Culture through English A: The Ainu・アイヌ

Hello!

How are you? Today let's look at Japan's indigenous people (先住民族) - the Ainu. 

Look at the picture above. It's a group of Ainu, taken in 1904. Now here's a map of Japan showing the original area, plus the widest locations, of Ainu populations: 

As you can see, at one time they lived from the northeastern part of the Tohoku, all of Hokkaido, and up through Sakhalin Island (what many older Japanese call Karafuto「樺太」) and even into all of the Kuril Islands (千島列島). 

But now they only live in Hokkaido. Their numbers are small, and they have married regular Japanese people enough so that they do not look so different. But they are proud of their culture and traditions.

Genetic testing (遺伝子検査) shows that while most Ainu are related to Japanese, they are not closely related to any other modern ethnic group. 

Activity/homework

Since the Ainu have some characteristics that make them at least a little different from most Japanese, here's a little research: 

What do you think are the origins of the Ainu? Did they come from somewhere else? If so, where did they come from, and how did they get to Japan? 

Here are two maps showing two ideas where the Ainu might have come from (the numbers you see in the maps are not so important – they show some different genetic groups): 

Write out a mini-report about your ideas about where the Ainu came from - most importantly, give some reasons why they came from where you believe they did.

If you believe they came from elsewhere, draw a rough map - or find another map on the internet - of where you believe they came from. 

When you are finished, upload your document (or a clear picture of your mini-report on notebook paper) to Manaba. Name your document or picture file like this, with your own name (here is an example): 

t_suzuki_cteA_ainu

I hope you find this interesting.

Images: Top - by Official Photographic Company - Missouri History MuseumURL: http://images.mohistory.org/image/EC2888F4-26C5-258A-DF5F-9E6EBE7F704E/original.jpg Gallery: http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/143534, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61717410/Map - by Arnold Platon - This vector image includes elements that have been taken or adapted from this:  Japan on the globe (claimed) (Japan centered).svg (by TUBS). - Own work (Vectorization), based on this map, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25364093/Upper genetic map - by ABCEditer - Own work by reference to 崎谷満（2009）『DNA・考古・言語の学際研究が示す新・日本列島史 日本人集団・日本語の成立史』勉誠出版, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62921263/Lower genetic map - by Y-dna data file - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63590897 

Culture through English A: Immigrants・移民

Hello!  

How are you? Today I'd like to introduce a new topic to you about immigrants (移民) - people from one country who move to live in another country.  

Look at these pictures. Can you guess who are Japanese, and who are not Japanese? For the ones who are not Japanese - what are their countries? 

1.

2. 

3.

4.

5.

6.

Special note: Because we have a short semester, and because we are coming close to the end of the semester already, please finish this in one (1) week. Sorry about this!

When you are finished, upload your document (or a clear picture of your handwritten guesses on notebook paper) to Manaba. Name your document or picture file like this, with your own name (here is an example): 

t_suzuki_cteA_my guesses

Have fun playing with your ideas!

Images: Top - By Jean Colemonts/http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AJapanese_Brazilian_Miko_Curitiba_Paran%C3%A1.jpg/1."OFeldman, Tokyo, 2012" by Ofer Feldman- Own work /http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OFeldman,_Tokyo,_2012.jpg#mediaviewer/File:OFeldman,_Tokyo,_2012.jpg/ 2. Screenshot of Priyanka Yoshikawa taken from unattributed internet source/ 3. Berzoini125494/ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Berzoini125494.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Berzoini125494.jpg/4. Gage Skidmore/ http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Ryan_Higa_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/5. By norio nakayama (Flickr: 大宮アルディージャ vs 清水エスパルス @ NACK5スタジアム)/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Dido_Havenaar%2C_assistant_coach_for_Shimizu_S-Pulse.jpg /6. By Cristiano Sant´Anna/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Michio_Kaku-cropped.jpg/All images except #2 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. I do not own the rights to these images. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s) of image #2. Uploaded for classroom purposes only.

Writing English A: Writing assignment 2・作文 2

Hello! 

How are you? Here is our second writing assignment (作文2) – writing opinions on news and issues (時事問題) topics.

Theme & topics

You have a lot of freedom with topic choices for this writing assignment. Choose any news item, or an issue in society – in Japan or another country – that you have an opinion about.  

