The Japanese Approach to Environmental Issues - World Affairs ...

The Japanese Approach toEnvironmental IssuesMay 1, 2008A ResourcePacket forEducatorsIncludes MeetingNeeds & WantsCBA Lesson PlanUnit:“U.S. and JapaneseTransportationInnovations in the1950s and 1960s”Resourcescompiled byAustinStockwell &Tese WintzNeighborPhoto by Tese NeighborWith special thanks to our keynote speaker:Professor Michael Strausz, Political Science, University of Washington&The Wyckoff Teacher Resource Center

TABLE OF CONTENTSU.S.-JAPAN LAND AREA COMPARISON MAP 2U.S.-JAPAN FACT SHEET 3Environmental Issues & Agreements 5USING THIS RESOURCE GUIDE 6MAPS OF JAPAN 6GENERAL INFORMATION ON JAPAN 6JAPANESE NEWS SOURCES (ENGLISH LANGUAGE) 7GENERAL RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS 7ENVIRONMENT 10General Resources 10Climate Change 11Pollution & Human Health 12Water 14Whaling 14Sustainability 16Books 18HISTORY 20JAPANESE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS 21ECONOMICS & BUSINESS 22JAPANESE CULTURE & SOCIETY 22POP CULTURE 23YOUTH ISSUES 24TEACHING THE JAPANESE LANGUAGE 25RELIGION 26HAIKU 27GARDENS 27Local Japanese Gardens 28FILMS 28BEYOND THE CLASSROOM – LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS 30ARTICLE: “VISUALIZING NATURE IN JAPAN” 32MEETING NEEDS & WANTS CBA LESSON PACKET:“U.S. AND JAPANESE TRANSPORTATIONINNOVATIONS IN THE 1950s AND 1960s” 44

U.S.-JAPAN LAND AREA COMPARISON MAP2

Energy imports, net (% of energy use) 81.2 30.3Electric power consumption (kWh per capita) 8233 13648Electricity production from coal sources (% of total) 28.3 50.5CO2 emissions (kg per 2005 PPP $ of GDP) 4 0.3 0.5CO2 emissions (metric tons per capita) 9.8 20.6PM10, country level (micrograms per cubic meter) 5 31 22Passenger cars (per 1,000 people) 441 461Renewable internal freshwater resources per capita3365 9443(cubic meters)Annual freshwater withdrawals, total (% of internal21 17resources)Annual freshwater withdrawals, agriculture (% of62 41total freshwater withdrawal)Improved water source (% of population with access) 100 100Improved water source, rural (% of rural population100 100with access)Improved water source, urban (% of urban100 100population with access)Improved sanitation facilities (% of population with100 100access)Improved sanitation facilities, rural (% of rural100 100population with access)Improved sanitation facilities, urban (% of urban100 100population with access)Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000) 4 8Adjusted savings: gross savings (% of GNI) 6 26.4 12.6Adjusted savings: consumption of fixed capital (% of14.0 12.3GNI) 7Adjusted savings: net national savings (% of GNI) 8 12.4 0.3Adjusted savings: education expenditure (% of GNI) 9 3.1 4.8Adjusted savings: energy depletion (% of GNI) 10 0.0 1.4Adjusted savings: mineral depletion (% of GNI) 11 0.0 0.1Adjusted savings: carbon dioxide damage (% of0.2 0.3GNI) 12Adjusted savings: particulate emission damage (% of0.5 0.3GNI) 13Adjusted net savings, including particulate emission14.9 2.9damage (% of GNI) 14 Source: The World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/*Notes1. Arable land includes land defined by the FAO as land under temporary crops (double-cropped areas are counted once), temporary meadows formowing or for pasture, land under market or kitchen gardens, and land temporarily fallow. Land abandoned as a result of shifting cultivation isexcluded.2. GEF benefits index for biodiversity is a composite index of relative biodiversity potential for each country based on the species represented in eachcountry, their threat status, and the diversity of habitat types in each country. The index has been normalized so that values run from 0 (no biodiversitypotential) to 100 (maximum biodiversity potential).3. GDP per unit of energy use is the PPP GDP per kilogram of oil equivalent of energy use. PPP GDP is gross domestic product converted to 2000constant international dollars using purchasing power parity rates. An international dollar has the same purchasing power over GDP as a U.S. dollarhas in the United States.4. Carbon dioxide emissions are those stemming from the burning of fossil fuels and the manufacture of cement. They include carbon dioxideproduced during consumption of solid, liquid, and gas fuels and gas flaring.5. Particulate matter concentrations refer to fine suspended particulates less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10) that are capable of penetrating deepinto the respiratory tract and causing significant health damage. Data for countries and aggregates for regions and income groups are urban-populationweighted PM10 levels in residential areas of cities with more than 100,000 residents. The estimates represent the average annual exposure level of theaverage urban resident to outdoor particulate matter. The state of a country’s technology and pollution controls is an important determinant ofparticulate matter concentrations.6. Gross savings are the difference between gross national income and public and private consumption, plus net current transfers. World Bank nationalaccounts data files.7. Consumption of fixed capital represents the replacement value of capital used up in the process of production.8. Net national savings are equal to gross national savings less the value of consumption of fixed capital.9. Education expenditure refers to the current operating expenditures in education, including wages and salaries and excluding capital investments inbuildings and equipment.10. Energy depletion is equal to the product of unit resource rents and the physical quantities of energy extracted. It covers crude oil, natural gas, andcoal.11. Mineral depletion is equal to the product of unit resource rents and the physical quantities of minerals extracted.12. Carbon dioxide damage is estimated to be $20 per ton of carbon (the unit damage in 1995 U.S. dollars) times the number of tons of carbonemitted.13. Particulate emissions damage is calculated as the willingness to pay to avoid mortality attributable to particulate emissions.14. Adjusted net savings are equal to net national savings plus education expenditure and minus energy depletion, mineral depletion, net forestdepletion, and carbon dioxide and particulate emissions damage.4

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND AGREEMENTSChief EnvironmentalConcernsJAPANAir pollution from power plant emissions resultsin acid rain; acidification of lakes and reservoirsdegrading water quality and threatening aquaticlife; Japan is one of the largest consumers of fishand tropical timber, contributing to the depletionof these resources in Asia and elsewhereU.S.Air pollution resulting in acid rain in both the U.S.and Canada; the U.S. is the largest single emitter ofcarbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels;water pollution from runoff of pesticides andfertilizers; limited natural fresh water resources inmuch of the western part of the country requirecareful management; desertificationInternationalEnvironmentalAgreementsParty to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, AntarcticSeals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, ClimateChange, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,Desertification, Endangered Species,Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone LayerProtection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83,Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, WhalingParty to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-NitrogenOxides, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals,Antarctic Treaty, Climate Change, Desertification,Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation,Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, TropicalTimber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, WhalingSigned, but not ratified: Air Pollution-PersistentOrganic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile OrganicCompounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change-KyotoProtocol, Hazardous WastesSource: CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html5

USING THIS RESOURCE GUIDEPlease note: Many descriptions have been excerpted directly from listed websites.Packet updated and published: 4/24/08; Websites checked: 04/024/08Thumbs up icon indicates resources that the World Affairs Councilrecommends.Apple icon indicates resources that include lesson plans.Ear icon indicates resources that include audio components.Chart icon indicates resources that include graphs and/or charts.Map icon indicates resources that include maps.Video camera icon indicates resources that include video components.MAPS OF JAPANJAPAN NATIONAL TOURIST ORGANIZATION: MAP OF REGIONShttp://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/map/index_map.htmlThis map shows regions and prefectures of Japan. Click on any area to explore it in detail.WORLDATLAS.COM: JAPANhttp://www.graphicmaps.com/webimage/countrys/asia/jp.htmThis map includes facts about Japan’s climate, geography and natural resources.ASIASOURCE.ORG: JAPANhttp://www.asiasource.org/profiles/ap_mp_03.cfm?countryid=18Map with major cities, bodies of water, and historical occupation notations.JAPAN NATIONAL MAP (wall map for purchase)http://www.maps.com/map.aspx?cid=22&pid=8970&cat_name=Wall+Maps+Continent+%26+Country+Asia&prod_name=JAPAN+Political+Wall+Map&nav=MS#viewAnchorGENERAL INFORMATION ON JAPANCIA WORLD FACTBOOK – JAPANhttps://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.htmlLIBRARY OF CONGRESS: COUNTRY STUDY - JAPANhttp://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/jptoc.htmlBBC COUNTRY PROFILES - JAPANhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1258586.stm6

