電気通信大学 ASE II: Timelines of things from past to present & future・過去、現在、未来のタイムライン

Hello!

How are you? Today let's look at more ideas about the future, but from a different viewpoint - from timelines of things from the past to the present, and what we could imagine about the future. 

Look at the picture above. It comes from a magazine in the U.S. called Popular Science. It has been published for a long time, and this picture is from 1947. In one of their magazines from 1947, Popular Science had a report about the future. It imagined many things about it. From the picture, what do you see that it imagined about the future? Talk about it!

例えば：In the picture at the top, maybe they thought all our electricity (電気) would come from nuclear power plants (原子力発電所) in the future. 

Now look at this short video. It's the opening and closing credits to an animated cartoon from the early 1960s that was popular in the U.S. It was called The Jetsons and it was about an American family living in the future. What sorts of things do you notice in the video? 

What do you think of that? Every culture has its own ideas about what the future looks like. The Jetsons video clip plus the picture at the top are very some American ideas, especially after World War II and into the 1950s and 1960s, about what the future would look like. Would any of these ideas be the same as some Japanese ideas at that time about the future?  

Activity
Now how have some things developed and changed over time? Here are two (2) other short videos for all of you - one is about money, and the other, about cars. 

In a pair or group, choose one (1) video. Watch it and note how things have changed with the topic - either money or cars - over time. 

Then - get together with another pair or group who has watched a different video. With the other pair or group, compare and contrast (比較対照して) what you have seen in your video - and give each other some ideas about the future with the thing you watched about (either money, or cars). 

About money

About cars

Have fun! See you next time!

Image: Screenshot of illustration uploaded to Popular Science website. 

Uploaded for educational purposes only. I do not own the rights to this illustration. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). 
Videos uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the animation or other content within. All rights reserved to the copyright holders. Uploaded for educational purposes only.

電気通信大学 ASE II: Japan & the future・日本の未来

Hello! 

How are you? A big otsukaresamadeshita on the presentations last week. Good job on those! 

Now here is a post on the future - this time, Japan and the future. 

Look at the picture above. It shows an average Japanese family having dinner, and it comes from a Japanese magazine article from 1954 about home life. Is there anything different about family dinner time now than from then? 

Activity
What kinds of social or cultural changes can you see happening in Japan in the future? Japanese society and culture has already been through many changes since World War II. 

Take a look at these next group of pictures. They show some changes that have happened in around the last 50 years or so, up to now. What do you notice about the buildings, or the cars, or the way people dress? How do you feel that things have changed? 

Chuo-dori, Ginza, Tokyo, late 1960s

Chuo-dori, Ginza, Tokyo, today

Japanese young people, early 1960s

Japanese young people, today

Some contemporary fashions in Japan, late 1960s

Some contemporary fashions in Japan, today

Now let's take a look at this video about the Tsukuba Expo in 1985. This was almost 20 years later, but already things had changed since the 1960s: 

I have just two questions: 

What was the theme of the Tsukuba Expo? 

What kinds of achievements did the Tsukuba Expo want to show?

Other questions to think about:

So what kinds of changes can you imagine happening in society or culture in the future from now? What sorts of fashions might people be wearing? For example, would long hair come back into fashion among men? Would women wear mini-skirts again? Or - would men wear skirts and women wear suits? How about music? What would it sound like in the future? 

What designs in cars could you see in the future? Would we see a return to some older designs in cars? How about buildings? How might they be different? Perhaps would we see something in the future that people 50 years ago would never have imagined! 

Now here are the board notes for our class from 11/19:

See you next week!

Images: Top - by Unknown - Japanese magazine "Photograph Gazette, May 1954 issue" published by Government of Japan., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17850644/Ginza in 1967 - by Roger W from Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A. - Tokyo - Chuo-Dori, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60804070/Ginza in 2017 - by Gary - DSC08269 - Chuo-dori Ginza, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40961932/Japanese young people in 1964 - screenshot taken from Japanese+youth,+Tokyo,+1964+(11).jpg/Japanese young people today - screenshot taken from https://www.google.co.jp/search?biw=1199&bih=746&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=w2dXWpWxAcr08QXcjLHAAg&q=japanese+young+people&oq=japanese+young+people&gs_l=psy-ab.12...0.0.0.37755.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1c..64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.ZsHKi1iiTEI#imgrc=VXhxXXgo1PeJ-M:/Fashions in the 1960s - screenshot taken from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSgihLQJ00A84oVxNXdnaTdsbeTOGyngG-Cw7QCFjOczG3LECPdEbMZn_H9xcCV5UGrB9aZYdZqsodtUNL0InEGB4x1qi37sgsipFgP8_t3ThGqxbukg0V5zUJZvTYyx5ZwU6YWul76k/s1600/Street fashion today – screenshot taken from images on Instagram.
I do not own the rights to the images originally posted on Instagram. All rights reserved on original images to the copyright holders. Screenshots of images uploaded for educational purposes only.

