I just wanted to call your attention to some of the new Japanese films that have come in to the Language Resource Center this year. Most of them are quite recent, and there's a nice mixed bag of drama, comedy, horror, samurai, ninjas, anime, giant superheroes... often all in the same movie. They aren't available to check out, but they can be viewed in the LRC and, if anyone would like one to be added to eVideon for remote viewing online, just let me know.
Departures, 2010
Kaidan, 2009
Sky Crawlers, 2009
Big Man Japan, 2009
The Astonishing Works of Tezuka Osamu, 2009
The Exquisite Short Films of Kihachiro Kawamoto, 2008
The Roots of Japanese Anime, Until the end of WWII, 2008
Tokyo Sonata, 2008
Love and Honor, 2008
Absolute Boyfriend, 2008
Maiko Haaaan~, 2008
Miyazaki Hayao's Ponyo, 2008
Hula Girls, 2007
Casshern, 2007
The Hidden Blade, 2006
Sakuran, 2006
Shinobi, 2005
Azumi, 2003
Kabuki - Sukeroku, Flower of Edo
And, as always, if you have any suggestions for future acquisitions I'm always looking for ideas.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Japanese Culture Day
The Japanese Culture Association will be hosting a "Japanese Culture Day" in conjunction with Campus Intercultural Week this Friday. From 3:30-6:30pm in Kirkhof 1142, they'll be hosting various events, including a screening of the film Linda, Linda, Linda, a presentation on Japanese popular music, Japanese snacks, etc. There is no fee for participation and all are welcome. For additional information, contact JCA president Pat Taylor at taylorp@gvsu.eu.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Study Abroad Info Sessions
I'll be hosting two study abroad information sessions this week, one on Thursday evening and one on Friday afternoon. The content will be the same at both, so hopefully one of the two sessions will work for those who are interested in the program. I'll be primarily discussing and promoting the new faculty-led study abroad program to Osaka next summer, but I'll also be talking in more general terms about what you should look for in a study abroad program, how you might go about funding study abroad, etc. I highly recommend that everyone interested in study abroad also attend the general study abroad fellowship information meeting on Wednesday night. That session is being organized by the Fellowships office and concerns more general sources of funding for study abroad, while mine will focus on Japan-specific sources of funding, but the combination of the two should be extremely useful. Here are the times:
"Funding Study Abroad Information Session"
•••Wednesday, Nov. 10th 7pm Kirkhof 1104
"Faculty-led study abroad in Osaka Information Session"
•••Thursday, Nov. 11th 8:30pm Manitou 122
•••Friday, Nov. 12th 3pm Manitou 122
"Funding Study Abroad Information Session"
•••Wednesday, Nov. 10th 7pm Kirkhof 1104
"Faculty-led study abroad in Osaka Information Session"
•••Thursday, Nov. 11th 8:30pm Manitou 122
•••Friday, Nov. 12th 3pm Manitou 122
Monday, November 1, 2010
Kenny Endo Taiko Ensemble
The Kenny Endo Taiko (Japanese drum) Ensemble will be performing this Wednesday night down in Kalamazoo. Taiko done well is truly an experience you won't want to miss, and Kenny Endo combines it creatively with other musical traditions. Well worth the road trip, I'm sure. Here's the info:
Wednesday, Nov. 3rd
8:15 pm~
WMU Dalton Recital Hall
Tickets $5
http://www.kennyendo.com/
Wednesday, Nov. 3rd
8:15 pm~
WMU Dalton Recital Hall
Tickets $5
http://www.kennyendo.com/
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Japanese Film Series
The rest of the films for this semester have been decided and here's how the schedule looks:
Oct. 28th Maiko Haaan!
Nov. 11th Survive Style 5+
Dec. 9th Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo
All dates are Thursdays and, as before, all films will begin at 6pm in Manitou Hall Room 123. Come one! Come all! Bring your friends! I will probably be bringing some Japanese-style snacks in on the 28th (next Thursday), so come enjoy some snacks as well!
Oct. 28th Maiko Haaan!
Nov. 11th Survive Style 5+
Dec. 9th Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo
All dates are Thursdays and, as before, all films will begin at 6pm in Manitou Hall Room 123. Come one! Come all! Bring your friends! I will probably be bringing some Japanese-style snacks in on the 28th (next Thursday), so come enjoy some snacks as well!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Study Abroad Fair
On Tuesday, Oct. 19th, the Padnos International Center will be holding a study abroad fair. It lasts from 10am to 4pm in the Kirkhof Center Grand River Room. There will be a representative from JCMU and student reps from APU and ICU to answer questions about those programs. I will be there in the afternoon and, while I'm primarily there to promote the new faculty-led program, I would be happy to answer any questions you might have about the other programs and study abroad in general. Hope to see you there.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Japanese Film Series
The next film in the JCA's Japanese Film Series will be Departures (Okuribito), the 2008 Academy Award winner for best foreign film. The film will be shown at 6pm in Manitou Hall Room 123 on Thursday, Oct. 14th, and all are welcome.
The remainder of the film series will be announced soon.
