Essay: Is that really funny? – humor and identity in Japan and China
Cambridge University historian Barak Kushner looks at how to use the humor to understand how Japan and China have understood one another. Includes references to good primary sources.
Lesson: Living Efficiently: Daily Energy-Saving Practices from Totoro and Today
Grade Level: Elementary,SecondarySubject Area: Science & Environmental Science
Hayao Miyazaki's much beloved film, My Neighbor Totoro, is used to spark discussion about daily energy-saving practices.
Essay: From Sukiyaki to Hip-Hop: A Guide to Teaching Japanese Popular Music
Professor Ian Condry uses popular Japanese music to start a conversation about cultural identity and cross-cultural influences. He offers specific examples and gives links to music videos and translations of lyrics.
Essay: Teaching Anime: Exploring a Transnational and Transmedia Movement
Cultural anthropologist Ian Condry explores the variety of ways anime can be used as a teaching tool.
Resource: Dan Pink's Adventures in Manga Video: Career Advice
Japan Society Media Fellow and bestselling author Daniel Pink discusses his book, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need, the first American business book in manga form. The lecture uses comedy to offer sage career advice that can be used to spark class discussion. (Part 2 of "Dan's Pink's Adventures in Manga Video").
Resource: Dan Pink's Adventures in Manga Video: Manga in Japan
Japan Society Media Fellow and bestselling author Daniel Pink draws on his research in Japan as well as on his own efforts as a manga creator to take us inside the world of Japan’s dojinshi—amateur manga artists who remix and repurpose popular manga titles into new creations. (Part 1 of "Dan Pink's Adventures in Manga Video")
Resource: Snoopy Town!
The photograph of this Snoopy Town store in the Harajuku section of Tokyo raises questions about identity, pop culture, and the movement of cultural ideas and products between Japan and the United States.
Resource: Hello Kitty Merchandise
Hello Kitty is a popular icon found throughout the world. Originating in Japan with Western and Japanese influences, her official hometown is London, England. She can be used in discussions of cross-cultural relations and as an example of Japan's soft power.
Resource: A Good Luck Charm to Pass the Exam
This doll is designed to comfort students who are studying for the competitive entrance exams.
Lesson: Our Family and Other Families: Using Totoro to Teach Family Structure
Grade Level: ElementarySubject Area: English and Language Arts,Social Studies
In this lesson for elementary students, children find similarities between their own families and Japanese families using the well-known and well-loved film "My Neighbor Totoro."
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