東京理科大学 Writing & Composition 1a: Writing assignment 2・作文2

Hello!

How are you? Today I will show you our second (2nd) writing assignment (作文2) for this class - writing a short research report on a topic connected to the themes from the textbook in the listening and speaking class. 

Themes (テーマ)

Here are your choice of themes. You can choose one (1) of these: 

• Anthropology
• History (with a focus on technological development)

There are many topics you can choose from that fit with these themes. You can use a topic from one of the textbook chapters we have done so far in this class, plus any ideas you may have gotten from your listening and speaking class on the same textbook chapters. 

The map above from our blogpost before about the Ainu is an example of one kind of thing you could do - trace the possible migration theory and history of how the Ainu came to Japan.

Like the topic with the Ainu, here are also some other ideas for topics that fit with our new themes that you can try for. You could choose one (1) of these if you want: 

• Settlement (定住) of a historic ethnic group in a country (for example, how native Americans/First Nations people came to North America)
• Settlement history of a famous or unique immigrant (移民) group to a country in more recent times (for example, Irish or Italian immigration to the U.S., or Japanese-Brazilian immigration to Japan) 
• Short history of how industrialization came to Japan 
• A particular invention or scientific discovery from the Industrial Revolution and its impact on society (in Japan or elsewhere) 

Deadline (締め切り)
It will be by the end of class on July 1st (7/1). You have two (2) week(s) to prepare. You should have a rough draft (下書き) for next week (6/24), then have your final draft ready on 7/1.

*NOTE: I know that some of you have a laptop computer or tablet, but not all of you do. So if you have your own computer or laptop, work on your final drafts, and bring your computer or laptop with you, with a USB, to class next week on 6/24. 

If you don't have your own computer, bring a USB with you. Outside of class before next week, you should work on your writing on a campus computer, and save your Word file on your USB.

Your final draft for 7/1 will be typed on Word, and should be at least 3-4 paragraphs (段落) long - but if you can go longer, try for it! I encourage you to go longer and build your writing and take your ideas out further as much as you can. 

Many of you showed me in our 1st writing assignment that you can write to great length - so go for it with this second assignment!

Anything shorter than three (3) paragraphs will not be acceptable. I will ask you to re-write if you bring in less writing than what the assignment asks for. 

Please also do not write line-by-line sentences. Remember that you are writing paragraphs (段落), not lists of sentences. I will also ask you to re-write if you hand in a paper that has only lists of sentences on it. 

I will review with you guidelines in class on 6/24 about Word formatting for your final drafts.

Guidelines

1. Prepare a rough draft about the topic you want to write on about some research on your topic within anthropology or history. I will give you some time to do some research, and begin writing, in class.

Important note:

The rough and final drafts should have: 

• A short introduction showing what your topic is
• The topic, with some background, then focus on details or important points about it 
• Your research about it, with details and ideas or theories that have been shown about the people, phenomena, historical and/or industrial points or issues about it  

Things to think about:
In the case of anthropological issues, or other topics related to it (such as immigration), the movement of people alone is not the only thing that is unique or important. Things such as the peoples' languages, religions, cuisines (食文), and/or politics all have some impact or another on where they live. 

In the case of history with a focus on technological development, the technology did not only affect machines and industry; it also had a social and economic impact that, in the case of Europe, for example, led to the increase in populations of cities and caused great social changes.   

2. Be ready with your rough draft next week to read aloud to your classmates, and discuss your topics and research. Getting your classmates' reactions is important, and can help you to deepen your ideas. 

* This is very important! You don't have to have your rough draft 100% finished - but you have to have enough content so you can read aloud and discuss your writing! Do not come in with only 1-2 sentences!

3. Based on the readings and any feedback you get from your classmates, then finalize your rough drafts outside of class into final drafts, and be ready to hand in on the deadline day on 7/1!  

Here are the board notes for our class today on 6/17 - especially note the evaluative criteria for your 1st writing assignment and think about it as you write this new 2nd assignment:

Good luck! See you next time!

