Writing for Academic Discussion An Item Representing My Country - revised -

If you were selected to represent your country, what item would you bring? (cultural studies)

 

 

☆Let’s Think

1.     Think of words and items that represent your country.

2.     Make a presentation of the item you would bring.

 

 

☆Hints for Points

Words: craftsmanship, neat, well-organized, group-oriented mindset, samurai culture, distinct pop culture, anime, manga, hentai, misogyny, patriarchy, xenophobia, downfall, former colonizer

Items: Toyota car, game machine, karaoke machine, kimono, sushi, flag of Imperial Japan

Points for presentation:

1.        A Toyota car, a Walkman, or a Nintendo game machine can be spotted around the world. These products also symbolize the rise and fall of Japan as an industrialized country.

2.        Sushi or cup-noodle represent the traditional Japanese culture and its interaction with other cultures.

3.        A copy of The Tale of Genji could be the answer because the content is a famous Japanese story that is considered to be the first novel in the world. Manga and anime derive from our love of stories.

 

 

☆Sample Answers for Ideas and Expressions

Sample 1

A copy of manga could be an object that represents Japan because manga is loved in many countries. Also, the physical characteristics and the existence of a copy of manga reflect the Japanese culture. The neat appearance of manga, the glossy cover and elaborate print, and its drawings, originating from Ukiyo-e woodprint, which often depicts nuances of feelings, are the feature of our culture. The contents are not simple superhero stories but those about life, people, or small things that count in daily life. Also, manga is full of word play, trivia, and other devices coming from the Japanese culture and value. Moreover, putting so much energy into producing just a comic book shows our tendency to be meticulous about rather nonessential or transient things for daily use, as seen in our traditional culture like Japanese dry gardens, which features patterns drawn on the sand. Last but not least, the fact that the word manga has become an English word and that it cannot be exactly replaced with the word comic shows that it is a distinctive part of our culture.

 (181 words)

 

Sample 2

If I were to choose one single object that symbolizes my country, I would choose a katana, Japanese sword. It represents well-known characteristics of Japan: craftsmanship, the samurai culture, and the warlike past.

A katana is said to be the sharpest and strongest sword in the world, and collectors find aesthetic pleasure in it. This indicates our intense devotion to craftsmanship and beauty. Many people find perfectionism and love of details in things we make, ranging from our traditional handicrafts to cutting-edge industrial products to bento lunch with delicately-shaped colorful ingredients neatly arranged in a little lunch box. Our punctual transportation systems and very attentive store clerks also owe their origin to this tendency.

Also, a katana is the item representing our samurai culture, which is known to the world through our old movies. Although carrying katana was made illegal long ago, the samurai culture is still dominant in Japan. Samurai dramas are popular. Business magazines often feature famous Japanese warlords and warriors to learn lessons from their deeds or tactics. Also, many katana-related expressions are alive in our language. To describe a sharp person, we use a direct expression, “kireru,” cuts well. Crisp beer is “kire ga ii,” or cuts in a nice way. Shin-ken means serious, but it also means real, not wooden, katana. Lay-off is “kubi-kiri,” cutting heads off and taking a drastic measure is “itto-ryodan,” cutting in half with a long sword. These and many other katana-related expressions are used daily. It seems that we are always metaphorically wielding katana.

Related to the point above, a katana reminds people of our bloody history. Not only is most of our history the history of warlords, but also it is a historical fact that Japan invaded other countries, torturing and killing their civilians. Nanjin Massacre, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and other atrocities are the histories that we have to keep reflecting on as a people of ex-colonizer. Those who brutally killed women, children, including babies, and old people in other countries with military katana along with modern weapons were not abnormal individuals but average Japanese, who later went home and spent the rest of their lives as ordinary citizens, many of them as family-lovers. This fact shows that we can become ice-cold like a katana in certain situations. Although we are not the only people that have committed atrocities, it is significant that we are one of them.

I do not think all the main features of Japan can be represented by a katana, which is a weapon and therefore has few elements to represent virtues of a people. However, I think our major characteristics, “both militaristic and aesthetic” (Ruth Benedict, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword: patterns of Japanese culture), are symbolized by a Kanata, which is a top-class artwork and is relentlessly sharp. (468 words)

 

Write your response in 10 minutes. Show each other your responses. Write down questions or suggestions to each other’s response.

 

 

                                                   DRAFT