Suggested Readings for General Education 110:

I would recommend accompanying this assignment with reading selections from Documents in World History or Reading About the World. The study questions below incorporate aspects of both books.

Read the selection of Japanese poetry in Reading About the World, pages 204-209. How might you relate the style of poetry to the aesthetics of Japanese architecture? Do you see any similarities between the values emphasized in the poetry, or the subjects of the poetry, and the photographs you selected of Kyoto? Does the style of the poetry reflect Japanese architecture or landscaping, or are they quite different forms of art?

After reading “Valor and Fair Treatment: The Rise of the Samurai” in Documents in World History (213-217), consider the place of the samurai in Kyoto’s history and compare this with your understanding of the influence of the samurai in Japan’s history. Do the photographs that you found reflect this tradition? How?

Other possible readings for 110:

Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past 1: 405-407 gives an overview of early and medieval Japan and discusses Kyoto briefly, as well as samurai and Japanese culture.

World History in Brief: Major Patterns of Change and Continuity 1: A portion of Chapter 13, pages 236-242, details the growth of civilization in East Asia and outlines the culture, society, and economy of Japan from 600-1450.

Suggested readings for General Education 111:

Global Passages 2: Pages 16-24 describe firsthand the attitudes of foreigners toward Japan in the 1500s, as well as Japan’s response to the West. The descriptions of housing and architecture from foreigners’ perspectives can easily be connected to the students’ work with Kyoto and Japanese cultural aesthetics.

What factors might have brought change to Kyoto’s citizens and its culture? How did shogunates or the Meiji Restoration affect Kyoto? Do you see indications of change or foreign influence reflected in the photographs you selected?

For both classes:

What do you notice about religious practices in these photos of Kyoto? How does this relate to Japan’s culture? How did foreigners interact with Japan at this time (whatever period the class is studying)? Did you find any evidence of outside influences in the photographs you selected? If so, explain. If not, explain that as well. How is Kyoto significant in modern Japan?

Finally, find online or book sources (photographs, descriptions, etc) that describe the industry and festivals that made Kyoto a cultural center. Describe one form of industry and one festival in detail and then provide a photograph for each that reflects the tradition or the occupation. How was it significant to Kyoto’s citizens and to the rest of Japan? Is the industry still in use today? Is the festival still celebrated?

After completing your research, return to the question first posed in this assignment. Do you agree with Truman’s advisor(s) who removed Kyoto from the target list for the atomic bomb? How significant do you believe the city is for Japan’s culture? Other than simply preserving Japan’s ancient capitol out of respect for its past history, did you discover any other reasons that the Americans were hesitant to bomb the city, or can you suggest some reasons of your own? Do you ultimately agree with this decision: why or why not?

Grading Rubric:

Substantially Developed: A student should receive full credit if he or she thoughtfully examines why American military advisors removed Kyoto from the list of atomic bomb targets and then uses this as a springboard from which to investigate the historical, social, and cultural significance of the city. The student appropriately identifies and clearly states his or her own opinion. The descriptions of the three photographs only need to be a few sentences long, but the students do need to provide adequate descriptions about what these photographs reveal about Japanese culture and aesthetics and how this relates to topics studied in class. The students should also answer the questions specific to their section—110 or 111—and need to move beyond simple description to analysis of its significance. The student thoroughly explains one industry and one festival that made Kyoto Japan’s cultural center. The student analyzes the assignment clearly and understands the scope and context of the work.

Scant/Average: The student only briefly examines why the Americans chose not to bomb Kyoto and does not connect this with the enduring cultural role Kyoto plays in Japan’s history. The student does provide descriptions of the photographs but does not delineate how they reveal various aspects of Japan’s past history. In other words, the student answers the “what” questions but does not explore “why.” The student fails to identify conclusions about the project and does not adequately explore or defend his or her own opinion regarding the choice not to bomb Kyoto.