1. The title will probably be something like, The Do Spirit & Bushido in Martial Arts. So my paper will be about Martial Arts in Japan and how the Fighting Spirit and Bushido mindsets of the Japanese people play into it.
2. Bushido (Way of the Warrior) and the Do Spirit (Fighting Spirit) of Japan. I chose these because Bushido being the way of the warrior seems like it would play a part in the study of Martial Arts. The Do Spirit because the mindset to always push forward and work seems like a crucial mindset to have when studying Martial Arts.
3. MLA 7th Edition
4. Cook, Harry. "Fighting Spirit." Fighting Spirit. Dragon Associates Inc, n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013. <http://www.dragon-tsunami.org/Dtimes/Pages/article34.htm>.
This site talks about the Fighting or Do Spirit of Japan and relates some citation connecting it to Martial Arts. "Boxing and similar pastimes were seen by many people as a way of inculcating admirable values...".
McKay, Brett, and Kate McKay. "The Bushido Code: The Eight Virtues of the Samurai." The Art of Manliness RSS. N.p., 14 Sept. 2008. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. <http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/09/14/the-bushido-code-the-eight-virtues-of-the-samurai/>.
I also found a book, that may or may not get transferred to Akron's library in time. If it does, I will be using it.
"Bushido refers not only to martial rectitude, but to personal rectitude". This site talks about the Bushido code and lists the 8 virtues of the samurai. I thought this source would be good to find some of these 8 virtues and tie them to the mindset of Martial Artists.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Monday, November 18, 2013
Blog 11- Memoirs of a Geisha
1. I would say they maintain everything old fashioned. From their looks, to their dance, to the way they carry themselves, they are the embodiment of old Japan. In their looks they where special robes, they walk a certain way on top of special sandals, and their makeup makes them distinct and standout from the modern people. In their arts they maintain a certain old fashioned style, keeping with old traditions and utilizing fans and umbrellas. All around, the way they walk and talk is very traditional.
2. This may not be a very good example, but it's the best I could come up with. In relation to the example, I would say that everyone can appreciate the value or beauty of a good book, something popular, or just a story that captivates its reader. Now, this book can be in pristine condition and the text be good, but there's a certain beauty to old books that have been read over and over again to the point where the pages are falling out, or warn down, or there's a stain from mustard from a hot dog you ate one time while reading it. I love The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and they're a very popular set of books, but there's something especially beautiful about my 12+ year old books that have been read several times and traveled around with me through the years.
3. Personally, I don't think so. I think the lines were good enough and they were delivered well enough to the point where it didn't lose anything from watching it like that. Now, if I were to watch a film that was truly american in another language I might say it lost something, but I guess this other way around sort of negates that. Also, I think that since the actors were Japanese and had a noticeable accent, it helped with the realism of the movie and therefore maintain a level of ma.
4. I'm going to to talk about Omisoka or New Year's Eve because it's personally important to me as New Year's Day is my birthday. It is also a national holiday that celebrates the end of one year and the start of another, where, for the most part, people drink and celebrate together. This particular holiday in the States is more of an adult holiday where the adults get together and celebrate and drink alcohol until the start of the new year, in most cases children either fall asleep, or, as is tradition in the US, watch the ball drop in times square to bring in the new year. The Japanese people in a small way have a similar custom where families congregate and eat special noodles that bring in the new year. Also, it seems they have singing contests of men vs woman that end just before midnight where a winner is chosen. After the new year is ushered in it's considered bad luck for work to take place the next few days, so basically, it seems they kind of hang out and enjoy each other the next few days, similar to the US I would say.
5. I think Sayuri throughout the film embodies that, she herself striving to become a geisha, the trials and hardships she faces along the way, etc. They make a great deal out of her eyes throughout the film because they're blue, which is a very rare trait for a Japanese person. They say throughout that she has a lot of water in her, meaning that she is like a river, determined and persistent, that finds away to carve through the rock and make her own path. And I think it's that sort of thought that drives her throughout the film and gives her an emotional beauty, a feeling of pity.