Images: Top - Screenshot of image originally by ABCEditer - Own work by reference to 崎谷満（2009）『DNA・考古・言語の学際研究が示す新・日本列島史 日本人集団・日本語の成立史』勉誠出版, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62921263

東京理科大学 A英3: Supporting post for writing assignment 6 - about refugees・作文6のサポートポスト「難民について」

Hello!

How are you? Here is a special post to go with our 6th writing assignment (作文6) - your opinions about refugees (難民) and what they need for immigration (移住).

If you want to refresh yourself about the 6th writing assignment, click on this link to check it. 

Support & preparation (準備) 
If you choose to write about this topic, here is some support for you. 

I've chosen this topic as one thing you can do because Japan lets in very few refugees, but because the Japanese population is getting older, greater refugee admission may be one thing the Japanese government will have to look at in the near future to keep up the working population. 

Video 1:
Refugees have many problems, and many things they need. Watch this video. It's mostly in English, but with Japanese subtitles (日本語の字幕). 

Watch the video as many times as you need to. When you are finished, answer these questions in your notebook about the different parts of the video (you can make notes in English or Japanese). 

You do not have to show me these notes - they are for you, to get more of a background about the topic and sense of what the issue is. 

日本のメッセージ
1. What did the first woman say about coming to Australia as a refugee?
2. What did the second woman say about communication between the government (政府) and refugees?

シンポジウムから待たヒント
What did Ishii-san say about the two women's refugee stories?

日本にできること
What did Moriya-sensei from Hokkaido Educational University (北海道教育大学) say about the needs of refugees?

長野県松本市の取り組み
What did Takizawa-sensei from Toyo Eiwa Women's University graduate school (東洋英和女学院大学大学院) say about help for refugees in Matsumoto city in Nagano (長野県松本市)?

求められる視点
What did Daniel Alkhal (ダニエル・アルカル ) from the UNHCR (国連難民高等弁務官事務所) say about the three different steps of support refugees need?

Make these notes in your notebook. You can make these notes in Japanese or English. 

Video 2: 
Now here is another video, but this time with no questions. It's also a TV Tokyo report, about refugees from Burma (Myanmar) who are now living and working in Tokyo as nail artists. 

This may also give you some more background about what some refugees who have re-settled in Japan are able to do. 

Task 
Now look at your notes and write 3-4 paragraphs about what you think of refugees and their needs, especially in coming to Japan.

If you believe that refugees should not come to Japan, give your reasons why.

I know this is a deeper topic than what some of you have done before - so as I say in my blogposts about hikikomori and our 6th writing assignment, I can give some extra points to you for trying for this topic. 

Good luck! I look forward to reading your great writing about this issue if you choose to write about it. 

Take care!

Image: By DFID - UK Department for International Development - Children are the amongst the most vulnerable refugees, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30786740  Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the video. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for educational purposes only. 

東京理科大学 A英3: Hikikomori・引きこもり

Hello!

How are you? Here is a post to go with our theme of issues. Here is an issue that is big in society, and has been big for some time - hikikomori. What are your views about hikikomori and what they might need to re-enter society? 

Activity/homework
Click on this link. It's a short Japanese news documentary about hikikomori and the efforts of a special school, called One Step, that intervenes (取りなして) in family situations where there are hikikomori, and tries to help them take the first steps to integrate (溶け込む) back into society. 

Watch the video from the link as many times as you need to. When you are finished, answer these questions in your notebook about the different parts of the video: 

1. Where is the man living, and how long has been living in his room?

2. How does his parents feel about his situation?

3. How much money have they lost because of his situation?
4. How did he react when the One Step School people tried to interview him? 

5. What were some of the things that the man had written in the letters? 

6. What was his job? 

7. What did Hirooka-san from the One Step School say about hikikomori?

8. According to the newspaper story in the video, about how many hikikomori are there? 

Task 

Now look at your notes and write 1-2 paragraphs about what you think of what 
hikikomori need. What are your ideas about how they can re-enter society? 

If you believe that hikikomori are not society's problem and that they should not be given 
any help, give your reasons why.

I know this is also a deeper topic than what some of you have done before - so I will give 
some extra time to you for trying with this topic.

Good luck! Take care!

Image: By S. Schmidt (Benutzer: lonestar84, eigenes Foto) - Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, 
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8530805

電気通信大学 ASE II: Japan & the future・日本の未来

Hello! 

