Response Paper:
Over the last three weeks we have covered the transitions involved in the peak and defeat of Imperial Japan as well as the beginning of the postwar era. In addition to watching a few films that give some texture to the experiences of WWII and its aftermath in Japan, our textbook provided some basic details of the changes underway. The most significant shift could be in terms of worldview, from a Japan where the emperor and the nation were theoretically aligned in a purported mission of anti-western liberation for Asia, to a defeated agressor nation that led an exploitative and racist empire to the point of its collapse. How do we reconcile these two worldviews, and what is lost and gained in the transition from one to another?
Requirements:
Length: 400-600 words
Citations: at least 1 citation from 4 different works presented in class, the textbook must be at least one of these. Others include, Coup d’etat, Kaneko Fumiko, Kim Sa-rang, Momotaro’s Sea Eagles, Stray Dog, Barefoot Gen, In this Corner of the World.
Objective: To explain in your own words the transition from one worldview to another and how you think people thought, felt, and reacted to these changes, using citations from course readings to support and strengthen your interpretation.
Source:
Readings:
1. textbook Chapter 11 pdf, in files
2. Kaneko Fumiko -what made me do what I did.pdf, in files
3. Kim Saryang – Into the Light.pdf, in files
films:
1. Coup’d’etat Yoshida: https://ok.ru/video/1616552987246
2. Momotarō‘s Sea Eagles (1943): https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=qY1bwT-gkbZKbAgk&v=a6I5FjPxDuU&feature=youtu.be
3. Barefoot Gen: https://animesuge.to/anime/barefoot-gen-k179/ep-1
4. In This Corner of the World: https://anix.to/anime/in-this-corner-of-the-world-p884/ep-1