8.1 From Isolation to Adaptation: Japan Outcomes Index

General Outcome
Through an examination of Japan, students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the ways in which beliefs, values and knowledge shape worldviews and contribute to a society’s isolation or adaptation.

Specific Outcomes

• Values and Attitudes

Students will:
8.1.1 appreciate the roles of time and geographic location in shaping a society’s worldview
(C, I, TCC, LPP)
8.1.2 appreciate how a society’s worldview can foster the choice to remain an isolated society
(C, I, TCC)
8.1.3 appreciate how models of governance and decision making reflect a society’s worldview
(C, I, TCC, PADM)
8.1.4 appreciate how a society’s worldview shapes individual citizenship and identity (C, I, TCC)

• Knowledge and Understanding

Students will:
8.1.5 analyze the effects of cultural isolation during the Edo period by exploring and reflecting
upon the following questions and issues:
• In what ways did Japan isolate itself from the rest of the world? (PADM, LPP, CC)

• How did isolation during the Edo period lead to changes in Japan? (CC, PADM)
• How did the changes resulting from isolation affect Japan economically, politically and
socially during the Edo period? (ER, PADM, CC, I)
• How did the physical geography of Japan affect its worldview? (LPP, PADM, TCC)
• How did the shogun use the feudal system and the hierarchical social classes to maintain control of Japan? (PADM, CC)

8.1.6 analyze the effects that rapid adaptation had on traditionally isolated Japan during the
Meiji period by exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
• What were the motivations for the radical changes in Japan’s model of organization during
the Meiji period? (ER, CC, PADM)

• How did Japan adapt to changes brought on by the transition from feudal to modern models
of organization? (CC, TCC, I)
• How did the changes resulting from adaptation affect Japan economically, politically and
socially during the Meiji period? (ER, CC, PADM)

• In what ways did changes resulting from isolation in the Edo period compare to changes
resulting from adaptation in the Meiji period? (CC, TCC, I)

• What challenges emerged for the Japanese in maintaining traditional cultural aspects of their society while undergoing rapid change? (CC, I, TCC)

Voting on Locations to Visit in Japan

Issues Faced by Japanese Students Today

In all levels of schooling, Japanese students face a great deal of stress, from school, peers, and family. This post is intended to highlight some of the issues that many Japanese students face along with some extreme social issues that exist among students, to raise awareness of what Japanese students go through, especially in contrast to Canadian students.

Education in Japan is very competitive, and students are under constant pressure to study hard for entrance exams for prestigious schools and universities. Often, this pressure comes from certain mothers, who will drive their child to study regardless of their physical and emotional well-being. Some mothers are more extreme than others. In the late 90s, a woman murdered her neighbor's two-year-old daughter because she had been admitted into a prestigious kindergarten that her own daughter failed to enter (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/jun2000/jap-j19.shtml). Many Japanese students attend cram schools during the evening to give them further time to study. In addition, all high school students are required to register with an extra-curricular club that meets year-round, adding even more to their schedule.

Because of all this pressure on Japanese students to succeed, suicide is very common among Japanese students. In 2005, 886 students committed suicide, many of which were school-related. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20070615a2.html) Suicides are especially prevalent during entrance exam season, when a student receives unfavorable marks. Currently, Japan's suicide rate is one of the highest in the world.

Many youth in Japan suffer from a unique condition called hikikomori. This is a condition in which youth, mostly young men, from early adolescence to mid-thirties, will shut themselves in their room and avoid social contact with anyone for a period of six months to several years. They go to such extremes because they are afraid of others, and cannot handle the pressure society places on them. (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/15/magazine/15japanese.html)

Ijime, or bullying, is a very major social problem in Japan, often more so than in North America. Usually, students who are bullied stick out in some way, and the entire class participates in bullying these students, often by ostracizing them. Teachers will often encourage bullying, as they see it as an effective means of "behavior modification," and parents tend to place the responsibility on the victims rather than the bullies. Bullying is another major contributor to both suicide and hikikomori. (http://legacy.lclark.edu/~krauss/advwrf99/causeeffect/akikocause.html)

In an interview with Paul Suzuki, who works with Japanese students, he identified the main concern Japanese students have as, "They are longing for a place of belonging... where they can feel at ease, feel accepted, know they would be welcomed, and belong." Many Japanese students do not feel they have a place of belonging, even at home.