7. The scene where Sayuri gets the lead and does the dance in front of all the potential male clients. The dance starts of slow and serene where she walks out on giant shoes and moves her umbrella around. Suddenly, the music becomes more active and loud and Sayuri moves around the stage rapidly, with deft motions and falls to the floor, writhing in coordination. I think it embodies a whole lot of emotions that may not seem quite apparent at first, but has a certain beauty a midst the chaos that really makes you feel it.
8. I really enjoyed the movie. That was my second time seeing it, although the first time was many years ago when it first came out, so I knew the general plot, but forgot much of the details of what happened. I think the ending could have gone two ways, the way it did go, where she gets her happy ending with the man she wants, and where she loses it all and struggles to survive throughout her days. I think the film setup both to be an option and whether tragedy or happiness, it would have been good. That being said, I do like the happy ending and thought it good for the film.
2. This may not be a very good example, but it's the best I could come up with. In relation to the example, I would say that everyone can appreciate the value or beauty of a good book, something popular, or just a story that captivates its reader. Now, this book can be in pristine condition and the text be good, but there's a certain beauty to old books that have been read over and over again to the point where the pages are falling out, or warn down, or there's a stain from mustard from a hot dog you ate one time while reading it. I love The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and they're a very popular set of books, but there's something especially beautiful about my 12+ year old books that have been read several times and traveled around with me through the years.
3. Personally, I don't think so. I think the lines were good enough and they were delivered well enough to the point where it didn't lose anything from watching it like that. Now, if I were to watch a film that was truly american in another language I might say it lost something, but I guess this other way around sort of negates that. Also, I think that since the actors were Japanese and had a noticeable accent, it helped with the realism of the movie and therefore maintain a level of ma.
4. I'm going to to talk about Omisoka or New Year's Eve because it's personally important to me as New Year's Day is my birthday. It is also a national holiday that celebrates the end of one year and the start of another, where, for the most part, people drink and celebrate together. This particular holiday in the States is more of an adult holiday where the adults get together and celebrate and drink alcohol until the start of the new year, in most cases children either fall asleep, or, as is tradition in the US, watch the ball drop in times square to bring in the new year. The Japanese people in a small way have a similar custom where families congregate and eat special noodles that bring in the new year. Also, it seems they have singing contests of men vs woman that end just before midnight where a winner is chosen. After the new year is ushered in it's considered bad luck for work to take place the next few days, so basically, it seems they kind of hang out and enjoy each other the next few days, similar to the US I would say.
5. I think Sayuri throughout the film embodies that, she herself striving to become a geisha, the trials and hardships she faces along the way, etc. They make a great deal out of her eyes throughout the film because they're blue, which is a very rare trait for a Japanese person. They say throughout that she has a lot of water in her, meaning that she is like a river, determined and persistent, that finds away to carve through the rock and make her own path. And I think it's that sort of thought that drives her throughout the film and gives her an emotional beauty, a feeling of pity.
7. The scene where Sayuri gets the lead and does the dance in front of all the potential male clients. The dance starts of slow and serene where she walks out on giant shoes and moves her umbrella around. Suddenly, the music becomes more active and loud and Sayuri moves around the stage rapidly, with deft motions and falls to the floor, writhing in coordination. I think it embodies a whole lot of emotions that may not seem quite apparent at first, but has a certain beauty a midst the chaos that really makes you feel it.