BBC TIMELINE - JAPANhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1261918.stmWEB JAPAN: JAPAN FACT SHEEThttp://web-japan.org/factsheet/JAPAN-101http://www.japan-101.com/JAPANESE NEWS SOURCES (ENGLISH LANGUAGE)ASAHI SHINBUNwww.asahi.com/english/english.htmlTHE JAPAN TIMEShttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/NIKKEI NET (NIHON KEIZAI SHINBUN)www.nni.nikkei.co.jp/NEWS ON JAPANhttp://www.newsonjapan.com/ASIA TODAY: ASIA SOURCEhttp://www.asiasource.org/news/at_mp_01.cfmASIA TIMEShttp://www.atimes.com/atimes/Japan.htmlGENERAL RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORSSTANFORD PROGRAM ON INTERNATIONAL AND CROSS-CULTURALEDUCATION (SPICE)http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/clearinghouse/The Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE) serves as a bridgebetween Stanford University and K-14 schools by developing multidisciplinary curriculum materialson international themes. As a program of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies,SPICE reflects the scholarship of Stanford University in its curricula and professional developmentseminars for teachers. The curricula and seminars focus on contemporary issues in the context oftheir cultural and historical underpinnings.INTERNET GUIDEShttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/147Designed for teachers, the Clearinghouse Internet Guides provide annotated lists ofrecommended websites about Japan arranged by topic. We have tried to include sites withboth specific and general information on each topic, as well as several sites for each guideappropriate for students to visit by themselves. Some sites provide background information,some provide teaching ideas, and others are just plain fun.7

ASIA FOR EDUCATORS - COLUMBIA UNIVERSITYhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/This site is an initiative on the East Asia Curriculum Project and the Project on Asia in the CoreCurriculum. This resource covers all interest areas and includes information on China as well.Background information, readings, activities, lesson plans, graphics, and video clips on Japan can alsobe found on this site.EDUCATION IN JAPANhttp://www.education-in-japan.info/This site is intended to be a networking plaza for those who want to know how to enrich the lives ofchildren, as well as a resource-rich marketplace for the exchange of ideas, news, and resources. As theneeds of parents, educators, and children vary greatly, so does the scope of the contents of thiswebsite.JAPAN INFORMATION AND CULTURE CENTER (JICC)http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/index.htmThe Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC) is the cultural and public affairs section of theEmbassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. The role of the JICC is to promote better understanding ofJapan and Japanese culture by providing a wide range of information, educational services, andprograms to the public. The JICC has a Teacher Resource Guide including information on origami,holiday, and celebrations, the Japanese language, “Learning About Japan” Resource, and pen palprograms.JAPAN NOWhttp://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc/JNindex.htmThis is a newsletter that serves anyone who is interested in Japan and its culture. Until 2005, it hadbeen a printed nationwide newsletter of 10,000+ circulation, but it has recently been converted to anonline format, allowing quick access for readers all over the world.EDUCATION ABOUT ASIA MAGAZINEhttp://www.aasianst.org/eaa-toc.htmThis magazine includes articles on all areas and subjects ranging from ancient cultures to literature tocurrent events. It also includes guides to resources for classroom use such as films, books, videos,curriculum guides, websites, software, and other useful educational tools.EAST ASIA RESOURCE CENTER (EARC)http://jsis.washington.edu/earc/about.shtmlThe East Asia Resource Center (EARC) provides a wide range of outreach programming andservices to K-12 educators nationwide. K-12 teachers in all stages of their careers will find that theEast Asia Resource Center is a great place to learn more about China, Japan, and Korea. Year-roundprogramming includes: one-day workshops on East Asian art, culture, and history; the NationalConsortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) thirty-hour seminars; intensive summer institutes inSeattle; study tours to China and Japan; and more. The EARC cosponsors a lecture series on timelyinternational topics with other outreach centers at the Jackson School of International Studies. TheUW East Asia Center also provides a wide array of lectures for the general public on China, Japan,and Korea.ASIA SOCIETYhttp://www.asiasociety.org/The Asia Society is an international organization dedicated to strengthening relationships anddeepening understanding among the peoples of Asia and the United States. Founded in 1956 by JohnD. Rockefeller 3rd, the Society reaches audiences around the world. A nonprofit, nonpartisaneducational organization, the Society provides a forum for building awareness of the more than thirtycountries broadly defined as the Asia-Pacific region - the area from Japan to Iran, and from Central8

Asia to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Through art exhibitions and performances, films,lectures, seminars and conferences, publications and assistance to the media, and materials andprograms for students and teachers, the Asia Society presents the uniqueness and diversity of Asia.EMBASSY OF JAPAN IN WASHINGTON, D.C.http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/index.htmThe Japanese Embassy offers resources for educators, including maps, posters, brochures, andperiodicals.CONSULATE GENERAL OF JAPAN IN SEATTLEhttp://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp/The Consulate General of Japan in Seattle offers information about local Seattle events, scholarshipopportunities, language classes, Washington-Japan relations, and more.WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM – LEARNING ABOUTTHE EXPERIENCE OF JAPANESE AMERICANS IN WORLD WAR IIhttp://www.world-affairs.org/globalclassroom/schools/priceoffreedom/default.htmThe following is a selection of resources available on the web to help educators introduce the storyof Japanese Americans during and following World War II and launch a series of activities in theirschools around the theme of “The Price of Freedom.”WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL: JAPAN IN TRANSITION (May 1, 2006)http://www.world-affairs.org/globalclassroom/resources/2006-05-01%20-%20Web%20Version,%20Japan%20in%20Transition.pdfThese resources explore some of the critical issues impacting the lives of the Japanese, including therise of nationalism, party politics, economic changes, youth issues, Japan-China relations, and Japan’srole in the world.EXPANDING EAST ASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM (ExEAS)http://www.exeas.org/resources/category-politics.html(ExEAS) was launched in 2002 through a multi-year grant from the Freeman Foundation. Buildingon intellectual, pedagogical, and outreach achievements in the undergraduate study of East Asia,ExEAS seeks to provide innovative courses and teaching materials that incorporate the study of EastAsia in broad thematic, transnational, and interdisciplinary contexts.DEAI: THE LIVES OF SEVEN JAPANESE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTShttp://www.tjf.or.jp/deai/index.htmlDeveloped primarily to assist secondary school students outside Japan who are studying Japanese as aforeign language, "Deai: The Lives of Seven Japanese High School Students" illuminates thepersonalities and daily lives of seven Japanese high school students through photographs and text. Aslanguage learners get to know these seven young people, they will become better acquainted with theculture that forms the backdrop of the lives of the seven students in Japan. They will also encountermany topics directly relevant to language learning and acquire lots of useful information to assistthem in their efforts to communicate in Japanese.CENTER FOR GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP (CGP): SNAPSHOTS OF JAPANhttp://www.cgp.org/index.php?option=article&articleid=253The Center for Global Partnership (CGP) is pleased to announce the publication of Snapshots fromJapan: The Lives of Seven Japanese High School Students, curriculum materials developed primarily for usein middle and junior high school social studies classes. CGP welcomes all interested educators todownload them for free.9