The remainder of the film series will be announced soon.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Faculty-led Study Abroad in Osaka
As many of you know, one of my big goals for the past year and a half has been the creation of a Grand Valley faculty-led study abroad program to Japan. I put the proposal in last year, received initial approval to go to Japan this past summer, and on Monday went before the committee with my proposal... which was approved! As long as I can get the required minimum twelve students to commit by February, I'll be taking them to Japan next summer! A lot of the details have been up in the air, so I've been deliberately vague when discussing the eventual form the program might take, but now that we've gotten approval the details are pretty well set... and here's how they look:
The program will be based in Osaka, at Osaka Gakuin Daigaku, and include attendance in an existing summer language program at that school run by a company called CET Academic Programs. Basically, I will be going to Japan with the group of students at the beginning of May, teaching a traditional Japanese theater course during the first month, and then returning to the US while students begin the intensive language program, which lasts eight weeks. That's right, it's a full three months in Japan, from the beginning of May to the end of July! That's a bit longer than most faculty-led programs and the program also unconventional in other ways. For one thing, the hybrid faculty class/language program model is not like any other faculty-led program offered through the Padnos International Center and, while there was initial excitement about the possibility, there was also some resistance to the implementation. In the end, I am very excited about it, since it will allow me to open the program to students at all levels, from absolute beginners to students who have gone as far at Grand Valley as they can, and also allow students to make real progress toward the course of language study at Grand Valley rather than being merely supplemental to our language classes. It also gives students almost a full month in-country before beginning formal language study, something which I think will help with the transition from our classes to the intensive program. All in all, I'm excited to see if it works as well as I think it will.
The 3-credit traditional theater course I'll be teaching will focus on both the "big three" of Japanese theater: nô, kabuki, and bunraku; but also a wide range of other performing arts such as kagura, gagaku, biwa, kyomai, butô, Takarazuka, and modern theater. It will include four "field trips" in which we explore the entertainment districts of Osaka, Kyôto, and Nara before watching live theatrical perfomances of kabuki, nô, and whatever else is available at that time in the Kansai area. Combining readings and discussion of plays prior to watching them performed live, I aim to give students greater insight into the performance traditions than can be achieved otherwise.
During the intensive language portion, students will work through a full year of our coursework in eight weeks. CET uses the same textbook series we do, Genki for first and second year and Tobira for third year, but the pace is much quicker, with two hour classes in both the morning and afternoon five days a week. In addition, one class session per week is spent with the instructor outside the classroom, pursuing tasks in the community which force students to make active use of their language skills. Finally, CET maintains a strict language pledge during the eight-week time period, requiring students to use only Japanese not just in the classroom, but at home as well.
"Wait a second," you ask. "Japanese at home too? How can they possibly enforce that?" Well, the housing used throughout the three months is not in dorms or homestays, but in Japanese apartments, each student living with a Japanese roommate. The language pledge is not enforced in the first month, while students are taking the theater course, but during the eight weeks of the language course roommates sign a pledge that they will communicate with their roommate only in Japanese. I can speak from personal experience when I say that "all Japanese all the time" is the way to really learn the language. And, of course, it allows you to speak with great authority when you tell people, "Yes, Japanese apartments are really really small."
So twelve weeks in Japan and twelve credits worth of classes... that's the equivalent of a full semester abroad. And, of course, the price reflects that. My calculation for the program fees come in at $8,787, which includes airfare, housing, field trips, insurance, etc. However, students will also need to enroll in 12 credits of GVSU tuition (part of which goes to pay for the language class, of course), as well as paying for meals, groceries, personal expenses, etc. With my estimate of your needs over three months, that jacks the total price up over $16,000. That's not an insane price in comparison with comparable Japan programs, but it's still a good sized chunk of cash, and one of the big obstacles to getting that 12-student minimum. I'm going to be spending a lot of time over the next several months looking into scholarship options and encouraging students to apply for all that are available. If you're interested in the program but concerned about the price, by all means come talk to me about it.
Well, those are the details. Please feel free to ask whatever other questions you might have, and let me know if you might be interested. We'll be promoting the heck out of it for the next three months, so I'm sure this will not be the last time you hear me talk about the program. If you'd like to know more about the living and studying situation, CET has a student or two per semester writing blogs about their experience, and you can check them out here. Just click on the "Japan" tag. See you in Osaka?
Update:
After talking with the Padnos International Center, it seems they want to divide the program into two separate components: the theater class in May and the language component in June-July.
So what does this mean to you? Well, for students who were planning on studying for the whole summer, it doesn't mean much of anything. The budget, time frame, and content are all the same as they would have been before. It does, however, open up the possibility of just taking the May course and skipping the June-July component. Students who choose to do this would end up paying about half the total price for one-third of the time, and they would also not be considered full-time, with only three credits. However, it might be an option for students who can't swing the tuition for the full program or aren't interested in language study. It does mean that there might be a better chance of getting to that minimum 12-student threshold more easily, though. I decided to eliminate the Japanese roommate program for students who weren't going on with language study, but aside from that the experience during the May component would be the same for all students, regardless of whether or not they pursue the language portion.
