North Korea
This Wednesday, May 22nd 2013, North Korea sent out top military official Choe Ryong-hae to Bejing, the capital of China. Mot many details were released, including duration of the meeting. This meeting was rather surprising however, due to the recent tensions between China and North Korea. A fisherman crew was seized (and later realeased) by North Korea, and China was nervous due to recent bomb testings. Mr. Choe is the first high ranking representative to publically travel to China to discuss with other officials feeling of tension between the countries. Japan also weighed in, saying that talks with North Korea are welcomed, so they can talk about the Japanese officials whom were kidnapped in the 1970's and 1980's. A Japanese leader, Shinzo Abe, went to North Korea for a consult. The U.S. and South Korea feel left out of these talks, and were upset they were not consulted.
To me, this is reminiscent of peace talks between the U.S and Japan before we dropped the bomb on Japan. Also, this strikes me as North Korea attemoting to "modernize itself." It's also stepping out of the extreme reclusiveness and seeming hatred of foreign countries. This is like when Japan and China tried to make themselves totally and completely alone. They realized that this wasn't going to work over a period of time, and I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps one day North Korea will realize that shutting down is hurting the entire country, and that different isn't always synonymous with bad.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22620600
To me, this is reminiscent of peace talks between the U.S and Japan before we dropped the bomb on Japan. Also, this strikes me as North Korea attemoting to "modernize itself." It's also stepping out of the extreme reclusiveness and seeming hatred of foreign countries. This is like when Japan and China tried to make themselves totally and completely alone. They realized that this wasn't going to work over a period of time, and I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps one day North Korea will realize that shutting down is hurting the entire country, and that different isn't always synonymous with bad.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22620600
Pop Culture
http://readwrite.com/2010/03/03/china_top_3_social_network_sites
http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites
These two articles both dicuss the top social netwroking sites in their respective countries. In China, there are three fact-simile Facebooks, one for the "Upper class" one for middle class, and one for the lower, more rural class Facebook. In America, our top three are Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. I feel as though there really isn't a "social class" for each one. Facebook is for all three, and can be used in the same ways the Chinese do, such as business or pleasure. It's interesting though; I always thought that other countries had Facebook as well. It also strikes me as odd how each has a different social order, and how a website can be viewed as "below" someone because of their social standing.
http://readwrite.com/2010/03/03/china_top_3_social_network_sites
http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites
These two articles both dicuss the top social netwroking sites in their respective countries. In China, there are three fact-simile Facebooks, one for the "Upper class" one for middle class, and one for the lower, more rural class Facebook. In America, our top three are Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. I feel as though there really isn't a "social class" for each one. Facebook is for all three, and can be used in the same ways the Chinese do, such as business or pleasure. It's interesting though; I always thought that other countries had Facebook as well. It also strikes me as odd how each has a different social order, and how a website can be viewed as "below" someone because of their social standing.
Kimonos in Japan
For my primary source, I researched traditional Kimonos. In the article, it discusses how kimonos were introduced in the mid-1800's as a Japanese version of the Western T-shirt Many men began to wear business suits to work, but wore kimonos in the privacy of their own homes. Women were mostly domestic, so they wore them all the time. Westerners were ecstatic about the opening of Japan, and a craze for all things Japanese flooded the West. Kimonos became very popular. If one was to take a kimono as a primary source, such as one of the three pictured in the article, I believe they would be quite useful for research about that specific era in Japan. For example, I think it would be a good idea to really think about how the kimonos affected gender roles. The men only ever wore the kimonos in the privacy of their own homes, after a long day of doing manly men work. The garment was a "robe" so to speak, almost like pajamas to me. Women wore them all the time, however. To me, this is a form of further inhibiting women. Men would only ever wear the kimonos when they were home relaxing, not while working. So, to fit the puzzle pieces together, it is quite possible that many men did not view women as doing actual "work". After all, all they ever did was sit at home in their comfy little kimonos, right?
Another way you could use the kimonos as a primary source for investigation is how they were embroidered and decorated. On all three kimonos, there is some sort of flora, such as peonies or bamboo. Also, certain animals are highlighted, whether mystical or real, adorned the kimonos. This may show how the Japanese felt towards these flora and fauna. In Western society at this same time period (1800's-1900's), clothing was pretty simple, with some variations upon color and pattern. On the Japanese kimonos, there clothing can sometimes tell a story, and you could stare at the clothing for ages. It is simply mesmerizing. The colors are also more bold, the patterns more vivid. You would never of seen a crane, or two mythical creatures fighting over a garden of peonies on some gentlemans day coat no would you. That would be absurd!
Another way you could use the kimonos as a primary source for investigation is how they were embroidered and decorated. On all three kimonos, there is some sort of flora, such as peonies or bamboo. Also, certain animals are highlighted, whether mystical or real, adorned the kimonos. This may show how the Japanese felt towards these flora and fauna. In Western society at this same time period (1800's-1900's), clothing was pretty simple, with some variations upon color and pattern. On the Japanese kimonos, there clothing can sometimes tell a story, and you could stare at the clothing for ages. It is simply mesmerizing. The colors are also more bold, the patterns more vivid. You would never of seen a crane, or two mythical creatures fighting over a garden of peonies on some gentlemans day coat no would you. That would be absurd!