ENVIRONMENTGeneral ResourcesMINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT (GOVERNMENT OF JAPAN)http://www.env.go.jp/en/This site provides an overview of Japan’s main environmental issues, including waste and recycling,air and transportation, water and soil, health and chemicals, etc.THE BASIC ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND BASIC ENVIRONMENTAL PLAN –OVERVIEWhttp://www.env.go.jp/en/laws/policy/basic_lp.htmlThe Basic Environment Plan was drawn up in December 1994 based on the Basic EnvironmentLaw, which outlines the general direction of Japan's environmental policies. The Basic EnvironmentPlan is designed to engage all sectors of the society in a concerted effort to protect the environment.The Plan maps out the basic approach of environmental policies with the mid-twenty-first century inview and identifies four long-term objectives. It also sets the direction of measures to beimplemented by the early twenty-first century for achieving these objectives.THE BASIC ENVIRONMENTAL LAWhttp://www.env.go.jp/en/laws/policy/basic/index.htmlThe purpose of this law is to comprehensively and systematically promote policies forenvironmental conservation to ensure healthy and cultured living for both the present andfuture generations of the nation as well as to contribute to the welfare of mankind, througharticulating the basic principles, clarifying the responsibilities of the State, local governments,corporations, and citizens, and prescribing the basic policy considerations for environmentalconservation.ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN JAPANhttp://www.env.go.jp/en/policy/assess/pamph.pdfEnvironmental Impact Assessment provides for the environmental impacts of development projectsto be surveyed, forecasted, and evaluated by proponents in the process of designing the project.Those results are then opened to the public to obtain opinions, both from citizens and from localgovernments. The best project scheme can then be developed incorporating these various viewpointsand addressing the issue of environmental protection.THE CHALLENGE TO ESTABLISH THE RECYCLING-BASED SOCIETY: THEBASIC LAW FOR ESTABLISHING THE RECYCLING-BASED SOCIETY ENACTED(May 2000)http://www.env.go.jp/recycle/panf/fig/e-guide.pdf“The Basic Law for Establishing the Recycling-based Society” was enacted in May 2000, in order toturn Japan, in the twenty-first century, into a recycling-based society. The Basic Law aims to promotewaste measures and recycling measures comprehensively and systematically.ABRIDGED AND ILLUSTRATED FOR EASY UNDERSTANDING – ANNUALREPORT ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN JAPAN (2006)http://www.env.go.jp/en/wpaper/2006/fulltext.pdfThis booklet, edited to reach out to a wider readership with a more readable publication, is asummary of the Quality of the Environment in Japan 2006 (White Paper), an annual report on theenvironment issued by the Government, published on May 30, 2006. It offers an overview of severalsubjects including “Population Decline and the Environment” and “Fifty Years of MinamataDisease, Origin of Japan’s Environmental Problems” (in Part One) as well as a digest ofenvironmental conservation policies and measures implemented by the Government in fiscal year2005 (in Part Two).10

COMMITMENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: PROTECTING THE GLOBALENVIRONMENT (2003)http://web-japan.org/factsheet/pdf/ENVIRONL.PDFThis Japan Fact Sheet provides an overview of Japan's commitment to greenhouse gas reduction,responsible waste disposal and recycling, and general environmental protection. In addition, itdiscusses Japan's efforts to cooperate with other nations on environmental issues through its OfficialDevelopment Assistance Program.NPR: PUBLIC WORKS ENDANGER JAPAN’S ENVIRONMENT (Oct. 9, 2007)http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15117373Japan struggles with environmental issues like climate change brought about in part by decades oframpant construction driven by massive public works projects. The projects have turned Japan intothe world's ugliest country, according to Alex Kerr, author of Dogs and Demons, which chronicles thedestruction of Japan's natural beauty.NPR: JAPAN STRUGGLES TO MEET ITS CO2 EMISSIONS LIMITS (Oct. 16, 2007)http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15321013Since 1990, Japanese household emissions have gone up nearly 40 percent. Some of Japan'senvironmental experts attribute that rise to increasing consumerism.JAPAN ENVIRONMENT NEWShttp://japanenvironmentnews.blogspot.com/This blog site serves as an open discussion forum on Japan’s environmental issues. It offers a wealthof information on current environmental trends and protection movements. Posted topics includerenewable energy, whaling, recycling, cars, solar power, and sustainable living.WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE – JAPANhttp://www.wwf.or.jp/eng/index.htmWWF Japan was established in Tokyo in 1971. It grapples with various national and internationalissues that Japan is involved - conservation of Nansei Shoto Archipelago (including the coral reef inShiraho in Ishigaki Island) and tidal flats in many places, promotion of forestry certification schemeand environmental education, prevention of global warming through promotion of natural energy,policy advocacy on the CITES, etc. It also supports citizen groups and researchers engaged inconservation through fund grant programme.Climate ChangeUN FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC): ESSENTIALBACKGROUNDhttp://unfccc.int/essential_background/items/2877.phpThis site contains numerous resources pertaining to the UNFCCC – for beginners or experts – suchas introductory and in-depth publications, the official UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol texts, and asearch engine to the UNFCCC library.KYOTO PROTOCOLhttp://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.phpAfter two and a half years of intense negotiations, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted at thethird Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 3) in Kyoto, Japan, on December 11,1997. The Protocol shares the objective and institutions of the Convention. The majordistinction between the two, however, is that while the Convention encouraged developedcountries to stabilize GHG emissions, the Protocol commits them to do so.11

ASKASIA.ORG: JAPAN – WHO ATE KYOTO? (2006)http://www.askasia.org/students/climate_japan_cs.htmSometimes resolutions are hard to keep. Almost ten years after promising to reduce greenhousegases, Japan is failing to meet the goals set by the Kyoto Protocol. This is surprising because Japanseemed to be the model candidate.JAPAN SOCIETY: GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE – ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS &OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE U.S. AND JAPAN (Dec. 5, 2007)http://japansociety.org/content.cfm/global_climate_change_economic_implications__opportunities_for_the_us_and_japan_1On December 5, 2007, a distinguished panel of environmental experts met at the Japan Society toexplore business solutions to global warming and the challenges of sustainable development.ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS NETWORK (ENN): JAPAN FEELS THE HEAT –GLOBAL WARMING PUSHING TEMPS HIGHER (Jan. 8, 2008)http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/28910Japan, the world's second-biggest economy, could face a rise in the average temperature of 1.3-4.7 C(2.3-8.5 F) in the 2070-2099 period from levels registered in 1961-1990, the ministry said in a report.The rise in temperatures could boost rainfall in Japan by up to 16.4 percent, the report said.MORE JAPAN INDUSTRIES RAISE CO2 EMISSION CUT TARGETS (Oct. 24,2007)http://www.enn.com/climate/article/24044Japanese trucking firms, home builders, instant noodle makers, and sugar manufacturerspromised to take additional measures to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help thecountry meet climate change goals, the government said.JAPAN FIRMS LOG 1 ST CARBON CREDITS ON NEW U.N. SYSTEM (Nov. 16,2007)http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/25261Japan has officially received 8.6 million tonnes of carbon credits since becoming the firstcountry to connect to the U.N.'s new carbon-trading system earlier this week, the Ministry ofthe Environment said on Friday.Pollution & Human HealthTHE JAPAN TIMES ONLINE: JAPAN TO REVAMP AID PLANS TO CUTPOLLUTION (June 5, 2007)http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070605a1.htmlJapan will promote new aid programs to help developing countries take steps that not only cutgreenhouse gas emissions but also address development issues such as pollution and poverty,government officials said Monday.NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: TOKYO BAYhttp://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0210/feature2/index.htmlIn Japan all roads lead to Tokyo Bay. But the nation's hub is being strangled by pollution andrelentless development.TERRA DAILY: CHINESE POLLUTION QUIETLY TAKES TOLL IN JAPAN (April 3,2008)http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Chinese_pollution_quietly_takes_toll_in_Japan_999.htmlMount Zao is only one example of pollution hitting Japan from China, where factory emissions arecausing international concern as its economy soars ahead. Some schools in southern Japan and SouthKorea have occasionally curbed activities because of toxic chemical smog from China's factories orsand storms from the Gobi Desert caused by rampant deforestation.12