Update:
The official flier is available here, and students who are interested in applying can do so here.
The program will be based in Osaka, at Osaka Gakuin Daigaku, and include attendance in an existing summer language program at that school run by a company called CET Academic Programs. Basically, I will be going to Japan with the group of students at the beginning of May, teaching a traditional Japanese theater course during the first month, and then returning to the US while students begin the intensive language program, which lasts eight weeks. That's right, it's a full three months in Japan, from the beginning of May to the end of July! That's a bit longer than most faculty-led programs and the program also unconventional in other ways. For one thing, the hybrid faculty class/language program model is not like any other faculty-led program offered through the Padnos International Center and, while there was initial excitement about the possibility, there was also some resistance to the implementation. In the end, I am very excited about it, since it will allow me to open the program to students at all levels, from absolute beginners to students who have gone as far at Grand Valley as they can, and also allow students to make real progress toward the course of language study at Grand Valley rather than being merely supplemental to our language classes. It also gives students almost a full month in-country before beginning formal language study, something which I think will help with the transition from our classes to the intensive program. All in all, I'm excited to see if it works as well as I think it will.
The 3-credit traditional theater course I'll be teaching will focus on both the "big three" of Japanese theater: nô, kabuki, and bunraku; but also a wide range of other performing arts such as kagura, gagaku, biwa, kyomai, butô, Takarazuka, and modern theater. It will include four "field trips" in which we explore the entertainment districts of Osaka, Kyôto, and Nara before watching live theatrical perfomances of kabuki, nô, and whatever else is available at that time in the Kansai area. Combining readings and discussion of plays prior to watching them performed live, I aim to give students greater insight into the performance traditions than can be achieved otherwise.
During the intensive language portion, students will work through a full year of our coursework in eight weeks. CET uses the same textbook series we do, Genki for first and second year and Tobira for third year, but the pace is much quicker, with two hour classes in both the morning and afternoon five days a week. In addition, one class session per week is spent with the instructor outside the classroom, pursuing tasks in the community which force students to make active use of their language skills. Finally, CET maintains a strict language pledge during the eight-week time period, requiring students to use only Japanese not just in the classroom, but at home as well.
"Wait a second," you ask. "Japanese at home too? How can they possibly enforce that?" Well, the housing used throughout the three months is not in dorms or homestays, but in Japanese apartments, each student living with a Japanese roommate. The language pledge is not enforced in the first month, while students are taking the theater course, but during the eight weeks of the language course roommates sign a pledge that they will communicate with their roommate only in Japanese. I can speak from personal experience when I say that "all Japanese all the time" is the way to really learn the language. And, of course, it allows you to speak with great authority when you tell people, "Yes, Japanese apartments are really really small."
So twelve weeks in Japan and twelve credits worth of classes... that's the equivalent of a full semester abroad. And, of course, the price reflects that. My calculation for the program fees come in at $8,787, which includes airfare, housing, field trips, insurance, etc. However, students will also need to enroll in 12 credits of GVSU tuition (part of which goes to pay for the language class, of course), as well as paying for meals, groceries, personal expenses, etc. With my estimate of your needs over three months, that jacks the total price up over $16,000. That's not an insane price in comparison with comparable Japan programs, but it's still a good sized chunk of cash, and one of the big obstacles to getting that 12-student minimum. I'm going to be spending a lot of time over the next several months looking into scholarship options and encouraging students to apply for all that are available. If you're interested in the program but concerned about the price, by all means come talk to me about it.
Well, those are the details. Please feel free to ask whatever other questions you might have, and let me know if you might be interested. We'll be promoting the heck out of it for the next three months, so I'm sure this will not be the last time you hear me talk about the program. If you'd like to know more about the living and studying situation, CET has a student or two per semester writing blogs about their experience, and you can check them out here. Just click on the "Japan" tag. See you in Osaka?
Update:
After talking with the Padnos International Center, it seems they want to divide the program into two separate components: the theater class in May and the language component in June-July.
So what does this mean to you? Well, for students who were planning on studying for the whole summer, it doesn't mean much of anything. The budget, time frame, and content are all the same as they would have been before. It does, however, open up the possibility of just taking the May course and skipping the June-July component. Students who choose to do this would end up paying about half the total price for one-third of the time, and they would also not be considered full-time, with only three credits. However, it might be an option for students who can't swing the tuition for the full program or aren't interested in language study. It does mean that there might be a better chance of getting to that minimum 12-student threshold more easily, though. I decided to eliminate the Japanese roommate program for students who weren't going on with language study, but aside from that the experience during the May component would be the same for all students, regardless of whether or not they pursue the language portion.
Update:
The official flier is available here, and students who are interested in applying can do so here.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Japanese Language Proficiency Test
So, you've studied Japanese for a year or two, made it through the textbook, did all the homework... but just how good is your Japanese really? One of the problems with studying Japanese in a college classroom is that there's no objective measure of your ability. Pace, materials, and focus change from one school to the next, and an A in one teacher's class might be a C at a different school. Isn't there some external measure of Japanese ability that could get everybody on the same page, like an SAT or ACT test for Japanese?
