2011

Amanda Tobin

"A Solution to 'The Woman Question': Envisioning the Modern Japanese Woman in the Bijin-ga of Itô Shinsui and Japan’s Modern Print Designers"

My project, an Honors Project in Art History, examines the bijin-ga, or "pictures of beautiful woman," in the Taisho-era prints of Ito Shinsui. The artist is a pivotal member of the Shin-Hanga or "New Prints" movement, which aimed to modernize the traditional genre of the ukiyo-e woodblock print for the 20th century; however, Shinsui's adherence to the traditional trope of the bijin anchors the image of the Japanese woman in the past. His bijin-ga, and those of his contemporaries, promotes a conservative representation of the idle and eroticized Japanese woman in the face of widespread change during the period of "Taisho liberalism," during which Japanese women were engaging with political and literary discourse, arguing for women's rights, and adopting Western clothing and hairstyles. My research incorporates art historical, historical, and sociological scholarship as well as archival data from the Sackler Gallery in DC, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Toledo Museum of Art.

Sponsored by Bonnie Cheng during Fall 2010, Winter Term, and Spring 2011

Ryan Schultz

"The Zero Fighter as a Symbol of Japanese Militarism"

My paper will explore the image of the Japanese Rei-sen, or Zero, fighter aircraft as a symbol of the Pacific War, Japanese warmaking philosophy, and militarism. I will be examining this image from theJapanese side, using newspaper articles, propaganda posters and photos, and books published by Zero pilots to establish the role of the Zero in the public mind. I will also consider the enduring legacy of this role -- for example, why is a Zero is featured in the museum at Yasukuni? Why has the symbolic power of the Zero persisted so long after the war, in a way no other weapon has?

Vijeta Sathyaraj

"The Lotus Sutra and the Gospels"

I am undertaking a comparison of the Lotus Sutra and the Gospels. In the understanding of ultimate reality, we have parallel paths which appear to lead in the same direction. I will find evidence to support my belief that the goal of Buddhism is parallel to the goal of reaching the Kingdom of Heaven in Christianity.

Karen Ressler

“Wasan and the Influence of Japanese Mathematics”

My project will examine Wasan, or traditional Japanese mathematics that developed during the Edo period: how and why various mathematical concepts were developed, how were they taught, and what their usage was then and now. Calculus was developed in Japan around the same time it was developed in Europe, where it was initially developed in Europe for physics. As I read into the history, I would like to compare the origins of Wasan with the origins of the now conventionally used Western mathematics.

Daniel Butler

"Classical Chinese Translation"

I will translate a piece of Classical Chinese Literature.

Sponsored by Li Kai in "Advanced Topics in Chinese", Spring 2011

Cullen Hillis

"Writing a Comic Book in Japanese"

My project will be a comic book with all dialogue written in Japanese, and an introduction about translation issues. The focus of the comic will be on a series of dialogues so as to utilize the language as much as possible.

Sponsored by Ann Sherif during Winter Term 2011

Elspeth Saylor

"Shakespeare and Japan"

My project will examine the treatment of Shakespeare in Japan on both a linguistic and cultural level. I will analyze the relationship between language and character, i.e. the effect of translation on character, and also discuss several re-mediations of Shakespeare's works in Japanese theater.

Jennifer Sherman

"Apocalyptic Japan: Postwar Narratives in Japanese Pop Media"

Japan's anime evolved out of the World War II era, and it continues to serve as a venue for sociopolitical commentary based on Japanese postwar sentiments. Focusing on anime, this project considers depictions of WWII throughout the history of Japanese anime and the significance of such war representations in an international context. Including primary pop media sources, this project will utilize foreign and Japanese articles and books about anime as well as other relevant aspects of Japan's popular culture.

Preston Sundin

"The Status of Japanese Language Education in Nanjing, China"

My project focuses on the experience of Chinese students studying Japanese Language in 21st Century Nanjing. I will be observing language classes at Nanjing Foreign Language School (one of the few high schools in China to offer Japanese) and interviewing Chinese students and teachers of Japanese Language. Given the tense relations between China and Japan (and the fact that the city is the site of the infamous "Rape of Nanjing" perpetrated by Japanese soldiers), what difficulties do students face in pursuing their language studies. What is the reaction of family, friends, and society? Finally, does studying Japanese change students' views of Japan?