ABOUT.COM: RARE DISEASES – MINAMATA DISEASEhttp://rarediseases.about.com/od/rarediseases1/a/102304.htmIn the mid 1950s the people of Minamata, Japan, on the coast of the Shiranui Sea, began to noticesomething wrong with the cats in their town. The cats appeared to be going insane, and were fallinginto the sea. Soon the people in the town were also contracting a strange illness. Individuals began tohave numbness in their limbs and lips. Some had difficulty hearing or seeing. Others developedshaking (tremors) in their arms and legs, difficulty walking, even brain damage.MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT: MINAMATA DISEASE – THE HISTORY ANDMEASUREShttp://www.env.go.jp/en/chemi/hs/minamata2002/Minamata Disease, which is a typical example of the pollution-related health damage in Japan, wasfirst discovered in 1956, around Minamata Bay in Kumamoto Prefecture, and in 1965, in the AganoRiver basin in Niigata Prefecture. Since the discovery of the disease, investigation of the cause hasbeen made, and finally in 1968, the government announced its opinion that Minamata Disease wascaused by the consumption of fish and shellfish contaminated by methylmercury compounddischarged from a chemical plant.UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY PRESS: MINAMATA DISEASEhttp://www.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu35ie/uu35ie0c.htmThe Minamata disease was the most massive pollution problem to strike Japan in the post-SecondWorld War period. The total picture in relation to the epidemiology of the problem has yet to unfold.The number of victims and deaths produced has not yet been determined. Twenty-five years havecome and gone since the disease was first discovered and the number of people adversely affected isstill on the increase. Further, no treatment for the condition has been discovered.JAPAN FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS’ CLUB PRESS CONFERENCE,INTRODUCTORY REMARKS: MINAMATA DISEASE – JAPAN’S WORSTINDUSTRIAL POLLUTION DISASTER (April 25, 2006)http://aileenarchive.or.jp/minamata_en/documents/060425aileen.htmlMinamata Disease, methylmercury poisoning caused by eating fish and shellfish contaminated by thefactory waste water released from the Chisso corporation in Kumamoto, Kyushu is consideredJapan's worst industrial pollution disaster. May 1 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the first reportingof Minamata disease to the city health office. Experts say at least twenty to thirty thousand peoplemay have been affected by the poisoning.BHOPAL.NET: 50 YEARS LATER, VICTIMS OF MINAMATA DISEASE STILL FIGHTFOR JUSTICE (April 28, 2006)http://www.bhopal.net/otherbhopals/archives/2006/04/50_years_later.htmlOn May 1, Japan will take long-overdue steps to more fully recognize a neurological disease causedby industrial pollution in Minamata Bay.TOKYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: EXPERT AND CITIZEN PARTICIPATIONIN THE POLLUTION CONTROL – THE CASE OF ITAI-ITAI DISEASE IN JAPANwww.csi.ensmp.fr/WebCSI/4S/download_paper/download_paper.php?paper=kaji.pdfDuring the 1960s and 1970s, Japan enjoyed a period of extremely high economic growth, butsuffered at the same time from various forms of pollution. Pollution-related diseases became a matterof public concern and lawsuits were initiated by affected residents in an attempt to correct damages.Itai-itai disease, like Minamata disease, is such a pollution-related disease.13

WaterWATER ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN JAPANhttp://www.env.go.jp/en/water/wq/pamph/index.htmlThis website, sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, details the country’s history,policies, and ongoing concerns regarding water management.JAPAN SOCIETY ON WATER ENVIRONMENThttp://www.jswe.or.jp/index-e.htmlThe objective of this Society is to contribute to the conservation and the creation of a sound waterenvironment through research and dissemination of knowledge concerning the water environmentand related fields. Additionally, we aim to contribute to the development of a scientific culture inthese fields.JOURNAL OF WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGYhttp://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/browse/jwetAn electronic academic journal published by the Japan Society on Water Environment.WATER ENVIRONMENT PARTNERSHIP IN ASIA (WEPA): STATE OF WATERENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES – JAPAN (2005)http://www.wepa-db.net/policies/state/japan/japan.htmThe reinforced effluent regulations for factories have been effective in improving water quality, butproblems with domestic effluent remain and efforts to improve this situation have lagged because of,for example, insufficient sewage treatment system infrastructure. In addition to physicalcharacteristics of enclosed or semi-enclosed water bodies, such as low water turnover rates, anotherimportant factor contributing to water quality problems is concentration of people and industries inthese catchment areas.STATE OF JAPAN’S ENVIRONMENT AT A GLANCE: WATER POLLUTIONhttp://www.env.go.jp/en/water/wq/pollution/index.htmlRemarkable improvements have been made over recent years in water quality in Japan, owing tosignificant reduction of pollution by heavy metals, as a result of regulations on industrial wastewater.On the other hand, environmental quality standards for organic pollution are still not being met atabout 30 percent of Japan’s total water area.MINISTRY OF THE ENVIRONMENT: CONSERVATION OF MARINEENVIRONMENThttp://www.env.go.jp/en/earth/marine/conservation.htmlThe annual number of reported marine pollution incidents in the coastal areas of Japan has remainedat approximately seven to nine hundred in recent years; half are oil-related incidents. In 1996, marinepollution caused by oil spill totaled 370 cases, including 299 cases of oil spill from vessels. Amongthese, eighty-six cases were committed intentionally and ninety-one were the result of carelesshandling. Incidents caused by land-based sources numbered 179 and most of them were committedintentionally.WhalingWORLDWATCH INSTITUTE: CAN JAPAN CONVINCE INTERNATIONALCOMMUNITY TO SUPPORT ‘SUSTAINABLE’ WHALING? (Feb. 22, 2008)http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5628The International Whaling Commission’s seventy-eight members are meeting in London next monthin an effort to reach agreement on whale conservation rules. Meanwhile, global whale huntingcontinues to increase.14

THE INSTITUTE OF CETACEAN RESEARCH (ICR)http://www.icrwhale.org/eng-index.htmThe Institute of Cetacean Research (ICR), a unique organization in Japan specializing in thebiological and social sciences related to whales, came into being in October 1987. It is a nonprofitorganization dedicated to a wide range of cetacean research.THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES: WHALING AND THEINTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSIONhttp://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/international_policy/treaties/international_whaling_commission/whaling_and_the_international_whaling_commission.htmlThe International Whaling Commission, once referred to as a "whalers' club," has slowly evolvedtoward the idea of not hunting whales commercially. Even so, we may soon see a return to thewhalers' club mentality if commercial whaling is allowed to resume. Whales are once again in peril.WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF): INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION(IWC)http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/our_solutions/policy/iwc/index.cfmThe International Whaling Commission (IWC) was set up under the International Convention forthe Regulation of Whaling in Washington, D.C., on December 2, 1946. It is most famous forimplementing an international moratorium on all commercial whaling after whale populations weredecimated by decades of unsustainable hunting.TOTAL WHALES KILLED IN WHALING OPERATIONS SINCE THE IWC WHALINGMORATORIUM WENT INTO EFFECT (March 2007)http://assets.panda.org/downloads/whales_killed_2007.pdfThis chart lists the number of whales killed worldwide during each whaling season since 1985.Included are the types of whales, as well as the countries in which they were killed.BBC NEWS: UNDERSTANDING JAPAN’S WHALE ETHICShttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7201804.stmJapan’s whaling industry is backed by a small minority of Japanese, a part of the establishment whichshouts loud and likes to frame this as an issue of sovereignty: "What right have other nations to tellus what we can and can't eat?" Because the campaigners have powerful friends in politics and in themedia, the debate over the rights and wrongs of whaling gets little coverage in Japanese papers.GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL: WHALING – JAPAN’S VOTE BUYINGhttp://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/whaling/japan_vote_buyingThe government of Japan has long used overseas development aid money, particularly fisheries aid,as part of its drive to gain control of the International Whaling Commission.THE WORLD TODAY: JAPAN THREATENS TO LEAVE INTERNATIONALWHALING COMMISSION (June 1, 2007)http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s1939858.htmJapan is threatening to walk away from the International Whaling Commission and resume whalingin its waters despite international opposition to the plan. A request for four of its coastalcommunities to hunt whale for local consumption was withdrawn after it failed to secure enoughsupport at the commission meeting. But Japan's latest threat has triggered more debate about thefuture of the international regulatory body.BBC NEWS: JAPANESE WHALERS HUNT HUMPBACKS (Nov. 18, 2007)http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7099720.stmA Japanese whaling fleet has set sail aiming to harpoon humpback whales for the first time in15