How are you? Here is another post on the future - this time, Japan and the future. 

Look at the picture above. It shows an average Japanese family having dinner, and it comes from a Japanese magazine article from 1954 about home life. Is there anything different about family dinner time now than from then? 

Activity
What kinds of social or cultural changes can you see happening in Japan in the future? Japanese society and culture has already been through many changes since World War II. 

Take a look at these next group of pictures. They show some changes that have happened in around the last 50 years or so, up to now. What do you notice about the buildings, or the cars, or the way people dress? How do you feel that things have changed? 

Chuo-dori, Ginza, Tokyo, 1967

Chuo-dori, Ginza, Tokyo, 2017

Japanese young people, 1964

Japanese young people, 2017

Some contemporary fashions in Japan, late 1960s

Some contemporary fashions in Japan, 2017

Now let's take a look at this video about the Tsukuba Expo in 1985. This was almost 20 years later, but already things had changed since the 1960s: 

I have just two questions: 

What was the theme of the Tsukuba Expo? 

What kinds of achievements did the expo want to show?

Other questions to think about:

So what kinds of changes can you imagine happening in society or culture in the future from now? What sorts of fashions might people be wearing? For example, would long hair come back into fashion among men? Would women wear mini-skirts again? Or - would men wear skirts and women wear suits? How about music? What would it sound like in the future? 

What designs in cars could you see in the future? Would we see a return to some older designs in cars? How about buildings? How might they be different? Perhaps would we see something in the future that people 50 years ago would never have imagined! 

See you next week!

Images: Top - by Unknown - Japanese magazine "Photograph Gazette, May 1954 issue" published by Government of Japan., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17850644/Ginza in 1967 - By Roger W from Sarasota, Florida, U.S.A. - Tokyo - Chuo-Dori, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60804070/Ginza in 2017 - By Gary - DSC08269 - Chuo-dori Ginza, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40961932/Japanese young people in 1964 - screenshot taken from Japanese+youth,+Tokyo,+1964+(11).jpg/Japanese young people in 2017 - screenshot taken from https://www.google.co.jp/search?biw=1199&bih=746&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=w2dXWpWxAcr08QXcjLHAAg&q=japanese+young+people&oq=japanese+young+people&gs_l=psy-ab.12...0.0.0.37755.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1c..64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.ZsHKi1iiTEI#imgrc=VXhxXXgo1PeJ-M:/Fashions in the 1960s - screenshot taken from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSgihLQJ00A84oVxNXdnaTdsbeTOGyngG-Cw7QCFjOczG3LECPdEbMZn_H9xcCV5UGrB9aZYdZqsodtUNL0InEGB4x1qi37sgsipFgP8_t3ThGqxbukg0V5zUJZvTYyx5ZwU6YWul76k/s1600/Street fashion in 2017 – screenshot taken from https://medium.com/@TokyoFashion/japanese-street-fashion-2017-15-things-you-need-to-know-ab06eabfca39

電気通信大学 ASE II: The future・未来

Hello!

How are you? Today let's look at some ideas about the future (未来). 

Look at this short video. It's the opening and closing credits to an animated cartoon from the early 1960s that was popular in the U.S. It was called The Jetsons and it was about an American family living in the future. What sorts of things do you notice in the video? 

What do you think of that?

Now look at the picture above. It comes from a magazine in the U.S. called Popular Science. It has been published for a long time, and this picture is from 1947. 

In one of their magazines from 1947, Popular Science had a report about the future. It imagined many things about it. How many of these things have become real? 

Every culture has its own ideas about what the future looks like. The Jetsons video clip plus the picture at the top are very some American ideas, especially after World War II, about what the future would look like. Would any of these ideas be the same as some Japanese ideas at that time about the future?  

Activity

Let's look at these other pictures from the 1947 Popular Science article. What do you think they imagined in these pictures? 

例えば：In the picture at the top, maybe they thought all our electricity (電気) would come from nuclear power plants (原子力発電所) in the future. 

1. First - let's try to imagine what they thought in these pictures!

2. Next - let's see where these pictures came from with a report about them. Go to the Popular Science website here to find out!

Have fun! See you next time!

Images: Screenshots of illustrations uploaded to Popular Science website. 

Uploaded for educational purposes only. I do not own the rights to these illustrations. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). 
Video uploaded from YouTube. I do not own the rights to the animation within. All rights reserved to the copyright holder(s). Uploaded for educational purposes only.