Emily Castle

"Yokai in Japanese Folklore and Identity"

My paper will explore the works of Japanese thinkers such as Hirata Atsutane, Ueda Akinari, Inoue Enryo, and Yanagita Kunio. Each explored areas of folklore and the supernatural in Japanese thought and tied that research to ideas of a unique Japanese identity. I intend to tie together their writings and research to form my own conclusions as to the manifestations of this idea in Japanese society. Throughout my research, I will draft my own definition of the word 'yokai' and do my best to discover why the tales were created, why they take the shapes they do, whether or not they persist, and how they have affected Japan.

Dashiell Robb

"Transgression and Appropriation: the Adaptation of Edogawa Mysteries to Film"

This will be an essay examinating the adaptation of Edogawa Rampo texts-to-film. Comparing and contrasting films of the post war, I will look at how text to film interpretation uses one historical period's critique of society to enlighten that of another.

Joseph Campbell

"A Red Star is Born: Kim Il Sung's Consolidation of Power after the Korean War"

Drawing from sources such as economic surveys, diplomatic cables, and historical texts, my essay details Kim Il Sung's reorganization of political, ideological, economic and diplomatic structures of the DPRK in order to ensure his grasp on power during the period of 1953 to 1961.

Jazmin Guerreo

"Tokyo!: Examining the Role of Foreign Directors in Japanese Cinema Through the Film Tokyo!"

My project is going to be looking primarily at the film Tokyo! which came out in 2008 and is comprised of 3 short films directed by 3 foreign directors. They are all set in Tokyo and deal with either certain issues which specifically pertain to Tokyo or have themes which are specific to the city. What I hope to find out is how foreign interpretation of Japan has changed and whether or not there are new stereotypes concerning Tokyo that are now beginning to appear. I plan on looking at articles and critiques written by American writers and Japanese writers to see whether a Japanese audience found the films a valid representation of the city. I also hope to interview Japanese citizens and those who live in Tokyo about the film. I will primarily be doing my research during Winter Term.

Sam Lawton

"Exploring Murakami's Prose - 1Q84, Part 1"

For my project I will be translating a portion of Murakami's latest novel series: Part One of the trilogy named 1Q94. Though this translation, I aim to explore stylistic tendencies inherent to the Japanese language and in Murakami himself. To this end, I also plan to read various texts on translation theory and translating Murakami himself, so as to better contextualize the act of translation itself. By the end of this project, I plan to have both a large segment of the text translated, as well as a report discussing translation and the elements of Murakami's writing that makes him such an international phenomenon.

Adam Waldman

"The Japanese School: Culture and Community"

My paper seeks to understand the dynamics of the Japanese education system and specifically the role that the school plays in the lives of children, families, and teachers. More specifically, my paper will examine the various impacts that school can have on children who come from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The influence that ranking, stereotypes, and culture have on students and their perceptions of the school is an important consideration when evaluating the "equal opportunity" structure of the Japanese education system.
I will be examining first hand accounts of school life from both foreign and Japanese anthropologists as well as studies from authors such as William Cummings, Kaori Okano, and Motonori Tsuchiya.

Sponsored by Garrett Washington in the course "Space and Place in Modern Japan", Fall 2010

Rosa Tu

Zhuli and Rosanne: A Documentary

I am making an Oral History documentary about my American mother and my Chinese host mother who I lived with in Beijing during a year abroad, both of who were born in 1954. I will juxtapose their stories of growing up in a time of great change along parallel lines showing the ways culture and politics have affected their upbringings and the different opportunities open to American and Chinese women during the past few decades.

Peter Edmondson

A Bonsai in the shade: Japanese Agency and the U.S. Security Alliance

I am attempting to explain the shortcomings of political realism in international relations theory with regards to the current Japanese-U.S. Security Alliance. Using an historical and constructivist lens on Japan and East Asia, I argue that the way Western scholars analyze current security trends in the region focuses too much on the European experience, and as a result the West often fails to make the most accurate predictions and productive policy decisions.

Sponsored by Ann Sherif during Winter Term 2011

Matt Furda

"Onsen Meguri"

Cory Boberg

“The Language of Knit Design: Translating the Art of Setsuko Torii”

For my Capstone, I translated the text Hand-Knit Works, a book by Japanese knitwear designer Setsuko Torii, whose use of unusual fibers and sculptural approach to design has captured the attention of fiber artists around the world.  My project consisted of translating yarn descriptions, Torii’s design process, care of knitted items, and mathematical calculations for knitting into English that aimed to convey not only the meaning of Torii’s work, but also the joy with which she does it.

Sponsored by Ann Sherif during Winter Term 2011