Why yes, actually, there is. There's the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, or 日本語能力試験. The test is sponsored by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, and serves as an independent measure of Japanese proficiency. It isn't an accreditation, so success on the test doesn't entitle you to anything, but it can be useful for getting a sense of where you stand. After completing first year Japanese, you should be able to attempt the lowest level of the exam, Level N5, and after two years you might attempt Level N4. And most importantly, it is offered in the US once per year... in Chicago on December 5th.
I am not encouraging anyone to take the test. There is, after all, a fee involved ($40 for the N4 and N5 levels) and it isn't going to earn you extra credit... or anything except the knowledge of where you stand. But if a large enough number of students decide to take the test, I will look into renting a van or chartering a bus to take students to Chicago as a group. We could take the test in the morning, then in the afternoon visit Mitsuwa Marketplace, a Japanese shopping center with a Japanese grocery, bookstore, housewares shop, and a couple of restaurants.
If you are interested, you will need to register on your own and then let me know via e-mail if you would like to be a part of the group trip. Unfortunately, you will need to make a decision quickly, as the registration deadline is at the end of this week, September 24th at 5pm. To register online, go to the Japan Foundation website. Once people have signed up for the test, I would also be happy to conduct some group sessions to talk about strategies for studying, introduce some existing study resources we have in the LRC, etc. Just let me know if you're interested.
Why yes, actually, there is. There's the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, or 日本語能力試験. The test is sponsored by the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services, and serves as an independent measure of Japanese proficiency. It isn't an accreditation, so success on the test doesn't entitle you to anything, but it can be useful for getting a sense of where you stand. After completing first year Japanese, you should be able to attempt the lowest level of the exam, Level N5, and after two years you might attempt Level N4. And most importantly, it is offered in the US once per year... in Chicago on December 5th.
I am not encouraging anyone to take the test. There is, after all, a fee involved ($40 for the N4 and N5 levels) and it isn't going to earn you extra credit... or anything except the knowledge of where you stand. But if a large enough number of students decide to take the test, I will look into renting a van or chartering a bus to take students to Chicago as a group. We could take the test in the morning, then in the afternoon visit Mitsuwa Marketplace, a Japanese shopping center with a Japanese grocery, bookstore, housewares shop, and a couple of restaurants.
If you are interested, you will need to register on your own and then let me know via e-mail if you would like to be a part of the group trip. Unfortunately, you will need to make a decision quickly, as the registration deadline is at the end of this week, September 24th at 5pm. To register online, go to the Japan Foundation website. Once people have signed up for the test, I would also be happy to conduct some group sessions to talk about strategies for studying, introduce some existing study resources we have in the LRC, etc. Just let me know if you're interested.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Japanese Conversation Table... again
We have set the dates and times for our first week of meetings, as well as potential times for our more permanent schedule. For this week, we will be meeting at:
Tuesday, 9/14, 4-6pm, MAK B-2-226
Thursday, 9/16, 2-4pm, MAK B-2-241
Friday, 9/17, 3-5pm, MAK D-2-168
There are three two-hour sessions per week, so people can feel to come and go as their schedules permit. Hopefully everyone who wants to come and make it to at least one of these three sessions. For they time being, we will be sticking with this schedule, but for Fridays we will be using a different room than that for the first week. The "permanent" schedule will be:
Tuesdays 4-6pm, MAK B-2-226
Thursdays 2-4pm, MAK B-2-241
Fridays 3-5pm, MAK B-2-116
That's "pending room reservation approval" of course, but it should be fairly stable.
Tuesday, 9/14, 4-6pm, MAK B-2-226
Thursday, 9/16, 2-4pm, MAK B-2-241
Friday, 9/17, 3-5pm, MAK D-2-168
There are three two-hour sessions per week, so people can feel to come and go as their schedules permit. Hopefully everyone who wants to come and make it to at least one of these three sessions. For they time being, we will be sticking with this schedule, but for Fridays we will be using a different room than that for the first week. The "permanent" schedule will be:
Tuesdays 4-6pm, MAK B-2-226
Thursdays 2-4pm, MAK B-2-241
Fridays 3-5pm, MAK B-2-116
That's "pending room reservation approval" of course, but it should be fairly stable.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Japanese Conversation Table
As I've already mentioned to many of you, I'm trying to get the GVSU Japanese Conversation Table up and running again this year. What is the JCT? Well, to quote from the Official Facebook Page:
The GVSU JCT is a forum to practice communicating (in both oral and written forms) in Japanese. It is casual, social, and centered on topics of interest to its members.
The JCT is NOT:
- centered on GVSU Japanese language courses
- limited to those enrolled in Japanese classes
- limited to those with advanced Japanese skills
- a forum for getting help on your homework
The official goal is to improve language skills through active use of the language rather than through targeted study. It is not intended to replace language classes, but to reinforce what is learned through practical use in a casual setting.
