MLO 2: Japanese Culture 2.1 Students develop a comprehensive understanding, appreciation, and knowledge of Japanese culture: perspectives (ideas, beliefs, attitudes, values, philosophies), practices (patterns of social interactions) and products (both tangible and intangible, for example, art, history, literature, music). 2.2 Students develop analytical and critical thinking in areas such as how Japan’s cultural background influences modern Japanese life, how to compare their own culture with the Japanese culture, or how Japanese culture relates to other world cultures in an age of global inter-relatedness.
Courses that meet this MLO: JAPN 212, JAPN 302, JAPN 307, JAPN 311, JAPN 317, JAPN 380, Study Abroad classes
Reflective Narrative: An important aspect of learning another language isn't just the written and spoken word, but also the culture that is associated with the language. I've learned so much about Japanese culture during my time here at CSUMB as well as during my time studying abroad at Toyo University. My first semester here I took 2 culture courses, JAPN 212: Samurai Spirit with professor An Pham and JAPN 302: History of Japan with Dr. Shigeko Sekine. In JAPN 302 we got to look through 1500 years of Japanese history in 15 weeks, 100 years a week, no problem. Then in JAPN 212 we focused more on the history of samurai in Japan, from their start as mercenary bodyguards, all the way up to their rise to governmental power and eventual decline. My favorite part of that semester was when the two classes' material overlapped and learning about the content from two different texts' points of view. I would not have been able to pass those classes without the encouragement and help of both Dr. Sekine and professor Pham, I want to thank you both for all of your help throughout my time at CSUMB. The following semester I took JAPN 307: Japanese American Experience with professor Pham. We learned about an ugly part of American history that many Americans are never taught. It makes me sad to think that we are hiding from our past, while hypocritically accusing other countries of doing the same. While studying abroad in Japan, I got a first hand experience of city life in Tokyo that I will never forget as well as various trips around the country. I'll never forget all of the amazing people I met during my time there. After getting back from study abroad I took JAPN 311: Social Issues in Japan with Dr. Dustin Wright. I really enjoy Dr. Wright's culture classes, the lectures he has are always interesting and the way he has us discuss in class material every week is a refreshing change from what I've been used to. We discussed many different social issues in Japan, including women's rights and comfort women reparations for acts committed during world war 2. This class was one of the deciding factors in why I wanted to do my capstone topic. In my last semester I took JAPN 317: Pacific Food Empires with Dr. Wright and JAPN 380: Japan: Land and People with Dr. Yoshiko Saito-Abbott. In JAPN 317 we explore how various foods in and from the East Asia area have spread around the world as well as what effects food such as Spam, which has been used as army rations and food relief for various people, has had on the cultures and people in the Pacific area. In JAPN 380 we learn a lot about the less looked at aspects of Japan such as land formation, population densities and various aspects of different regions of Japan such as what each region is famous for. I'm very thankful to Dr. Saito-Abbott for how lenient she has been on us as far as turning in our work on time, which should not have even been a problem since the classwork is mostly meant to be done online at home. I also want to thank Dr. Saito-Abbott for inviting me to the various workshops she organized for second language teachers in the Monterey area, the skills I learned in those workshops will be very useful during my time in JET.