Wow.......

The last couple of weeks have been a warrant of activity. It is hard to process it all. I went places I did things :). I have had numerous area studies classes, (which are like intro to Japanese culture classes). I did a craft project with burakumin children. "a stigmatize group of at least 4 million outcasts, sometimes compared to India’s untouchables. The burakumin are physically and genetically indistinguishable from other Japanese. Many of them “pass” as (and marry) majority Japanese, but a deceptive marriage can edivorcesoce if burakumin identity is discovered (Aokin adredgeess, eds. 1981)." http://www.angelic-essence.com/2005/04/17/not-us-race-in-japan/

We volunteered at a children center doing after school activies. This fit in very well with my research reguarding east and western education styles.

We also had a lecture about Unit 731. A Japanese biological warfare human testing site in China during WW2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731


These lectures and activties have really challenged my perception of the land of the rising sun. But it has been worth it. When your preceptions are challenged and changed - you have to realize that you werent wrong before- you just didnt know all the facts. If you look at the look preconception - the etymological break down you realize that pre - is a prefix meaning before. So before you can conceptionilze something fully you have preconceptions. Of course you probably dont realize they are preconceptions until they are challenged as such.


Anyway, my idea of Japan has changed. But that is good, the deeper you become ingrained into a culture the more confused you become about it. You dont make generalizations. I have been noticing that my papers about Japan have been becoming more fleshed out.

I am going to post my Unit 731 online soon. I would really like everyones opinion on it.
Two men have just cooked me a nice indian dinner so I must go and eat... :)