I just want to say that this class was so much fun! I really enjoyed the discussions and debate we had in class and the trips we took both semesters were very memorable. This class really helped me understand some questions and issues I had with Japanese culture, so I've come out of it much wiser I think.
Thank you Masden Sensei!

Here is a video of the woman who came up with a more humane way to slaughter cattle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoNErsJNPzw

I thought I'd toss this on here for the hell of it. It's pure satire, be warned.
http://www.theonion.com/articles/suffering-blue-whales-plead-with-environmentalists,17619/

wailing on the whaling

I thought the videos shown today were very interesting. What sort of made me mad though, was the apparent ignorance the Japanese showed about their own culture. They all defended their support of whaling by saying that whale meat was part of traditional Japanese cuisine, which it is, in fact, not. The Japanese did not start whaling until the 20th century, and only did so with the help of a Norwegian man. Here is an article about it:
http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/editorial-060627-1.html
On that note, I would also like to say that the documentary or *a* documentary made for the purpose of turning people against whaling should include footage of whales and dolphins in the wild. It should show how smart they are; their methods of communication, family groups, hunting techniques for fish, and problem-solving abilities.

In the video a Japanese man defended his position by saying that westerners eat cows and pigs. Well, cows and pigs are domesticated animals, not wild like dolphins, and have been eaten by europeans for thousands of years. So, by every right, it *is* our culture.

I'd like to share an article that one of my facebook friends posted. If it's too controvercial, we don't have to talk about it in class, but I thought it appropriate to at least share on my blog.

From The Sunday Times June 13, 2010

Revealed: Japan’s bribes on whaling
Japan is attempting to break the 24-year moratorium on commercial whaling
Insight 72 Comments
Recommend? (41) A SUNDAY TIMES investigation has exposed Japan for bribing small nations with cash and prostitutes to gain their support for the mass slaughter of whales.

The undercover investigation found officials from six countries were willing to consider selling their votes on the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The revelations come as Japan seeks to break the 24-year moratorium on commercial whaling. An IWC meeting that will decide the fate of thousands of whales, including endangered species, begins this month in Morocco.

Japan denies buying the votes of IWC members. However, The Sunday Times filmed officials from pro-whaling governments admitting:

- They voted with the whalers because of the large amounts of aid from Japan. One said he was not sure if his country had any whales in its territorial waters. Others are landlocked.

— They receive cash payments in envelopes at IWC meetings from Japanese officials who pay their travel and hotel bills.

- One disclosed that call girls were offered when fisheries ministers and civil servants visited Japan for meetings.

Barry Gardiner, an MP and former Labour biodiversity minister, said the investigation revealed “disgraceful, shady practice”, which is “effectively buying votes”.

The reporters, posing as representatives of a billionaire conservationist, approached officials from pro-whaling countries and offered them an aid package to change their vote.

The governments of St Kitts and Nevis, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Grenada, Republic of Guinea and Ivory Coast all entered negotiations to sell their votes in return for aid.

The top fisheries official for Guinea said Japan usually gave his minister a “minimum” of $1,000 a day spending money in cash during IWC and other fisheries meetings.

He said three Japanese organisations were used to channel the payments to his country: the fisheries agency, the aid agency and the Overseas Fisheries Co-operation Foundation.

Japan has recruited some of the world’s smallest countries on to the IWC to bolster its support. A senior fisheries official for the Marshall Islands said: “We support Japan because of what they give us.”

A Kiribati fisheries official said his country’s vote was determined by the “benefit” it received in aid. He, too, said Japan gave delegates expenses and spending money.

The IWC commissioner for Tanzania said “good girls” were made available at the hotels for ministers and senior fisheries civil servants during all-expenses paid trips to Japan.

I think in the next class we should talk about Japan's prime minister resigning.

Since we have been talking about Minamata disease a bit in class, I thought I'd share a recent article I came across about Mercury levels in Taiji, Japan.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37050396/ns/health-more_health_news/

If everyone wants to go on the trip to the river, I won't be able to go. I'm trying to save my money and that trip would just be too expensive for me. I would love to go to Minamata, as I've heard from sempai that it's a really fun place to go, and I think it would be a very unique opportunity to study Minamata disease and learn some history directly from the people that lived it. Amakusa is my second choice, but I can't really think of anything interesting there besides the beach and marine animal exhibits.

Other than that, I'd just like to write about things I want to do before I leave Japan. I don't want to return to America with regrets about opportunities that I missed. Last Fall I heard about a restaurant near the edge of town where you could see and feed wild tanuki. Does anyone know where it is? I REALLY want to go there! Any other fun ideas of things I should see or do in Kumamoto before I leave in 2 months?

I'm curious about friendships between opposite genders in Japanese culture. My impression was that girls hung out with other girls and boys hung out with other boys and anything outside of that was grounds for rumors and scandals, however, recent events have proved that wrong and left me slightly confused and just a little bit worried.

At the welcome party, I talked to a first-year male student. We got along well because it seemed like we were into some of the same music. Well, a few days later, he showed up at the dorm unexpectedly and was asking for me. He invited me to go to a CD store downtown on the weekend. I went, and it was fun. It seemed to me like he was just using me to suggest cool new bands, which is totally fine.

I guess I'm just curious how the Japanese students in our class would view a girl and boy hanging out together. Would the assume they were a couple or just friends? Would they think it was weird that I hung out with just one guy and nobody else? What are the cultural norms for this sort of thing?

Seminar Spring Semester

Today I met Tomomi and Keisuke. They are both from Kumamoto and are majoring in International Economics. Tomomi's birthday is November 6th, and Keisuke's is July 9th. Tomomi's hobby is listening to music and Keisuke's is baseball.

始めまして！　My name is Lauren and I am 22 years old. I am from Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. My major is Japan Studies and I am a Junior.

I look forward to a fun class this semester. See you in class!