But if you have trouble thinking of a topic, here are some choices for you. Look at these and choose one (1):

• The aging population (老齢人口) of Japan and what older people need for their support
• Social media and its problems (for example, fake news, or selling of people’s personal data by Facebook or other social media sites)
• Issues and/or things that need improvement for student life at Daito Bunka
• Voting rights (投票権) for 18-year-olds in Japanese elections (選挙)

For an extra challenge, here are two topics that are even deeper, but also even more timely and important. I will give extra points to students who try for writing about these topics. You have already seen a separate supporting blogpost for one of these topics: 

• Refugee issues (難民の問題) and what refugees need for immigration (移住) to Japan
• The responses of the Japanese government to the COVID-19 virus

I am gathering writing on these topics into a book called Voices & Ideas - this is a book about student opinion writing on news topics and social issues. The best of your writing on this topic could go into this book, so write to the best you can! 

How much to write

I would like to see at least 3-4 paragraphs' worth of writing - however, I would really like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in the Voices & Ideas book. 

Deadline (締め切り)

There will be two (2) deadlines – July 7th (7/7) for a rough draft (下書き), and July 14th (7/14) for the final version. 

So, please send me your rough draft for review and individual comments by 7/7, and then, a final version by 7/14. 

Before that time, if you need any advice or guidance, message me anytime.

Good luck! I look forward to reading your great writing on news and issues topics!

Image: Screenshot taken from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/20/national/media-national/japanese-read-news-online-newspapers-first-time-survey-finds/#.XIdp9xhh3q1

I do not own the rights to the original photograph. All rights reserved on original photograph to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for classroom purposes only.

Writing English A: Hikikomori and social adjustment・特別ポスト「引きこもりと社会適応」

Hello!

How are you? Here is a post for any of you who might be interested in social issues - as an example, about hikikomori. 

Activity/homework
This is a video of a TED Talk in Japanese of a mother who had an adult hikikomori son. This might give you also some more background, this time from someone directly a part of this issue, about hikikomori and what they need to re-enter society. 

Watch it as many times as you need. There are no questions - but note down your reaction. What do you think of it? 

Good luck with this! See you next class!

Image: By Hiroh Satoh from Japan - HIKIKOMORI night, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28635776/Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the video or content. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for educational purposes.

Culture through English A: Example of family history・家族史の例え

Hello!

How are you? Today, I have for you a video from a Japanese TV program you may know about family histories. 

On this video, a Canadian man who had a mother who was half-Dutch and half-Japanese has come to Japan to track his family origins. What he has found surprised him greatly. 

Activity/homework
Watch the video. As most of it is in Japanese, it would be no problem to follow it, though the Canadian man speaks English. 

What do you think of this man's story about his family? Watch the video, then free write your views about it. Write as much as you can - but don't worry about spelling or grammar. You do not need to download the video - just watch it here on your computer or smartphone.

When you are finished, upload your document (or a clear picture of your handwritten work on notebook paper) to Manaba. Name your document or picture file like this, with your own name (here is an example): 

t_suzuki_cteA_family_history 

I hope you find this interesting! 

Image: By Beato, Felice, approximately 1825-, photographer - Library of CongressCatalog: https://lccn.loc.gov/2011649857Image download: https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3g10000/3g14000/3g14400/3g14493v.jpgOriginal url: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2011649857/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66968268 

Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the video or the television program it was a segment of. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for educational purposes only.

Culture through English A: Family origins・家族の出身

Hello!

How are you? Today, let's look at where we come from. The picture above is of the Chikuzen-no-kuni family register (戸籍謄本).

This is from Fukuoka-ken, and it's the oldest known family register in Japan, at over 1,300 years old!

All of us can trace our origins (先祖) - that is, our family beginnings - to somewhere. So let me share with you my origins. 

So those are my origins. But how about your family? How far back do you know about where it came from in Japan, or maybe another country?

The picture above is a shot of a student's notes. She researched about the origins of her family (家族の出身). Her family came from Kanagawa.

Activity/homework
How about your families? Which parts of Japan - or which parts of other countries - did they come from? 

Let's find out about our families and where they came from! 

See you next time!

Images: Top - screenshot from internet of Chikuzen-no-kuni household register courtesy of Asuka Historical Museum. All rights reserved/Screenshots of Power Point slides - personal images. All rights reserved/Student notebook page - personal photograph. All rights on content reserved to the student. All rights reserved on personal photograph.

Culture through English A: Immigrants・移民

Hello!  

How are you? Today I'd like to introduce a new topic to you about immigrants (移民) - people from one country who move to live in another country.  

Look at these pictures. Can you guess who are Japanese, and who are not Japanese? For the ones who are not Japanese - what are their countries? 

1.

2. 

3.

4.

5.

6.

See you next class!

