Analyzes the decision to drop the atomic bomb from a rhetorical point of view, arguing that the bombs were launched because of an American commitment to a particular rhetoric that focused on the propaganda slogan "unconditional surrender." (PD)

Argues that debate is not antithetical to Japanese culture and that Japan has indigenous traditions of argument and debate. Outlines the Japanese tradition of argumentation prior to the "opening to the West" in 1853. Suggests a more expansive model of debate as appropriate to cross-cultural analysis. (HB)

A study investigated the portrayal of mothers and fathers in Japanese and non-Japanese children's literature and how stereotypically they are depicted as role models. Japanese public libraries contain many translated foreign books, mostly Western in origin. For this study's purposes, 25 Japanese books, 25 translated books from English-speaking…

This study is both an interpretation and a translation of three modern Japanese plays, providing an artistic perspective on the radical reordering of experience and thought with which modern man must grapple in cross-cultural encounters. An introductory essay prefaces each play, providing a historical, critical, or appreciative perspective from…

This essay is based on the author's presentation at the Wachman Fund's 2003 history institute, "Teaching Japan." An overview of Japan's educational system and common misconceptions about Japanese schools are presented. American resistance to comparative education ins general is also discussed. By setting aside traditional biases against…

Discusses the writings of Amino Kiku, a modern Japanese female author. Questions why Amino is ignored in most compilations of Japanese writers. Concludes that she is ignored because Japanese women's literature is defined by men, all Japanese literary critics are male, and Amino's female characters are not defined by their relationships with men.…

Akira Kurosawa, the most popular Asian film maker with audiences in the United States, has found in William Shakespeare's plays themes and plots that resonate within Japanese culture. While the translations of "Macbeth" into "Throne of Blood" and "King Lear" into "Ran" are quite direct and literal with only…

Argues that the pedagogy of self-expression is conceptually confused and internally inconsistent, insensitive to class and cultural differences within American society, and a symptom of the malady of postmodern emptiness. The author uses fieldwork vignettes to introduce a Japanese approach to dealing with children's expressions of feelings.…

Provides guidelines for instructors who teach entire courses on (or who include) films from Japan and China. Considers issues of concern in contemporary Asian cinema such as conflicts between tradition and modernity, indigenous definitions of cultural identity and artistic form, and internationalization. (KEH)

Japan has often been criticized for allegedly teaching its schoolchildren about the history of Imperial Japan 1895-1945 in selective and misleading ways. Is this criticism justified, and how does it compare with the record of another former colonial power in East Asia: England? International criticism of history teaching in England has been…

Demonstrates a procedure for teachers to use when evaluating multicultural books by reviewing two primary-level nonfiction books about Japan. Analyzes the use of photographs and the representation of the culture. Points out that, although nonfiction is valuable when teaching about other cultures, teachers should critically examine such books. (CH)

Presents an instructional resource consisting of 4 18th-century Japanese prints combined with discussion questions and related activities for grades 6-12. The prints illustrate various aspects of a society in transition. Includes background material on 18th-century Japan and the prints. (MJP)