Japan-AB Archive

Vjm1-logan/charlie said...
We believe the canadian style is more effective than the Japanese style of teaching. But in canada we still do encounter some bullying but there have been no suicides we have heard of.

May 31, 2010 10:20 AM

So far I haven't heard of any school related suicides.

Archive of Old Versions of Historical Places to Visit

The following is an archive of all the old, un-updated posts of historical places to visit in Japan that correspond with the grade 8 curriculum. [note: currently this is incomplete]

Tokyo Posts:

• Tsukuji Foreign Settlement
• Kanda Myojin
• Yushima Seido
• Holy Resurrection Cathedral

Nagasaki Posts:

• Dejima
• Glover Garden
• Urakami Cathedral
• Memorial to the Martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan
• Sofukuji Temple
• Oura Catholic Church
• Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum
• Nagasaki Peace Park
• Sanno Shrine
• Nyoko-do Hermitage

Kyoto Posts:

• Kyoto Imperial Palace
• Nijo Castle
• Fushimi Castle
• To-ji
• Heian Shrine
• Kinkaku-ji
• Ginkaku-ji
• Nanzen-ji
• Five Great Zen Temples of Kyoto
• Ryoan-ji
• Kiyomizu Temple

Hiroshima Posts:

• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
• Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome
• Itsukushima Shrine
• Hiroshima Castle

Himeji Posts:

• Himeji Castle
• Engyo-ji

Nagoya Posts:

• Nagoya Castle
• Atsuta Shrine
• Kiyosu Castle
• Meiji Mura

Nara Posts:

• Todai-ji
• Heijo Palace
• Kofuku-ji
• Horyu-ji
• Kasuga Shrine
• Shoso-in
• Ishibutai Kofun
• Yakushi-ji

Nikko Posts:

• Nikko Tosho-gu
• Rinno-ji
• Futarasan Shrine

Osaka Posts:

• Osaka Castle
• Daisen Kofun

Sendai Posts:

• Aoba Castle

Yokohama Posts:

• Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History
• Perry Park
• Yamate Seiyokan
• Yokomizo Yashiki
• Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery
• Yokohama Chinatown

Hokkaido Posts:

• Hokkaido

Kamakura Posts:

• Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
• Kotoku-in 
• Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura
• Tomb of Minamoto Yoritomo
• Moto Hachiman

Gifu Prefecture Posts:

• Sekigahara

An Introduction to Canadian Student Life 2010 pilot

This post will be a summary of comments made by Canadian students. Once we have two or three classes of students making comments. Students will be assigned the task of summarizing the comments. The best summaries will be posted.

Instructions:

Read the comments of others and then add a unique comment of your own. You may comment on what others have said or disagree with what they have said. Remember this post is for Japanese students who are learning English so use simple English that does not have slang in it.

How to comment:

Use the Name/URL option to identify your comment. The name used for your comment should put your class code followed by a "-" then your first name and last initial (Anonymous comments may or may not be posted and if you are being marked, you will not get a mark).

See vjm1 comment below

Issues Faced by Japanese Students Today - An Interview With a Japanese Student

Following the interview with Hikari about Japanese student life, we asked Nozomi about what is important to Japanese students, and what issues Japanese students face.

In junior high, many students were preoccupied with how to look better and how to be accepted by friends. In high school, the main concern is admission to university. There is a pressure on students to do well in their studies by teachers, students, and peers. In a sense, there is peer pressure to study. In addition, students form clicks in both junior high and high school, and students who don't find a group of friends when school begins often find themselves lonely.

In both junior high and high school, bullying is frequent, which leads to suicide and hikikomori (See Issues Faced by Japanese Students for a description of hikikomori). Many students skip school so they will not have to be bullied. Stress is another factor that leads to suicide. Many Japanese parents place exceedingly high expectations on their children, and they study far too hard. In addition, parents are often busy, and there is little family time. Frequent divorces also lead to single-parent families.

See Woon's blog Excerpt from japantoday.com