Now to be clear, I do think it would be valuable to schedule times to study and collaborate with others in your individual classes. I'd just like the JCT to be separate from this and concerned with communication rather than homework, etc. I'd like to schedule two afternoon meetings per week, to try and accommodate as many different schedules as possible. I'll be holding an informal meeting to gauge interest this Thursday (9/9) at 2pm in MAK Room B-2-226. If you are interested in the JCT, please either come to this meeting or send me an e-mail (robinjer@gvsu.edu) with some alternative times that might work for you. Hopefully we can manage to put some times together that will work for you.
The GVSU JCT is a forum to practice communicating (in both oral and written forms) in Japanese. It is casual, social, and centered on topics of interest to its members.
The JCT is NOT:
- centered on GVSU Japanese language courses
- limited to those enrolled in Japanese classes
- limited to those with advanced Japanese skills
- a forum for getting help on your homework
The official goal is to improve language skills through active use of the language rather than through targeted study. It is not intended to replace language classes, but to reinforce what is learned through practical use in a casual setting.
Now to be clear, I do think it would be valuable to schedule times to study and collaborate with others in your individual classes. I'd just like the JCT to be separate from this and concerned with communication rather than homework, etc. I'd like to schedule two afternoon meetings per week, to try and accommodate as many different schedules as possible. I'll be holding an informal meeting to gauge interest this Thursday (9/9) at 2pm in MAK Room B-2-226. If you are interested in the JCT, please either come to this meeting or send me an e-mail (robinjer@gvsu.edu) with some alternative times that might work for you. Hopefully we can manage to put some times together that will work for you.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Happy New (Academic) Year!
Welcome back, everybody! And to those of you who are new to Grand Valley, or at least new to this blog, Welcome! This really feels like a fresh new semester for me because, for the first time in two years, I have two classes almost entirely filled with new faces. I taught both JPN 101-102 and JPN 201-202 when I first arrived at Grand Valley two years ago, and then JPN 201-202 and the third-year students last year, so I got to know those students really well but didn't see all that many new students. Now most of my JPN 201 class were studying with Abe Sensei in the first year, so it all feels new and I'm eager to get started with all the plans I have for the program. I hope you are all returning from summer vacation with renewed energy as well.
I haven't been posting much over summer vacation, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been much happening. Most of it has been "behind the scenes" stuff, but there have been some major developments that are only just now starting to bear fruit. In fact I have enough material for three or four of these updates, so I'll just summarize a few of the topics for now and leave the details to upcoming posts. First, I did make a trek to Japan over the summer and took a look at the partner institution where I'll be building a faculty-led study abroad program starting next year. The final proposal is almost complete, and I'll post the full details soon. The past president of the JCA, Keren Benavides, is on her way to Japan for a year of study abroad, but the new president has met with some of the regular members to start planning this year, and there should be some announcements about meeting times, film series, etc. fairly soon. And there seems to be a lot of interest in getting my proposed Japanese Conversation Table up and running as well. I'll be posting more details about that before the weekend is done, and holding an initial meeting to gauge interest sometime next week. I'll also be trying to see how many students might be interested in a trip to Chicago in December for the annual Japanese Language Proficiency Test. For now, though, enjoy the long Labor Day weekend and I'll see you next week.
I haven't been posting much over summer vacation, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been much happening. Most of it has been "behind the scenes" stuff, but there have been some major developments that are only just now starting to bear fruit. In fact I have enough material for three or four of these updates, so I'll just summarize a few of the topics for now and leave the details to upcoming posts. First, I did make a trek to Japan over the summer and took a look at the partner institution where I'll be building a faculty-led study abroad program starting next year. The final proposal is almost complete, and I'll post the full details soon. The past president of the JCA, Keren Benavides, is on her way to Japan for a year of study abroad, but the new president has met with some of the regular members to start planning this year, and there should be some announcements about meeting times, film series, etc. fairly soon. And there seems to be a lot of interest in getting my proposed Japanese Conversation Table up and running as well. I'll be posting more details about that before the weekend is done, and holding an initial meeting to gauge interest sometime next week. I'll also be trying to see how many students might be interested in a trip to Chicago in December for the annual Japanese Language Proficiency Test. For now, though, enjoy the long Labor Day weekend and I'll see you next week.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
JAFAX 15
It's been a while since my last post, and I have a lot to talk about in the wake of my trip to Japan and future plans for the department. But for now, I'll simply use this to remind everyone about the fifteenth annual JAFAX convention this coming weekend on the Allendale campus. For those of you who don't know, JAFAX is an anime convention. In fact, I believe it is the largest free anime convention in the US. This weekend thousands of anime fans will descend on the Grand Valley campus to cosplay, buy anime stuff, sell art and homemade anime stuff, and watch anime and other Japanese entertainment in one of the numerous screening rooms. There are also talks being given on voice acting, creating comics, art, etc. by a wide range of guests... of which I am one. I'll be giving a talk on otaku (the same talk I gave at Otaku no Anime last semester) on Saturday and one on cyborgs on Sunday. And no, I will not be cosplaying. Nice try. For more info, check out http://www.jafax.org
Friday, April 16, 2010
The Japanese Conversation Table lives again!