Images: Top - By Jean Colemonts/http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AJapanese_Brazilian_Miko_Curitiba_Paran%C3%A1.jpg/1."OFeldman, Tokyo, 2012" by Ofer Feldman- Own work /http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OFeldman,_Tokyo,_2012.jpg#mediaviewer/File:OFeldman,_Tokyo,_2012.jpg/ 2. Screenshot of Priyanka Yoshikawa taken from unattributed internet source/ 3. Berzoini125494/ http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Berzoini125494.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Berzoini125494.jpg/4. Gage Skidmore/ http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Ryan_Higa_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/5. By norio nakayama (Flickr: 大宮アルディージャ vs 清水エスパルス @ NACK5スタジアム)/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Dido_Havenaar%2C_assistant_coach_for_Shimizu_S-Pulse.jpg /6. By Cristiano Sant´Anna/http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Michio_Kaku-cropped.jpg/All images except #2 courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. I do not own the rights to these images. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s) of image #2. Uploaded for classroom purposes only.

Writing English A: Writing assignment 2・作文 2

Hello! 

How are you? Here is our second writing assignment (作文2) – writing opinions on news and issues (時事問題) topics.

Topics

You have a lot of freedom with topic choices for this writing assignment. Choose any news item, or an issue in society – in Japan or another country – that you have an opinion about.  

But if you have trouble thinking of a topic, here are some choices for you. Look at these and choose one (1):

• The aging population (老齢人口) of Japan and what older people need for their support
• Social media and its problems (for example, fake news, or selling of people’s personal data by Facebook or other social media sites)
• Issues and/or things that need improvement for student life at Daito Bunka
• Possible problems and/or issues connected with the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics 
• Voting rights (投票権) for 18-year-olds in Japanese elections (選挙) 

For an extra challenge, here are two topics that are even deeper, but also even more timely and important. I will give extra points to students who try for writing about these topics. 

• Hikikomori and their problems of social adjustment (社会適応) in Japanese society
• Refugee issues (難民の問題) and what refugees need for immigration (移住) to Japan

I am gathering writing on these topics into a book called Voices & Ideas - this is a book about student opinion writing on news topics and social issues. The best of your writing on this topic could go into this book, so write to the best you can! 

How much to write

I would like to see at least 3-4 paragraphs' worth of writing - however, I would really like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in the Voices & Ideas book. 

Deadline (締め切り)

It will be June 19th (6/19), so I want you to bring in a first draft (下書き) next week on 6/12 in your notebooks in pencil. I will go over more how you can build your opinion writing, with language for opinions - phrases, expressions, and vocabulary. Then you can write to the finish and turn in your work at the beginning of class on 6/19. 

Here are the board notes for our class on 6/5 about our new writing assignment plus evaluation criteria for writing assignments:

Good luck! I look forward to reading your great writing on news and issues topics!

Image: Screenshot taken from https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/20/national/media-national/japanese-read-news-online-newspapers-first-time-survey-finds/#.XIdp9xhh3q1

I do not own the rights to the original photograph. All rights reserved on original photograph to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for classroom purposes only.

Writing English A: Opinion writing about hikikomori・引きこもりのオピニオン

Hello!

How are you? Here is a post for any of you who might be interested in social issues - as an example, about hikikomori. 

Activity/homework
This is a video of a TED Talk in Japanese of a mother who had an adult hikikomori son. This might give you also some more background, this time from someone directly a part of this issue, about hikikomori and what they need to re-enter society. 

Watch it as many times as you need. There are no questions - but note down your reaction. What do you think of it? 

Here are the board notes for our classes today on 5/29:

Good luck with this! See you next class!

Image: By Hiroh Satoh from Japan - HIKIKOMORI night, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28635776/Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the video or content. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for educational purposes.

Culture through English A: Family origins・家族の出身

Hello!

How are you? Today, let's look at where we come from. The picture above is of the Chikuzen-no-kuni family register (戸籍謄本).

This is from Fukuoka-ken, and it's the oldest known family register in Japan, at over 1,300 years old!

All of us can trace our origins (先祖) - that is, our family beginnings - to somewhere. So let me share with you my origins. 

So those are my origins. But how about your family? How far back do you know about where your family came from - in Japan, or maybe another country?

The picture above is a shot of a student's notes. She researched about the origins of her family (家族の出身). Her family came from Kanagawa.

Activity/homework
How about your families? Which parts of Japan - or which parts of other countries - did they come from? 

Let's find out about our families and where they came from!

Here are the board notes for today's (5/22) class:

See you next time!

Images: Top - screenshot from internet of Chikuzen-no-kuni household register courtesy of Asuka Historical Museum. All rights reserved/Screenshots of Power Point slides - personal images. All rights reserved/Student notebook page - personal photograph. All rights on content reserved to the student. All rights reserved on personal photograph.