Kelly's Japan trip 2011 |
|
Welcome to my trip journal!
I will be visiting my friends in Japan from 10/6-10/16, please follow along if you are interested! Many of you are wondering "why Japan?"... In 2009, I received a Freeman Foundation fellowship to study about Japanese culture in Honolulu for three weeks. Top scholars from around the world came to teach us about literature, economics, arts, history, politics, and family. It was such a thorough study of the culture, it was there that the seeds were planted for an eventual trip to Japan. The following summer, 2010, I took part in an international conference in Honolulu about the legacy of the Pacific War. The participants were American, but also Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and from the Pacific Islands. It was on that trip that I met and networked with a few Japanese scholars, and we have kept in contact through email. One colleague, Yoko, is on the Law Faculty at Seijo University. She teaches an American Culture course once per year, and I have partnered with her (using a section of an Intro to Sociology class) to have our students watch two films and use a "wiki" (online site that allows for all members to add and edit, to collaborate) to exchange cultural perspectives and analyze the films. Our students are watching "Tora, Tora, Tora" and "Lost in Translation"- we selected films that address the heightened tensions of WWII and more contemporary business relations.
On my trip to Tokyo, I will be visiting Yoko's class and giving a lecture at her university. I will also be visiting with another friend, Maho, in Kyoto; and Hiro, who teaches Hiroshima Studies in Hiroshima.
My reflections on the trip will be mostly cultural, not political. I hope to learn much about Japanese culture through my friends and interactions with them on my journey. My philosophy is that although nations have conflicts (and factions within nations), individuals can connect and find common ground and understanding.
Thank you for following along with me!
Kelly
The trip was rescheduled, due to Japan's March earthquake and tsunami, I am very excited to be able to rebook and extend my trip to include other cities in Japan.
I will be visiting my friends in Japan from 10/6-10/16, please follow along if you are interested! Many of you are wondering "why Japan?"... In 2009, I received a Freeman Foundation fellowship to study about Japanese culture in Honolulu for three weeks. Top scholars from around the world came to teach us about literature, economics, arts, history, politics, and family. It was such a thorough study of the culture, it was there that the seeds were planted for an eventual trip to Japan. The following summer, 2010, I took part in an international conference in Honolulu about the legacy of the Pacific War. The participants were American, but also Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and from the Pacific Islands. It was on that trip that I met and networked with a few Japanese scholars, and we have kept in contact through email. One colleague, Yoko, is on the Law Faculty at Seijo University. She teaches an American Culture course once per year, and I have partnered with her (using a section of an Intro to Sociology class) to have our students watch two films and use a "wiki" (online site that allows for all members to add and edit, to collaborate) to exchange cultural perspectives and analyze the films. Our students are watching "Tora, Tora, Tora" and "Lost in Translation"- we selected films that address the heightened tensions of WWII and more contemporary business relations.
On my trip to Tokyo, I will be visiting Yoko's class and giving a lecture at her university. I will also be visiting with another friend, Maho, in Kyoto; and Hiro, who teaches Hiroshima Studies in Hiroshima.
My reflections on the trip will be mostly cultural, not political. I hope to learn much about Japanese culture through my friends and interactions with them on my journey. My philosophy is that although nations have conflicts (and factions within nations), individuals can connect and find common ground and understanding.
Thank you for following along with me!
Kelly
The trip was rescheduled, due to Japan's March earthquake and tsunami, I am very excited to be able to rebook and extend my trip to include other cities in Japan.
|
Order: oldest at top ( reverse ) |
