather, it’s an added gem to meditation. The professor described gardens with elegance. The idea of the garden as a walk until reaching the “heart of the hermit” (the tea ceremony) is a neat way to view the landscape. I wish I had known this before visiting the Japanese Garden last month.

[Lizette Bernal]

The brief conversation between Professors Dube and Toshihiro was very insightful. I’ve always questioned how people are chosen to be on currency. I’ve especially thought about this idea for US currency, too. Professor Toshihiro confirmed that for Japan, Ichiyo Higuchi symbolizes gender awareness. She was the first prominent female writer in Japan and brought about conversation related to the gender inequality within the nation. He discussed the urgency to “fix” the norms for women. He also touched on how Japan, in terms of women’s legal abilities, is where it needs to be (aka equal to men) but what’s lacking is the social equality. Ichiyo Higuchi symbolizes more than just a limited awareness of gender, she also signifies change. It’s important that people, of any country really, understand why people are on their currency. Would it be too much if along with the person’s picture, we’d add a line or 3-4 word description of their title/recognition? Considering there’s space of course.

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