decades. The fleet is conducting its largest hunt in the South Pacific and has instructions to kill up toone thousand whales, including fifty humpbacks.TIME: WHY JAPAN’S WHALE HUNT CONTINUES (Nov. 20, 2007)http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1686486,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topicsUnder a loophole in the 1986 International Whaling Commission (IWC) ban against commercialwhaling, Japan has continued to kill hundreds of whales every year for scientific research. Once awhale is killed, scientists collect data from the animal's remains on its age, birthing rate, and diet; themeat is then packaged and sold.THE INDEPENDENT: SECRET PLAN TO LET JAPAN RESUME WHALING (March2008)http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/secret-plan-to-let-japan-resume-whaling-793486.htmlControversial plans to lift the worldwide ban on whaling were presented to a secret meeting of morethan seventy governments in London last week. The plans, which have alarmed environmentalists,have been welcomed by both pro- and anti-whaling governments and seek to lift a long stalemateover hunting, enabling Japan officially to resume commercial whaling for the first time in more thantwenty years.SustainabilityCENTER FOR GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP: CARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT –FOCUS ON RECYCLINGhttp://www.cgp.org/pdf/DeAi_PDF/Section3/Lesson_14.pdfThis lesson invites students to assess the meaning of the term "environment" from a personalperspective. After considering selected photo sheets, text narratives, and other resources, smallgroups of students formulate posters or brochures advocating a recycling action appropriate for theJapanese cultural context. Students reflect upon their work and assess the viability of their campaignin the U.S. cultural context.NATIONAL COUNCIL ON ECONOMIC EDUCATION: THE ECONOMICS OFRECYCLINGhttp://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM218&page=teacherIn this lesson plan, students review the legislation in Japan that requires all consumers to pay a fee forrecycling large appliances. As the lesson unfolds, students are asked to explain recycling rates in Japanand the United States by reference to incentives, predict how consumers, repair services, andappliance makers will respond when the government changes incentives for recycling, and developstrategies for reducing the amount of waste disposal at landfills.NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: XPEDITION HALLhttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/hall/index.htmlNational Geographic's Xpedition Hall is a virtual museum that offers interactive exhibits. Gallery Vspecifically pertains to Environment and Society. Navigate through The Garden to examine howhumans affect the environment, and explore Living Landscapes to see how the environment affectshumans. All exhibits include related activities and lesson plans.TEACHER’S GUIDEhttp://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/hall/teachersguide.pdfKIDS WEB JAPAN: PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENThttp://web-japan.org/kidsweb/explore/environment/index.htmlJapan is working to help countries around the world tackle environmental problems by providingthem with environmental technologies for recycling and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. This site16

gives kids the opportunity to learn more about what Japan is doing to make its air cleaner, reduce itsgarbage, and preserve its natural environment.UNDERTAKINGS BY THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS,SCIENCE, AND TECHNOLOGY (MEXT) AIMED AT ‘DECADE OF EDUCATIONFOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT’http://www.mext.go.jp/english/kokusai/05070501.htmThis site provides a brief overview of the effort the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports,Science, and Technology has been making to incorporate environmental issues into various socialpolicies.NIPPONIA MAGAZINE: TURNING DESERT INTO FARMLAND AND FORESThttp://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia20/en/feature/feature12.htmlThe Japan Association for Greening Deserts is promoting the planting of poplars and fruit trees likesaji in five areas of the Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia, China. More than ten million trees have beenplanted so far.E-OIL, THE NON-POLLUTING FUEL MADE FROM WASTE COOKING OILhttp://web-japan.org/nipponia/nipponia20/en/feature/feature12.htmlResearchers in different parts of the world are looking for ways to use a bio-fuel made fromvegetable oil, but E-OIL is the first fuel to be made from waste cooking oil. E-OIL was developed byLonford Development, Ltd. Hayafuji Shigeto, the company president, says, “Right from thebeginning, our goal was to find a way to reuse waste cooking oil.”JAPAN SOCIETY: SANYO’S CHALLENGE FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY (May 1, 2006)http://japansociety.org/content.cfm/sanyos_challenge_for_the_21st_centuryTomoyo Nonaka, Chairman of Sanyo Electric, spoke about Sanyo's plans for renewal and rebirth as aleader in environmental, energy and lifestyle technologies in the twenty-first century. “What do wehave to do to be recognized by the world?” Ms. Nonaka asked. Her answer: “Sanyo must identifyand build on existing core technologies in water and air purification, energy conservation andalternative power sources, and transform itself into a leading source of products to conserve andprotect the earth's resources.” The new program was named Think Gaia.MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT LAKE TANUKI NATURE SCHOOLhttp://www.tanuki-ko.gr.jp/en/index.phpLake Tanuki Nature School is the facility of Ministry of Environment, built under the "NatureSchool Project." We provide hands-on nature programs by the well-trained staff members. Ourfacility consists of a visitor center and cottages for accommodation. We believe that the natureexperiences are very important for all us, so we provide opportunities for people to enjoy the natureprograms, to increase the interest for nature conservation, and to become motivated to help preservethe environment.JAPAN FOR SUSTAINABILITYhttp://www.japanfs.org/index.htmlJapan for Sustainability is a membership-based nonprofit organization that shares information ondevelopments and activities originating in Japan that lead toward sustainability, with the aim ofbuilding momentum toward a sustainable path for the world. This site provides a variety ofinformation on the environment and sustainability, from Japan to the world, via its site and electronicmagazines.ASANOGAWA GREEN PROJECThttp://www.japanfs.org/en/public/education01.htmlAn increasing number of elementary, junior high, and high schools in Ishikawa Prefecturehas been creating and implementing environmental action plans. Here we present a case17

study of city-run Asanogawa Elementary School in the city of the Kanazawa, whichwas certified under the prefecture's “Ishikawa Environmental ISO for Schools,”environmental management system in the first year the system started operating. At theschool, 257 students in eleven classes, and seventeen faculty members (as of May 1 2002),are engaged in environmental conservation activities they call the "Asanogawa GreenProject."JAPAN CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY (JACSES)http://www.jacses.org/en/The concept of an independent center (NGO think tank) for the research of environmental issuesand policy options and for the distribution of information arose among Japanese participants at the1992 Earth Summit conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This led to the establishment of JACSES inJune, 1993. Our goal is to realize a sustainable environment and society in Japan and around theworld through broad participation and cooperation of citizens and professionals.Books(Listed by year published)Please note: Unless otherwise indicated, all book descriptions are taken directly from Amazon.com.Japan Environmental Council (JEC), Takehisa Awaji, and Shun’ichi Teranishi, eds. 2005.The State of Environment in Asia: 2005/2006. Springer, 2005.http://www.amazon.com/State-Environment-Asia-2005-2006/dp/443125028X/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208884253&sr=1-13This is the third volume in a series edited and published by the Japan Environmental Council. PartOne covers four topics: the military and the environment, the environment and trade,agriculture/food and the environment, and the biodiversity of forests and rice paddies. Part Twouses the perspective of “regions” that straddle multiple countries to examine the problems unique toNortheast Asia, the Mekong region, and Inner Asia, and also discusses recent trends in tencountries/regions: Japan, Republic of Korea, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand,Malaysia, Indonesia, and India. Part Three analyzes data based on twenty-two topics.Bianchi, Adriana, Wilfrido Cruz, and Masahisa Nakamura, eds. 2005. Local Approaches toEnvironmental Compliance: Japanese Case Studies and Lessons for Developing Countries.World Bank Publications.http://www.amazon.com/Local-Approaches-Environmental-Compliance-Developing/dp/0821361015/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208884253&sr=1-22Despite recognition of the ill effects of pollution and the enactment of environmental regulations,pollution monitoring and compliance in developing countries continue to lag. Local Approaches toEnvironmental Compliance demonstrates how community and local government initiatives played akey role in arresting pollution during Japan's industrialization in the 1960s and 1970s. Theapproaches described are relevant to current pollution problems and are reviewed from theperspective of developing countries.Wilkening, Ken. Acid Rain Science and Politics in Japan: A History of Knowledge andAction toward Sustainability. The MIT Press, 2004.http://www.amazon.com/Acid-Rain-Science-Politics-Japan/dp/0262232359/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208883840&sr=1-8Acid Rain Science and Politics in Japan is a pioneering work in environmental and Asian history as well asan in-depth analysis of the influence of science on domestic and international environmental politics.Kenneth Wilkening's study also illuminates the global struggle to create sustainable societies.18