8. I really enjoyed the movie. That was my second time seeing it, although the first time was many years ago when it first came out, so I knew the general plot, but forgot much of the details of what happened. I think the ending could have gone two ways, the way it did go, where she gets her happy ending with the man she wants, and where she loses it all and struggles to survive throughout her days. I think the film setup both to be an option and whether tragedy or happiness, it would have been good. That being said, I do like the happy ending and thought it good for the film.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Blog 10- Paper Topic
1. I think the Do Spirit of Japan is interesting because in sense it relates back to the warrior ways of bushido and that has always interested me. Also, because it's an interesting topic, the do spirit signifies the Japanese persistence of never giving up and pushing through, which also, I think, relates to World War II which also has always been an interesting topic to me. It's also interesting to think about how the japanese spirit conflicts or differs from our own culture and consciousness. So having said all that and not wanting to take away from what I could write about in a paper, I am going to write my paper on the Do Spirit of Japan.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Blog 9- From up on Poppy Hill
1. Define Nemawashi using one citation from the textbook.
"Nemawashi was originally a gardening term meaning 'to dig around the root of a tree a year or two before transplanting it; however, it is widely used in Japan today, especially in business circles, to mean 'groundwork laid unobtrusively in advance" (p. 159). Based on this citation it used to be a term for gardening but became more of an idiom by business men to mean setting up connections with others.
2. Nemawashi and Sudan ishiki have deep connections. Use one citation from the book and explain it.
"... there is a tendency to compromise with others by laying groundwork, referred to as Nemawashi, before reaching a final agreement" (p. 159). I would take this as Nemawashi meaning to lay groundwork connects to Sudan ishiki because these businessmen or people spend a lot of time laying groundwork with others as a part of the group consciousness, to get everyone to think the same, to not be the different one in the group.
3. What is Sempai and Kohai? Define them using 2 citations from the book.
"Seniors are called Sempai in Japanese, a term that has a long history..." (p 187). "Kohai is the opposite of Sempai: Ko means 'later' or 'afterwards' and hai signifies 'fellows' or 'mates'" (p 188). So it seems that Sempai and Kohai are terms for school, work, sports and means that the Senpai is the person who's been there longer and is therefor a mentor of sorts. While, Kohai, means junior and should treat their senior with a certain amount of respect and in turn they can become Sempai to a different set of students or people.
4. Considering Sempai and Kohai, what are the relationships between Umi and Syun?
Well, Syun is Umi's senior meaning that he's the Sempai and she's the Kohai. I can't really say I saw too much of a difference between their reactions with that in mind. I guess there a few times when she would be more respectful to him and offer to help with the paper and stuff. As they grew closer I think that relationship sort of changed from a formal Sempai to Kohai to just a friendship, or more.
5. Do you think the clubhouse embodied wabi sabi? why or why not?
Oh, very much so. Wabi Sabi is the Japense view of beauty in imperfection. Something that old and that filled with history is a beautiful thing to most of the students even though the place was dirty and run down and breaking in many places. There were quite a few times in the midst of the process of the students defending their building where they made the statement of how the place was filled with history and it couldn't be torn down because of that.
6. What was the significance of the scene where Umi, Shiro, and Syun, wait for the head of the company in regards to otogibanashi? What was the significance of the way Umi acted in relation to the Others?
Well otogibanashi relates to the folklore of the Japanese culture as well as beauty in visual and emotional. The book mentions one story of a woodcutter who finds this house with this beautiful woman inside who asks him to watch the house in her absence, but to not look in any of the rooms. The woodcutter disobeys, finds some eggs in one of the rooms, drops and breaks them, and the woman returns. The woman turns into a warbler and weeps for her children. So I think the significance is the patient waiting of the students even with the possibility of not getting to see him, there's still some sort of emotional beauty in their actions. The way Umi acted was one of Sempai and Kohai I think, since she was Kohai to the two others she sat respectfully while they made their arguments.
7. Why did Miyazaki make Umi and Syun think they were brother and sister later to find out they wren't actually related. Which value does this represent?
I actually thought at first he didn't do it on purpose, that he actually thought Syun was Umi's father's son, and therefore her sister. It kinda makes sense both ways, but if I assume that he did it intentionally, then I think that that was because of Nemawashi and the idea of laying groundwork. That if the two were just friends for longer they could appreciate and lay groundwork for a relationship that they could have later.
8. How did the clubhouse serve as namawashi?
It was the groundwork of all their efforts since their ancestors, the clubs and activities, etc.