... I hope.
I have decided (just a "tad" late in the semester) to try once again to revive the old Japanese Conversation Table. So who's going to care about speaking Japanese when there aren't any Japanese classes to take? Well, I'm hoping that anyone who's in the area and wants to keep practicing their Japanese over the summer will join in. And for anyone who's not in the area, I'm hoping that they will participate online in the Japanese discussion groups. I'd like to make the new (improved?) JCT as much an online forum as a face-to-face one. At any rate, I've had Morgan make me an admin of the old Facebook group, reworked the "statement of purpose" to reflect the new reality, and started a couple of discussion threads in the hopes of getting something started. We'll see how it goes. Check it out (and join the group) at the GVSU JCT Facebook site.
I have decided (just a "tad" late in the semester) to try once again to revive the old Japanese Conversation Table. So who's going to care about speaking Japanese when there aren't any Japanese classes to take? Well, I'm hoping that anyone who's in the area and wants to keep practicing their Japanese over the summer will join in. And for anyone who's not in the area, I'm hoping that they will participate online in the Japanese discussion groups. I'd like to make the new (improved?) JCT as much an online forum as a face-to-face one. At any rate, I've had Morgan make me an admin of the old Facebook group, reworked the "statement of purpose" to reflect the new reality, and started a couple of discussion threads in the hopes of getting something started. We'll see how it goes. Check it out (and join the group) at the GVSU JCT Facebook site.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
JCA Genki na Hanami!
In Japan, spring is the season for hanami (花見), or cherry blossom viewing. Groups of friends, coworkers and families lay out tarps on the ground and sit there all day long admiring the blossoms, eating, singing, and usually drinking large quantities of sake. Now the JCA will be honoring this tradition with their very own hanami (minus the sake, I think). This coming Monday, April 12th, from 6-8pm, they will gather in Kirkhof room 1142 to celebrate spring and Japanese culture. There will be examples of origami, calligraphy, and other aspects of Japanese culture and, of course, it wouldn't be a hanami without food. There will be loads of free food there catered by XO Asian Cuisine. Bring your friends!
Arts and Culture of Japan in Saugatuck
The Saugatuck Center for the Arts hosts an annual Global Cultural Festival in which they highlight the arts and culture of a specific region, and this year the topic is Japan. Throughout April they have free lectures on Japanese film, poetry, kimono, etc., performances of of Japanese drumming and kamishibai storytelling and workshops on tea ceremony, kimono, sake tasting, and a variety of topics for kids including origami, calligraphy and fan painting. You can take a look at the full schedule here.
I will be participating in the festivities as well, with a lecture on Japanese poetry on the evening of April 12th and a workshop on composing Japanese poetry on April 17th. I feel like I'm pretty well prepared for the lecture, especially since a lot of it is coming from recent lectures in my premodern Japanese culture and civilization course, but I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about the workshop. I've had my students do exercises in poetry composition before, but I have a lot more experience talking about Japanese poetry than I do teaching how to write English versions of Japanese forms. At any rate, if you can get down to Saugatuck for at least some of the events, I'm sure it will be memorable.
I will be participating in the festivities as well, with a lecture on Japanese poetry on the evening of April 12th and a workshop on composing Japanese poetry on April 17th. I feel like I'm pretty well prepared for the lecture, especially since a lot of it is coming from recent lectures in my premodern Japanese culture and civilization course, but I have to admit I'm a bit nervous about the workshop. I've had my students do exercises in poetry composition before, but I have a lot more experience talking about Japanese poetry than I do teaching how to write English versions of Japanese forms. At any rate, if you can get down to Saugatuck for at least some of the events, I'm sure it will be memorable.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Otaku no Anime happenings
If you were one of the throngs of people who mobbed the Otaku no Anime meeting on Valentine's Day in the hope of catching a glimpse of my talk, you have my apologies. I was forced to cancel the planned talk due to illness. I will instead be giving the talk this coming Sunday, February 28th. The title: "Anatomy of an Otaku: dangerous obsessive or new-media savvy 21st century cultural consumer?" As before, the meeting will be from 1-4pm in Lake Superior Hall Room 154, but I'm not sure when in that time frame I'll be talking.
Also in anime news, Otaku no Anime will be hosting a tribute to Miyazaki Hayao this Friday (February 16th) by screening three of his films. "The Wonderful World of Ghibli" will feature The Cat Returns, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke, running from 4-10pm in Loutit Room 102. All are welcome.