George, Timothy S. Minamata: Pollution and the Struggle for Democracy in Postwar Japan.Harvard University Asia Center, 2002.http://www.amazon.com/Minamata-Pollution-Struggle-Democracy-Monographs/dp/0674007859/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209495541&sr=1-1Nearly forty years after the outbreak of the "Minamata Disease," it remains one of the most horrificexamples of environmental poisoning. Based on primary documents and interviews, this bookdescribes three rounds of responses to this incidence of mercury poisoning, focusing on the effortsof its victims and their supporters, particularly the activities of grassroots movements and popularcampaigns, to secure redress. George argues that Japan's postwar democracy is ad hoc, fragile, anddependent on definition through citizen action and that the redress effort is exemplary of the greatchanges in the second and third postwar decades that redefined democracy in Japan.Kerr, Alex. Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Japan. Hill and Wang, 2002.http://www.amazon.com/Dogs-Demons-Tales-Dark-Japan/dp/0809039435/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208466242&sr=1-2In what may prove to be a highly controversial book, Kerr argues that Japan is in big trouble: a selfdestructivecountry that is systematically destroying its landscape, its environment, its very culture byadherence to ideas and policies that are decades out of date.Yoshida, Fumikazu. The Economics of Waste and Pollution Management in Japan.Springer-Verlag Telos, 2002.http://www.amazon.com/Economics-Waste-Pollution-Management-Japan/dp/4431703217/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1208886838&sr=1-3The main objective of this volume is to clarify problems associated with waste and pollution byinvestigating a wide spectrum of issues, from global warming to regionally-based pollution caused bywaste disposal. Included are aspects ranging from domestic waste production to technologicallygenerated waste resulting from the production, circulation, and consumption of industrial goods andservices.Wong, Anny. The Roots of Japan’s Environmental Policies. Routledge, 2001.http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Japans-Environmental-Policies-East/dp/081533950XThis study focuses on Japan's policies toward international environmental issues and includes casestudies on whaling, deforestation in the tropics, and acid deposition in Asia.Smith, W. Eugene. Japan Through the Eyes of W. Eugene Smith. Tokyo MetropolitanFoundation for History and Culture, 1996.http://www.photojpn.org/books/refer/smith.htmlIn late 1996, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography held a major photo exhibition of 126black and white photos that Smith took during his three trips to Japan. This book is the catalog forthat exhibition. Like the exhibition, the book is divided into three sections: World War II, Hitachi,and Minamata. Since the photos are captioned (in Japanese and English), they are easy to understandand quite educational. They offer a trip back in time when life in Japan was full of sad conflicts.– Philbert OnoUpham, Frank K. Law and Social Change in Postwar Japan. Harvard University Press, 1989.http://www.amazon.com/Law-Social-Change-Postwar-Japan/dp/0674517873Frank Upham's fine study is a fresh perspective on the ways in which change and conflict in postwarJapan have been both expressed in and constrained by legal practices and ideologies. Theimplications of his well-crafted argument make it indispensable. This is a book that deserves widereading. - William Kelly, Journal of Asian Studies19

Smith, W. Eugene, and Aileen M. Smith. Minamata: The Story of the Poisoning of a City,and of the People Who Chose to Carry the Burden of Courage. Holt & Rinehart, 1975.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0030136318/ref=cm_rdp_productIn many ways the culmination of the brilliant career of photojournalist W. Eugene Smith, thisvolume is a two-year study of the effects and repercussions from mercury poisoning on a smallfishing village in Japan. As searing as it is respectful, Smith (with text by his wife Aileen) takes us intothe world of these villagers and follows the story from the victims to the court battles overculpability.HISTORYSPICE: JAPAN IN WORLD HISTORYhttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/169This webpage serves an internet guide to aid in teaching about Japan in world history courses. Itprovides links to curriculum units, an interactive calendar, a virtual tour, and more.JAPAN-101: HISTORYhttp://japan-101.com/history/This website is an excellent resource for information on the history of Japan. Sub-categories includespecific geographic regions as well as noteworthy historical/cultural figures.ASIA FOR EDUCATORS: UNIFYING AND GOVERNING EARLY MODERN JAPAN –EDICTS OF TOYOTOMI HIDEYOSHI AND THE EARLY TOKUGAWA SHÔGUNShttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/traditional/tedicts.htmThis page provides an overview of sixteenth and seventeenth century Japanese history. Included areexcerpts of the edicts issued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.ASIA FOR EDUCATORS: JAPAN’S MODERN HISTORY – AN OUTLINE OF THEPERIODhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/modernhist/outline.htmlModern Japanese history can be divided into four periods: 1600-1868: The period of the Tokugawashoguns, 1868-1890: The early Meiji period; 1890-1945: Imperial Japan; 1945-present: ContemporaryJapan.ASIA FOR EDUCATORS: HISTORY, 1800 TO PRESENT – JAPAN TEACHING UNITShttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/menu_pages/blue/japan_history2_a.htmReadings, activities, and historical outlines from Columbia University’s Asia for Educators providestudents an appreciation for contemporary historical periods. These lessons include units on“Commodore Perry and Japan,” “The Meiji Restoration and Modernization,” “Imperialism, War, andthe Revolution in East Asian: 1900-1945,” “Japan Quest for Power and World War II in Asia,” and“The Occupation: Democratic Reform Under the Allies.”ASIA FOR EDUCATORS: THE MEIJI RESTORATION AND MODERNIZATIONhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/modernhist/meiji.htmlIn 1868 the Tokugawa shôgun ("great general"), who ruled Japan in the feudal period, lost his powerand the emperor was restored to the supreme position. The emperor took the name Meiji("enlightened rule") as his reign name; this event was known as the Meiji Restoration.20

JAPANESE GOVERNMENT & POLITICSASIA FOR EDUCATORS - COLUMBIA UNIVERSITYhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/This source includes a variety of readings and lesson plans on topics such as the following:DECISION-MAKING IN THE GOVERNMENThttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/govpol/decision.htmlThis unit focuses on the issue of taxation, an important issue to citizens in any society, todemonstrate the interaction between the prime minister, the political parties, interest groups,and the bureaucracy in Japan's parliamentary system. An introductory reading is followed bya role-play exercise in which students take on the roles of different actors in the Japanesepolitical system – civil servants, Dietmen, business executives, etc. – attempting to resolvewhether to raise or to cut taxes.ELECTIONS IN JAPANhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/govpol/elections.htmlJapan has a democratic system of government as does the United States. The electoralsystem in Japan is different, however. This unit lays out the differences between the systemsof government in Japan and the U.S. and asks students to formulate an essay that comparesthe two.THE JAPANESE CONSTITUTIONhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/govpol/constitution.htmlThe text of the 1947 Constitution is printed here in full. As a supplementary exercisestudents should be asked to locate a copy of the United States Constitution in the appendixof an American history textbook or in the school library. Students should then make acomparison of the two constitutions, using the following questions for discussion.JAPAN’S FOREIGN RELATIONS AND ROLE IN THE WORLD TODAYhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/fpdefense/foreign.htmThis unit provides a summary of Japan's relations with some of the countries and regionsmost important to it in the postwar period. After reviewing the material, students should bedivided into groups and assigned research reports on topics pertaining to Japan’s relationswith a specific country or region. Topic ideas are provided.OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN AND HISGOVERNMENThttp://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/index-e.htmlSearch for government ministries, agencies, and other organizations in alphabetical order or using ahelpful Organization Chart. An explanation of the functions of each office is provided.GOVERNMENT WEBSITES (JAPAN INFORMATION NETWORK)http://jin.jcic.or.jp/government.htmlPart of the Japanese-government-sponsored Japan Information Network (JIN), the Governmentsection includes information on Japan's legislature, political parties, judiciary, executive government,constitution, and the ministries.THE ECONOMIST: JAPAN – POLITICAL STRUCTUREhttp://www.economist.com/countries/Japan/profile.cfm?folder=Profile-Political%20StructureThis website provides a brief, yet succinct outline of the Japan’s political structure.21

