East Asian Stories - Day 2

My Story: Asuka: A Girl on the Go (YouTube)

What Kids Should Know About Japan - Ted Gilman, Harvard

Showed pictures of daily life. Onigiri (rice, seafood, pickle, on the go breakfast) National, public, local public, and private schools. Take exams to get into private, national, and some local schools.

National Standards for all schools. Standardized for 130 million people. Japanize kids are in their uniforms all the time and part of pop culture. Go to school by bike and transportation. Image of students coming in a group. Kids as young as 6 or 7 going on public transportation system. The schools start about 8:30. Very little paved or gas recreation areas. Not much different school styles, from the 50s. Some different schools in past 20 years. Students clean the school. Creates a different relationship with the school. Really important to point whats in common. School ends at 3:30 and students do clubs. Later these clubs are what students identify with. Kyudo Clubs (archery), music, Kendo Club, swimming clubs,

Cram School (juku) afterschool prep exam for next level, private school, no uniforms ronin- inbetween grades, gap year Japanese teachers visit homes of student at times

August 6 & 8: Peace Education During vacation both teachers and students anniversary of Atomic bombs. Hirosomoa and Nagasaki

Calendar: April 1 School year begins Mid July- to end of August Summer Recess 240 School Days Late March - Year ends

Classroom structure: not a lot of variation, bring supples, students stay in one place and the teachers move around. Teachers desks in teachers room.

Japan is less wired in a computer sense. More smart phones.

Bullying, school refusal problem in school. Parents, teachers, administrators work together.

In Japan early years lots of freedom and decrease as get later. Here in the US it is the opposite. In school required to show flag and national anthem - Kimi Ga Yo (hot topic because remind of war, teachers union made a stand and will not fly flag and sing anthem)

Strict immigration laws that Japan has not wanted to change.

Group over the individual

Situational ethic Harmony over conflict

Consensus is built, not innate

Hierarchy, not equality

Roles, not rights

Face & reputation

Conformity & social pressure

Hard work & Dedication

Seasons and Festivals of Japan - Midori Oka, independent scholar ****Peabody Essex Museum Resource for Japan, China, Korea*****

Shinto directly related to the sun goddess

6th century Buddhism came to Japan

Shinto (way of the gods) and Buddhism integrated in daily life

Mt Fuji considered the most sacred mountain in all of Japan

Torii Gates: red gates, vermillian, or plain, or stone. Vermillion wards away evil spirits., opens to the sacred, a symbol that you are entering sacred ground. Foxes are the messengers of the gods.

Blessing for baby at local Shinto Shrine and ceremonies when 3,5, and 7 years. Symbolic years for the child.

When enter a shrine or temple you need to purify yourself (wash hands and around mouth)

Purify (get rid of evil spirits) and move on

When you approach a shrine there is an offering box and ring the bell, clap twice and ask, make your wish

Portable Shinto shrine in house (kitchen) associated with the production of rice. White paper zig zag, straw used in Shinto. Ise Shrine: Most sacred because the mirror that symbolizes the Sun God, rebuild every 20 years (purification), feel the sacred feel of the place, not to be seen by common person, there is a hedge around it, Imperial Weddings

Mahayana Buddhism one historic Buddha but others and even a future Buhhdah Sutras are sacred writing Buddhist Monk might beg for alms in a busy market Miroku, Buddha of the future @ MFA Boston Buddha: 32 features (curly hair, lotus flower, hand positions, third eye, bump on head) Bodhisattva Jizo: achieved enlightenment but chose to postpone things and stay to help others attain enlightenment, he has shaved head and monk's robe, staff in hand, usually shown on clouds, saviors of children, firemen. Covered by baby's bonnet or bib. Will help unborn children or those who died. Buddahist Hell: when child automatically go to hell (beause not old enough to pray enough and agony put on family) but if parents pray on your behalf Jizo will bring the child out Always Buddahist funeral ceremony to make it a legal process. Buddhist monk comes to house with a family member stays with body for 24 hours.

Zen Buddhism: a specific type where tight relationship between zen monk and student, includes lots of intense meditation Indian patriarch: Bodhidarma Chinese: called Chan Korean: Called Son

Obon- go back to ancestral graves on August 15th and clean graves, communal Obon dancing,

New Years is a national holiday at end of year. Go to local temple and ring large bell 109 times between 11:45-midnight to get rid of 109 sins that we are born with. In the brand new year you welcome back Shinto deities, tradition to put up bamboo and plum, and pine in front of house (shows clean house) Now use paper pictures on door to welcome. Go to shrine and temple to make new year to make offerings and prayers for new year.

Buy offerings at shrine for good placement for high school and college

Daruma: make goal and color one eye. When goal obtained color the other eye.

Workshops:

Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Painting - Ruby Liu, Arlington Schools

Student Life in Kyoto - Akemi Chayama, Children's Museum

Google Tour of China Add ictures: airports, fish markets, Imperial Palace (52 acres in Toyko), shrines, gates, Tokyo Dome, Ginza (shopping, famous crosswalk), Tokyo Station, What story does this map tell you? Studying places bring out the culture, can use planted pictures already set up Kids Web Japan (excellent resource for students)

Jigsaw Discussion on four Young adult books by institute participants - Julie and Peter

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (Korea)

Plot summary

The book tells the story of a 12 year old boy named Tree-ear, who is an orphan and lives under a bridge in Ch’ulp’o with Crane-man, a crippled man. Tree-ear always watched potter Min make his pottery. But one day when no one was around Tree-ear decides to take a closer peek at potter Min’s work. There he saw were many objects. But only one object seemed to interest Tree-ear. It was a rectangular lidded box. It was undecorated on the outside, but what about the inside? Out of curiosity, Tree-ear decides to look inside the box to see what looked like five smaller boxes. They fitted perfectly around each other. But then suddenly there was a shout, and Tree-ear was frightened and he dropped the box. Now he has to work for potter Min. One day, an emissary named Kim arrives to hire a potter for a new commission for the palace. While spying on other potters in the village, Tree-ear learns of a newly created technique and must decide if it is ethical to reveal the stolen information to Min. He decides not to but Min does get a chance to demonstrate that he can use the new inlay technique and sends Tree-ear to the emperor with samples of his best work. On route to the royal court at Songdo, the boy is attacked by robbers, and all of the pots are smashed, leaving him with just a single shard to display his master’s skill. He continues his journey, confident that the shard demonstrates that his master is worthy of the commission. The emissary’s assistant is about to throw Tree-ear out when Kim inspects the shard. Unsurprisingly, Kim is impressed at Min’s work. Kim sends Tree-ear back via sea. Tree-ear goes to his master to inform him that Kim (the emissary) likes his work. Unfortunately, after sharing the news, Tree-ear learns Crane- man died while he was away and quickly becomes sad. Min decides to adopt Tree-ear and his wife changes his name to Hyung-pil (his dead son was Hyung-gu and Tree-ear’s new name shares a syllable, as Korean siblings’ names commonly do). Tree-ear is finally able to learn how to make pottery.

The system of apprenticeship Tree-ear and Crane-man are homeless Family relationship and passing of trade Stealing, honor, honesty 12th century Craneman beliefs and Buddhism?

The Girl With the White Flag by Tomiko Higa (Japan)

Where the Mountains Meet the Moon by Grace Lin (China)

Dragon Prince by Thich Nhat Hahn (Vietnam)

The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson (Japan)

Little Leap Forward by Guo Yue (China)

Japanese Storytelling - Midori

Paper theater (In sourcebook) Hats for Jizo

Sharing of Experience - Libby Donovan Kun, Brookline Schools

Kamishibai (Paper Theater)