Also in anime news, Otaku no Anime will be hosting a tribute to Miyazaki Hayao this Friday (February 16th) by screening three of his films. "The Wonderful World of Ghibli" will feature The Cat Returns, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke, running from 4-10pm in Loutit Room 102. All are welcome.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Giving a talk at Otaku no Anime
As many of you know, Otaku no Anime meets every Sunday from 1-4pm in Lake Superior Hall Room 154. And as many of you know, I am the faculty advisor for the club. And on Sunday, Feb. 14th, I'm going to be going to the meeting to give a talk. I will be discussing the function of the classical Japanese suffix keri and its status as a marker indicating the coming into awareness of a previously unnoticed situation and how its use suggests a storytelling mode even if a narrator is not specified... or maybe I'll talk about anime instead. In fact, I'm going to be talking about otaku: shady and potentially dangerous obsessed loners? or the cultural consumers of the future, fully in-touch with the post-modern nature of 21st century media? Otaku no Anime has been watching Genshiken, an anime about an otaku club, and since it's also the first time I'm doing anything official with them I thought it would be a good topic. Also, I've been reading a book on otaku recently and have been dying to give a "book report." So come on in if you're interested. As I said, their meeting start at 1pm, so I'll probably be doing my thing at 1:30 or so (I think). Here's a link to their website if you'd like more info about the club and their activities.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Japan-related Activities for Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration
There are numerous events coming up surrounding the lunar new year and the Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration. You can learn about all the activities on this flier, but here are a few of the more explicitly Japan-related activities:
There will be a Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration, led by two tea masters, on Tuesday, Feb. 9th from 3-4pm in Kirkhof Room 0072. If you've never had the chance to watch the tea ceremony performed, it is quite an experience.
The Asian New Year Festival will be held that same week, on Thursday, Feb. 11th from 6-9pm in the Kirkhof Grand River Room. It will include Asian food and many performances, including a momotarô skit by the members of the JCA. It should be fun, and I hope to see you there.
There will be a Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration, led by two tea masters, on Tuesday, Feb. 9th from 3-4pm in Kirkhof Room 0072. If you've never had the chance to watch the tea ceremony performed, it is quite an experience.
The Asian New Year Festival will be held that same week, on Thursday, Feb. 11th from 6-9pm in the Kirkhof Grand River Room. It will include Asian food and many performances, including a momotarô skit by the members of the JCA. It should be fun, and I hope to see you there.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Hiroshima-Nagasaki Poster Exhibition
At the end of this month, the "Culture of Peace Committee" of the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids will begin hosting a series of events centered on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The centerpiece of the event is a poster exhibition featuring posters related to the bombings and hope for peace in their wake, but there will also be other events, including a video conference with an atomic bomb survivor, several short films on the subject, and a gathering to fold 1,000 origami cranes, a traditional wish for peace. Events run from February 21st through March 14th, and the sisters are also looking for volunteers to help oversee the origami room, put up and take down posters, etc. Anyone interested in volunteering can either contact Barbra Hansen directly at BHansen@GRDominicans.org or contact me about putting together a group of students to help out. Here is a poster of the exhibit, and you can also read an article about the events there from the Rapidian.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Japanese Film at UICA
Every year the UICA in downtown Grand Rapids hosts an international film series called Chiarascuro. This year, the theme is "The Muses" and the selected films explore various aspects of the arts. I was asked to choose a Japanese film to be included and I chose "Achilles and the Tortoise" (アキレスと亀), a film by Kitano Takeshi, who also directed Sonatine, Hana-Bi, Kikujiro, etc. It's the story of a man obsessed with art and his craft of painting, but it raises interesting questions, since it's never quite clear if the man's talent is up to his dedication to the ideal of art, or how far he can push against his ideals for commercial success. Is commitment to art for art's sake enough?
The film is showing this Sunday, Jan. 31st, beginning at 2:30pm, and admission is free. It is at the UICA, 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE, and will be followed by a panel discussion, on which I will be sitting as the honorary "guy who knows stuff about Japan" along with a "guy who knows stuff about painting."
That will be the only Japanese film in the series, but there is one other film that deals with Japan and may be of interest to you as well. It is a German film called "Cherry Blossoms" (Kirschblüten - Hanami) and has a strong focus on the unusual Japanese dance form called butô. I have not seen it and am not sure of the story, but I believe it focuses on a German man who meets a Japanese female butô dancer. It will be showing on March 14th, and I plan to be there as well (though I will do my best to avoid getting put on any panels).
The film is showing this Sunday, Jan. 31st, beginning at 2:30pm, and admission is free. It is at the UICA, 41 Sheldon Blvd. SE, and will be followed by a panel discussion, on which I will be sitting as the honorary "guy who knows stuff about Japan" along with a "guy who knows stuff about painting."
That will be the only Japanese film in the series, but there is one other film that deals with Japan and may be of interest to you as well. It is a German film called "Cherry Blossoms" (Kirschblüten - Hanami) and has a strong focus on the unusual Japanese dance form called butô. I have not seen it and am not sure of the story, but I believe it focuses on a German man who meets a Japanese female butô dancer. It will be showing on March 14th, and I plan to be there as well (though I will do my best to avoid getting put on any panels).
Friday, January 15, 2010
Winter Film Series
The films and locations for this semester's JCA film series have been firmed up, and the first film will be screened this Wednesday. There is a room change for this semester, but it's a similar room just a few doors down from the old one so it shouldn't be too confusing. The time will remain every other Wednesday at 7:30pm, but now they will be in Mackinac B-LL-110 (basement of Mackinac B wing). Here's the schedule:
Jan. 20th -- Cowboy Bebop
Feb. 3rd --- The Great Youkai War
Feb. 17th -- Koizora
Mar. 3rd --- Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Mar. 17th -- Tampopo
Mar. 31st -- Paprika
Apr. 14th -- Death Note III – L:Change the World
As before, the members of JCA chose the films and I'm really looking forward to this season since I've only seen about half of them before. And if you have any ideas, suggestions for films to add to the LRC collection or for future film series are always welcome.