ECONOMICS & BUSINESSASIA FOR EDUCATORShttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ECONOMY AND TRADE FACT SHEEThttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/economics/factshe.htmProvides basic facts about Japan’s economy and trading patterns.RESEARCH EXERCISEShttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/economics/exercis.htmIncludes eight research exercises pertaining to various aspects of Japan’s economy.PATHFINDER: JAPAN BUSINESS LINKShttp://www.ipl.org.ar/ref/QUE/PF/japanbus.htmlThis website provides a comprehensive list of links to sites which offer information on Finance,Patent Law & Other Regulations, Corporations, Directories, Contacts, Economic Resources,Business News, and Asian Markets related to Japanese business practices.JAPAN REFERENCE: ECONOMYhttp://www.jref.com/society/japanese_economy.shtmlJapan Reference strives to provide its visitors with one of the web's rare, detailed, and completelyfree guide of Japan in English. The Economy section provides a comprehensive overview of Japan’seconomic experience. Sub-categories include “The main Japanese companies,” “Japan’s post-wareconomic miracle,” and “An explanation of the current socio-economic situation in Japan.”JAPANESE CULTURE & SOCIETYASIA FOR EDUCATORS: JAPANESE CULTURE AND SOCIETYhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/at_japan_soc/Japanese often think of themselves as a homogeneous society, with a strong sense of group andnational identity and little or no ethnic or racial diversity. But such differences exist in Japan, as in allsocieties, as Harvard University professors Theodore Bestor (anthropology) and Helen Hardacre(Japanese society and religion) explain in this video segment.SPICE: JAPAN’S AGING POPULATIONhttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/japans_aging_population/This SPICE webpage provides links to articles, essays, statistics, and reports on Japan's agingpopulation and its effects on social security, the work force, and the family structure.JAPANESE LIFESTYLE: JAPANESE CULTUREhttp://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/culture/culture.htmlThis site provides over 120 pages on Japanese culture. Topics include: Geisha, Samurai, JapaneseLanguage, cherry blossom, Japanese Clothing, kimono, Japanese New Year, Japanese tea ceremony,Japanese gardens, Christmas in Japan, Japanese music, and more.NIHONGO.ORGhttp://www.nihongo.org/english/culture/Before you can really understand anyone, you have to have some idea of what their daily lives are like– their traditions, their beliefs, their way of looking at the world. From here you can explore the dailylives of Japanese. Find out why you may see people wearing surgical masks walking on the street,how marriages are performed, and what a day in a Japanese school is like.22

JAPAN REFERENCE: JAPANESE CULTUREhttp://www.jref.com/culture/Japan Reference strives to provide its visitors with one of the web's rare, detailed, and a completelyfree guide of Japan in English. The Culture, Glossary, Language, Entertainment, Economy,Demography & Statistics and Politics sections aim at giving both a broad overview and detailedinformation on all aspects of Japanese society, modern and traditional.POP CULTURESPICE: JAPANESE POP CULTURE LINKShttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/japanese_pop_culture/This SPICE webpage contains numerous links relating to various aspects of pop culture in modernJapan.JAPAN REFERENCE: ENTERTAINMENThttp://www.jref.com/entertainment/Japan Reference strives to provide its visitors with one of the web's rare, detailed, and a completelyfree guide of Japan in English. The Entertainment section of the site is broken into the followingcategories: Fun Tests, Humor and Jokes, Celebrities, Movies & TV Shows, J-Music, and Anime &Manga.TRENDS IN JAPANhttp://web-japan.org/trends/index.htmlTrends in Japan is a site that introduces the latest developments in Japanese business, entertainment,fashion, science, society, sports, and more through short, engaging dispatches. The aim of the site isto deepen understanding of Japan around the world. Trends in Japan is part of Web Japan, which issponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and operated by a Japanese nongovernmentalorganization.MANGA & ANIMEhttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/177This SPICE webpage offers an extensive list of websites, books, and video resources on educationalmanga and anime in Japan.SOCIETY FOR THE PROMOTION OF JAPANESE ANIMATION (SPJA)http://www.spja.org/The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit organization with amission to popularize and educate the American public about anime and manga, as well as provide aforum to facilitate communication between professionals and fans.KIDS WEB JAPAN: WHAT’S COOL IN JAPAN?http://web-jpn.org/kidsweb/index.htmlThis site covers popular topics such as music, fashion trends, and celebrities in Japan. It is intendedfor a middle school-age audience.ANIMERESEARCH.COM: POPULAR CULTURE, CULTURAL STUDIES, AND MEDIAhttp://www.animeresearch.com/links_pop.htmlAnimeResearch.com is your starting point for academic research about anime, manga, and otheraspects of Japanese popular culture. In addition to original content, your will find links to articles andnews reports that can be found on the web, as well as an extensive bibliography of books, journals,and articles that are potential sources for academic or journalistic writing.23

JAPANESE POP CULTURE ISN’T LOST IN TRANSLATION (June 17, 2004)http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/virgin/178161_virgin17.html"Japanese pop culture has had for some time now an uncanny ability to cross demographic lines in itsappeal to an American audience," says Robert Thompson, professor of media and culture anddirector of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University. “In its imagery andstyle, derived from video games and comic art, Japanese culture seemed to ride the wave ofpostmodernism ahead of its American counterparts. It seemed 'foreign' and strange, which was partof its appeal.”YOUTH ISSUESSPICE: DAILY LIFE IN JAPANESE HIGH SCHOOLShttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/daily_life_in_japanese_high_schools/The Japanese education system is one of the most influential agents molding Japanese youth. Giventhe large amount of time that Japanese students spend in schools, it is little wonder that theeducation system plays a tremendous role in determining the fabric of Japanese society. Anexamination of the "typical" high school experience illuminates the function of the education systemin Japanese society.MOBILE PHONES, JAPANESE YOUTH, AND THE REPLACEMENT OF SOCIALCONTACThttp://www.itofisher.com/PEOPLE/mito/mobileyouth.pdfThis paper proposes that the “power dynamics inherent in the institutions of family, public places,and peer relations” are key factors in teen cell phone use, particularly text messaging.JAPAN FOCUS: YOUTH EMPLOYMENT IN JAPAN’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY –‘FREETERS’ VS. ‘NEETs’ (May 11, 2006)http://www.japanfocus.org/products/details/2022Following the onset of Japan’s economic recession in the early 1990s, the number of companypositions available for prospective high school and university graduates dramatically declined, andyoung Japanese ceased to enjoy the favorable situation that had long prevailed in which the greatmajority of job seekers were able to become permanent employees of companies.INTER PRESS SERVICE – ASIA PACIFIC: JAPANESE YOUTH CHALLENGE SEXUALEXPLOITATION HEAD-ON (2001)http://ipsnews.net/alert/countries/japan1.htmlFed up with being groped on trains or leered at by older men, seventeen-year-old Akie Takedadecided last year that she would help raise consciousness among young people to curb sexualharassment and exploitation in Japan.THE HIP HOP IMPACT ON JAPANESE YOUTH CULTURE (2005)http://www.uky.edu/Centers/Asia/SECAAS/Seras/2005/Liu.htmThis paper explores the hip hop impact on Japanese youth culture with special reference to the“ganguro” phenomenon among Japanese teenage girls. Ganguro has been identified as a new fashionstyle imitating certain hip hop outward physical features, such as blackened faces and necks withshimmering makeup, blond or white hair, boots with solid platform soles, and bright colored tightminiskirts. As commonly recognized, such an imitation is in fact an open expression of individuality,freedom, and sexuality.NEW STATESMAN: JAPAN’S YOUTH RUNS OUT OF CONTROL (Sept. 10, 2001)http://www.newstatesman.com/200109100018Japan's economic hard times may have salarymen fearful for their jobs, losing sleep over homerepossession or committing suicide in ever-increasing numbers – but there's one sector of society24

that has it even worse: Japanese youth.THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: JAPANESE YOUTH HELP COMPATRIOTSEMBRACE DIVERSITY (Jan. 18, 2008)http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0118/p04s01-woap.htmlA growing number of Japanese – mostly youths, such as Tanaka – are trying to persuade compatriotsto embrace ethnic minorities. Unlike in previous generations, young adults tend to be morewelcoming of diversity. Some analysts argue that, in a country with a dwindling birthrate – 1.32 as of2006, down from 1.66 two decades ago – and a rapidly aging population, Japan should roll out thered carpet for foreigners.TEACHING THE JAPANESE LANGUAGESPICE: BUILDING A JAPANESE LANGUAGE PROGRAMhttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/building_a_japanese_language_program/Initiating Japanese language study in the elementary/middle school can establish a strong studentbase for future high school programs where most Japanese study has traditionally commenced. Andsince early foreign language experiences are less likely to be stressful than the fast-paced study typicalof high school levels, successful early language learning experiences may encourage students tocontinue their academic study of foreign languages.KIDS WEB JAPAN: LANGUAGEhttp://web-japan.org/kidsweb/language/index.htmlWhat kind of language is Japanese? In this section you can take Japanese lessons and try speaking thelanguage. You can also learn the characters used to write Japanese. Why not do the lessons with afriend and try speaking Japanese to each other? Learn basic phrases that people use everyday. Youcan practice them yourself after hearing how they're pronounced.ASIA FOR EDUCATORS: SPEAKING AND WRITINGhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/language/lsp.htmThis unit presents an overview of the Japanese language, both spoken and written. It includes a chartof the Japanese syllables as well as discussion questions and student exercises.THE JAPAN FORUM – JAPANESE LANGUAGEhttp://www.tjf.or.jp/eng/content/japanese.htmlProvides a number of creative language teaching resources, as well as references, lesson plans, andgeneral information on the Japanese language.JAPANESE-LANGUAGE.ORG: TEACHING JAPANESEhttp://www.japanese-language.org/japanese/teaching.aspThis website provides some useful resources to help students better understand the Japaneselanguage.ABOUT.COM: LEARNING JAPANESE – WHERE DO I BEGIN?http://japanese.about.com/od/japaneselessons/a/wheredoibegin.htmYou want to learn Japanese, but don't know where to start? This page directs you to where youshould begin. Link categories include Introduction to Japanese, Japanese for Beginners, LearningJapanese Writing, Pronunciation and Comprehension, Dictionaries and Translations, LearningJapanese Culture, etc.25

