Week 3: japan module
\Welcome! Irashaimase! いらしゃいませ！
We have already discussed the importance of cultural engagement and global citizenship. Now it is time to dig deeper and engage with another country--Japan!
Our hope is for you to gain a better understanding of Japanese culture and lifestyles right from your very own home. Of course every country’s culture is complicated and diverse--there is no way that we can cover it all during this PowerPoint. Hopefully this module will inspire you to seek out even more information about Japan!
Play the track to hear each slide narrated.
Let's try some projects...
There are a lot of different ways to experience Japanese culture in your own home. Consider trying one of the following project ideas!
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折り紙 Origami
Origami is the art of folding paper. Many Japanese children learn how to make different animals, shapes, flowers, and more. There are even origami artists who create beautiful, complicated sculptures from paper. As long as you have a square piece of paper and some patience, it is free and relatively easy to learn! If you don't have origami paper, you can make some by using a ruler to cut a piece of paper into a square. 3"x3", 6"x6" and 10"x10" are the standard sizes.
Many Americans are familiar with the origami paper crane. This was made popular by the true story of Sadako Sasaki, a victim of the Hiroshima bombing, who passed away at the age of 12 from leukemia caused by nuclear radiation. While in the hospital, she made it her goal to fold 1,000 paper cranes, as there is a legend that someone who does so will be granted a wish. Her story of bravery and perseverance inspired people in Japan and across the world, and she has become a symbol of children affected by nuclear warfare. In 1958, a statue of her holding a golden crane was revealed at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. To this day, children across the world fold paper cranes to memorialize Sadako, and the many other children who passed away from the effects of nuclear radiation. Her story inspired the popular children's book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr.
Here are instructions for folding a paper crane.
This website also has free instructions for over 120 more easy origami animals and shapes:
You can also likely find origami instructional books at your local library.
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料理 Cooking
It is often said that food is a universal language. Why not try cooking some Japanese dishes yourself? You might have to substitute some hard-to-find ingredients, such as chicken broth for dashi, Japanese fish stock. Make sure to ask for permission before using kitchen knives and the stovetop.
One Youtube channel that showcases a lot of easy and delicious recipes is "Cooking with Dog." Here are a couple of highlights:
Chicken fried rice covered by a soft omelette, accompanied with ketchup. A very popular dish with children and teenagers in Japan.
Stewed beef, potatoes, and root vegetables. Comfort food at its finest. You may have to substitute chicken broth for dashi, and you can leave out the sake. If you can find shirataki noodles (often marketed as "low-carb" noodles in the refrigerated section) they are great in this recipe. Rice would be a good side dish too.
Panfried ginger pork chops. It is thought that ginger is good to eat in the summertime, in order to improve energy levels. It pairs well with a green salad and rice. You can leave out the sake. Make sure to check that the pork reaches the internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit, followed by a three-minute rest time.
Stir-fried noodles with your choices of veggies and meat. You could use lo mein noodles, spaghetti, or even noodles from instant ramen (boil them without the seasoning packet until just done). This is a popular concession item at summer festivals in Japan.
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City Research
Choose a Japanese city and learn about it. You can choose any city, such as
the larger cities, Tokyo and Osaka, or one of the many others--Kobe,
Yokohama, Kyoto, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Sapporo, Nagano City, Chiba City,
Nagasaki, etc... You can even find out if Wisconsin has any Japanese sister
cities (such as Madison - Obihiro, Appleton - Kanonji, Racine - Ōiso, and
more...). Can you find the answers to the following questions?
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Where is it located in Japan?
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City population?
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What are the main industries?
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Does it have any famous regional products?
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Is it known for a particular dish?
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Are there any local sports teams?
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Can you find a picture of the city mascot? (most cities have their own
mascot character).
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Are there any local sites of interest?
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How do you think it might be different from your hometown?
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In what ways could it be similar to your hometown?
Try using Google Maps street view to take a closer look! Have fun learning about a new locale, and maybe you can add it to your future travel list.
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言葉 Language
From an English-speaking American's point of view,
Japanese can seem like an incredibly challenging language
to learn. However, it can be done! It requires some
diligence and practice, but luckily we live in an age of vast
resources. Free apps like Duolingo, free online sources like
Tofugu.com, and books from your local library
(check your library's website or ask a librarian for help if
you don't see a book in the shelves) are all wonderful
Even if you don't see yourself becoming fluent in
Japanese, it is still rewarding and relatively easy to learn
how to write a few words in one of the Japanese writing
systems, hiragana. Hiragana is the native writing system to Japan, unlike kanji, the complex Chinese characters that can take a long time to learn. Hiragana is relatively simple, and there are many great online tutorials for learning to write. You can find them on Youtube, or on the Tofugu.com website mentioned above. Give it a shot, and see if you can learn to write some of the words below!
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Thank you: Arigatou - ありがとう
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Friend: Tomodachi - ともだち
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Hello: Konnichiwa - こんにちわ
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Japan: Nihon - にほん
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USA: Amerika - あめりか
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Flower: Hana - はな
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Cat: Neko - ねこ
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Dog: Inu - いぬ
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Rabbit: Usagi - うさぎ
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You could even try to write your name! You may have to do a little research to find out what your name would sound like in Japanese.
Thank You for joining us this week! Arigato! ありがとう！
Hopefully you have learned a little bit more about life in Japan. It is a beautiful and complex country, and this module only scratches the surface.