Jan. 20th -- Cowboy Bebop
Feb. 3rd --- The Great Youkai War
Feb. 17th -- Koizora
Mar. 3rd --- Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Mar. 17th -- Tampopo
Mar. 31st -- Paprika
Apr. 14th -- Death Note III – L:Change the World
As before, the members of JCA chose the films and I'm really looking forward to this season since I've only seen about half of them before. And if you have any ideas, suggestions for films to add to the LRC collection or for future film series are always welcome.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Japanese program developments
Remember back at the beginning of last semester, when I said I would make this blog a clearing house for announcements about Japanese events. Ah, how young and naive I was then. Anyway, there are a lot of events coming up this year, but I think the key to keeping up on things is to make all the entries short and targeted. So this one will be about developments in the Japanese program.
As I've written before, the expansion of the Japanese program is happening even faster than I'd hoped, and enrollments seem to be rising to fill whatever classes we offer. As you know, we're offering JPN 101 in the winter for the first time this semester, and enrollments are at 26 students! That's huge for a first time! We have also put a JPN 101-102 sequence on the books for the spring and summer semesters for the first time. Of course, those classes are dependent on getting sufficient enrollment, and I hear that courses like that almost never run the first couple of years they are offered. Still, I am hopeful.
And now for next year... With 101 being offered in the winter, we're going to follow up so that students can take all of the first three semesters in "off" semester rather than adhering to the straight fall-winter-fall-winter progression. That means teaching 102 next fall and both 101 and 201 next winter. Abe sensei will be teaching a course in Japanese linguistics in the fall, and I will be teaching the next course in the Japanese culture and civilization sequence in the winter. And the third-year Japanese language sequence has been officially approved, so that will be on the books next year as well. Here's how next year looks:
Fall 2010
JPN 101 (three sections)
JPN 102 (one section)
JPN 201 (two sections)
JPN 301 (one section)
JPN 380 (linguistics)
Winter 2011
JPN 101 (one section)
JPN 102 (three sections)
JPN 201 (one section)
JPN 202 (one section)
JPN 302 (one section)
JPN/EAS 380 (early modern Japanese culture and civilization)
That adds up to eight courses per semester, which means that in addition to myself and Abe sensei, we will also need an adjunct instructor to teach two courses per semester. And, as long as enrollments hold, it brings us one step closer to justifying a third full-time hire. In other words, by the end of that year I'm hoping that we will have justified requesting both a second tenure-track faculty member and a full-time visitor for the following year (2012-13). In my mind, that's when we can really start thinking seriously about a Japanese minor. I know it feels like a long road to get there, but I'm actually pretty happy with the speed at which things are falling into place. These things take a lot of time, and I'm excited that the demand is driving things forward so well.
As I've written before, the expansion of the Japanese program is happening even faster than I'd hoped, and enrollments seem to be rising to fill whatever classes we offer. As you know, we're offering JPN 101 in the winter for the first time this semester, and enrollments are at 26 students! That's huge for a first time! We have also put a JPN 101-102 sequence on the books for the spring and summer semesters for the first time. Of course, those classes are dependent on getting sufficient enrollment, and I hear that courses like that almost never run the first couple of years they are offered. Still, I am hopeful.
And now for next year... With 101 being offered in the winter, we're going to follow up so that students can take all of the first three semesters in "off" semester rather than adhering to the straight fall-winter-fall-winter progression. That means teaching 102 next fall and both 101 and 201 next winter. Abe sensei will be teaching a course in Japanese linguistics in the fall, and I will be teaching the next course in the Japanese culture and civilization sequence in the winter. And the third-year Japanese language sequence has been officially approved, so that will be on the books next year as well. Here's how next year looks:
Fall 2010
JPN 101 (three sections)
JPN 102 (one section)
JPN 201 (two sections)
JPN 301 (one section)
JPN 380 (linguistics)
Winter 2011
JPN 101 (one section)
JPN 102 (three sections)
JPN 201 (one section)
JPN 202 (one section)
JPN 302 (one section)
JPN/EAS 380 (early modern Japanese culture and civilization)
That adds up to eight courses per semester, which means that in addition to myself and Abe sensei, we will also need an adjunct instructor to teach two courses per semester. And, as long as enrollments hold, it brings us one step closer to justifying a third full-time hire. In other words, by the end of that year I'm hoping that we will have justified requesting both a second tenure-track faculty member and a full-time visitor for the following year (2012-13). In my mind, that's when we can really start thinking seriously about a Japanese minor. I know it feels like a long road to get there, but I'm actually pretty happy with the speed at which things are falling into place. These things take a lot of time, and I'm excited that the demand is driving things forward so well.
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