10. Do you think she will develop into a good example of Ryosikenbo?
I do, she has very wise women around her who are glad to help her out. Not to mention all the work that she did while her mother was away taking care of the house and the family definitely sets her up to be able to handle things later on in life.
"Nemawashi was originally a gardening term meaning 'to dig around the root of a tree a year or two before transplanting it; however, it is widely used in Japan today, especially in business circles, to mean 'groundwork laid unobtrusively in advance" (p. 159). Based on this citation it used to be a term for gardening but became more of an idiom by business men to mean setting up connections with others.
2. Nemawashi and Sudan ishiki have deep connections. Use one citation from the book and explain it.
"... there is a tendency to compromise with others by laying groundwork, referred to as Nemawashi, before reaching a final agreement" (p. 159). I would take this as Nemawashi meaning to lay groundwork connects to Sudan ishiki because these businessmen or people spend a lot of time laying groundwork with others as a part of the group consciousness, to get everyone to think the same, to not be the different one in the group.
3. What is Sempai and Kohai? Define them using 2 citations from the book.
"Seniors are called Sempai in Japanese, a term that has a long history..." (p 187). "Kohai is the opposite of Sempai: Ko means 'later' or 'afterwards' and hai signifies 'fellows' or 'mates'" (p 188). So it seems that Sempai and Kohai are terms for school, work, sports and means that the Senpai is the person who's been there longer and is therefor a mentor of sorts. While, Kohai, means junior and should treat their senior with a certain amount of respect and in turn they can become Sempai to a different set of students or people.
4. Considering Sempai and Kohai, what are the relationships between Umi and Syun?
Well, Syun is Umi's senior meaning that he's the Sempai and she's the Kohai. I can't really say I saw too much of a difference between their reactions with that in mind. I guess there a few times when she would be more respectful to him and offer to help with the paper and stuff. As they grew closer I think that relationship sort of changed from a formal Sempai to Kohai to just a friendship, or more.
5. Do you think the clubhouse embodied wabi sabi? why or why not?
Oh, very much so. Wabi Sabi is the Japense view of beauty in imperfection. Something that old and that filled with history is a beautiful thing to most of the students even though the place was dirty and run down and breaking in many places. There were quite a few times in the midst of the process of the students defending their building where they made the statement of how the place was filled with history and it couldn't be torn down because of that.
6. What was the significance of the scene where Umi, Shiro, and Syun, wait for the head of the company in regards to otogibanashi? What was the significance of the way Umi acted in relation to the Others?
Well otogibanashi relates to the folklore of the Japanese culture as well as beauty in visual and emotional. The book mentions one story of a woodcutter who finds this house with this beautiful woman inside who asks him to watch the house in her absence, but to not look in any of the rooms. The woodcutter disobeys, finds some eggs in one of the rooms, drops and breaks them, and the woman returns. The woman turns into a warbler and weeps for her children. So I think the significance is the patient waiting of the students even with the possibility of not getting to see him, there's still some sort of emotional beauty in their actions. The way Umi acted was one of Sempai and Kohai I think, since she was Kohai to the two others she sat respectfully while they made their arguments.
7. Why did Miyazaki make Umi and Syun think they were brother and sister later to find out they wren't actually related. Which value does this represent?
I actually thought at first he didn't do it on purpose, that he actually thought Syun was Umi's father's son, and therefore her sister. It kinda makes sense both ways, but if I assume that he did it intentionally, then I think that that was because of Nemawashi and the idea of laying groundwork. That if the two were just friends for longer they could appreciate and lay groundwork for a relationship that they could have later.
8. How did the clubhouse serve as namawashi?
It was the groundwork of all their efforts since their ancestors, the clubs and activities, etc.
10. Do you think she will develop into a good example of Ryosikenbo?
I do, she has very wise women around her who are glad to help her out. Not to mention all the work that she did while her mother was away taking care of the house and the family definitely sets her up to be able to handle things later on in life.
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