This class was taken at Okayama University in Okayama, Japan.
|
Description:
|
This course elucidates the Japanese attitude towards nature based on the historical analysis. Furthermore, the course gives you some insight into how Japan will cope with the confused situation after the earthquake in 2011. The course will be run by the discussion style.
The aim of this class is to understand the traditional Japanese attitude towards nature. To develop your view on Japan’s future direction in terms of the sustainable co-existence between people and nature. |
Course Narrative
This course was a discussion and field based class, in which the majority of study was done during field trips, followed up with discussions in the classroom. The class focused on nature, Japanese culture, and the relations between the two, especially how people interpreted and/or interact(ed) with nature. Historically, we discussed in great depth how Japan's geography - having a great deal of natural disasters centered on its islands - has a large influence on the way Japanese viewed and responded to nature and natural disasters. For example, the belief that earth quakes were caused by a giant catfish living under the ground that would move; to this people responded by burying a large rock, which they believed would force the fish to be still beneath its weight. Japan thus has a very unique cultural connection to nature, not innately connected to nature, but unique in its relationship and its response to natural occurrences.
Photo used under Creative Commons from Free Public Domain Illustrations by rawpixel