SEATTLE JAPANESE LANGUAGE SCHOOLhttp://www.seattlejapaneseschool.org/The mission of the Seattle Japanese Language School is to give instruction in the Japanese Language,augmented by the introduction of culture and history of Japan, and to enhance the learning process.RELIGIONSPICE: JAPANESE RELIGIONShttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/japanese_religions/The Japanese religious tradition is made up of several major components, including Shintô (Japan’searliest religion), Buddhism, and Confucianism. Christianity has been only a minor movement inJapan. However, the so-called “new religions” (shinko shukyo) that arose in the nineteenth andtwentieth centuries are a prominent feature of Japanese religious life today.ASIA FOR EDUCATORS: CONTEMPORARY JAPAN – CULTURE & SOCIETYhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/at_japan_soc/In addition to the traditional religions of Shintô and Buddhism, Japan is also home to more than sixhundred “new religions” (shinko shukyo), which incorporate Buddhist, Shintô, and Christian elements.In the video segments below, Harvard University professors Theodore Bestor (anthropology) andHelen Hardacre (Japanese society and religion) discuss the impact of religious values and traditionson Japanese life.ASIA FOR EDUCATORS: SHINTÔhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/japan/japanworkbook/religion/shinto.htmShintô was the earliest Japanese religion, its obscure beginnings dating back at least to a periodknown as the Jômon (8000-300 B.C.E.). Until approximately the sixth century C.E., when theJapanese began a period of rapid adoption of Chinese civilization, it existed as an amorphous mix ofnature worship, fertility cults, divination techniques, hero worship, and shamanism.SEATTLE BETSUIN TEMPLEhttp://www.seattlebetsuin.com/default.htmThe Seattle Buddhist Temple is of the Jodo Shinshu tradition under the mother temple of the NishiHongwanji in Japan and is affiliated with the Buddhist Churches of America (BCA). Please visit theirwebsite for more information on Betsuin temple’s mission, history and services. Visitors arewelcome.TSUBAKI GRAND SHRINE OF AMERICAhttp://www.tsubakishrine.org/home.htmlTsubaki Grand Shrine of America is the traditional Jinja Shintô Shrine located on a pristine twentyfive-acresite near Granite Falls, Washington, less than one hour from Seattle or Eastside. TsubakiAmerica Shrine is the branch of Ise-no-kuni Ichi-no-Miya, Sarutahiko Daihonguu, Tsubaki O KamiYashiro (Tsubaki Grand Shrine), one of the oldest and most prestigious shrines in Japan with ahistory of over two thousand years.WIKIPEDIA: BUDDHISMhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_BuddhismIn modern times, there are four main paths of Buddhism, to which all schools of Japanese Buddhismbelong: the Amidist (Pure Land) schools, Nichiren Buddhism, and Zen Buddhism. Bring students tothese local temples to learn more about Buddhism in the Puget Sound area.26

HAIKUIN THE MOONLIGHT A WORMhttp://www.haiku.insouthsea.co.uk/This site, hosted by George Marsh, instructs students and teachers how to write haiku poems andoffers educators lesson plans for primary and secondary students. The site also provides educatorswith good background information on haiku. George Marsh, is the author of Teaching Through Poetry:Writing and the Drafting Process, published by Hodder and Stoughton in 1988.TEACHING HAIKU POETRY: LINK, RESOURCES, IDEAShttp://www.gardendigest.com/poetry/haiku4.htm#TwoThis site includes many resources on teaching haiku and is divided by grade level.TEACHERVISION.COMhttp://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/tvsearch.php?keywords=haiku&subterm=&term%5B%5D=&lowest_grade=all&highest_grade=sameThis site provides teachers with haiku lesson plan ideas for all ages. It does not provide as muchbackground information on haiku as “In the Moonlight a Worm,” but some creative ways tointegrate art and science with creative writing are suggested.SIMPLE HAIKU: AN E-JOURNAL OF HAIKU AND RELATED FORMShttp://www.poetrylives.com/SimplyHaiku/SHv2n3/reprints/George_Marsh.htmlThis online journal is a “showcase for Japanese short form poetry written in the English language.” Italso contains essays on short form poetry, archived issues, and information on publishingopportunities.SPICE: THE HISTORY AND ARTISTRY OF HAIKUhttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/the_history_and_artistry_of_haiku/Haiku is a well-known form of Japanese poetry in the West. Students like writing haiku because of itsbrevity; teachers find it an interesting addition to the study of poetry. With some basic backgroundinformation and some hints for guided practice, the study of haiku can give students a brief glimpseinto Japanese culture.GARDENSWIKIPEDIA: JAPANESE GARDENShttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_gardensJapanese gardens (Kanji) in the tradition of Japan can be found at private homes, in neighborhood orcity parks, at Buddhist temples or Shintô shrines, and at historical landmarks such as old castles.Many of the Japanese gardens most famous in the West, and within Japan as well, are Zen gardens.SPICE: JAPANESE STYLE GARDENS INTERNET GUIDEhttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/japanesestyle_gardens/This is an excellent source of links to more information about Japanese gardens as well as lessonplans on how students can create their own rock gardens.THE TEA CEREMONYhttp://web-japan.org/museum/tea/tea.htmlThe “tea ceremony” is a ritualized procedure for entertaining guests that puts into practice theaesthetic and spiritual principles of Zen Buddhism.27

Local Japanese GardensTHE JAPANESE GARDEN IN THE WASHINGTON PARK ARBORETUMhttp://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/parks/parkspaces/japanesegarden.htm#aboutLocated within the Washington Park Arboretum, this is a three and a half-acre formal gardendesigned and constructed under the supervision of world-renowned Japanese garden designer JukiIida in 1960. Chado (The Way of Tea) demonstrations are offered periodically. For more informationon tea demonstrations, view the Urasenke Foundation's events page at:http://www.urasenkeseattle.org/page21.KUBOTA GARDENhttp://www.seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=415Hidden in South Seattle, Kubota Gardens is a stunning twenty-acre landscape that blends Japanesegarden concepts with native Northwest plants. The city acquired the property, which is an historiclandmark, in 1987 from the estate of master landscaper Fujitaro Kubota. Kubota was a horticulturalpioneer when he began merging Japanese design techniques with North American materials in hisdisplay garden in 1927. The Gardens are a spectacular setting of hills and valleys, interlaced withstreams, waterfalls, ponds, bridges, and rock out-croppings with a rich array of plant material.JAPANESE REMEMBRANCE GARDEN AT SEATTLE UNIVERSITYhttp://www.seattleu.edu/home/news_events/news/news_detail.asp?elID=3212006105718&elYear=2006Located on the northeast corner of the Seattle University campus that once was the site of aJapanese-American community, the Japanese American Remembrance Garden serves as a livingmemorial to Japanese Americans who were forced to live in internment camps during World War II.Seattle University established the garden as a special area for healing, reflection, and inspiration. Italso celebrates the legacy of Fujitaro Kubota, a Japanese immigrant who was interned at CampMinidoka in Idaho. After the war, Kubota designed nine gardens at Seattle University. His grandson,Allan Kubota, is the master landscaper of the Japanese American Remembrance Garden, the tenthKubota garden on campus. The garden features plants, trees and rocks, all carefully positioned tocreate the balance and simplicity that are distinctive of Japanese gardens.JAPANESE GARDEN AND BRIDGE, EVERETT COMMUNITY COLLEGEhttp://www.everettcc.edu/programs/socsci/nbi/index.cfm?id=5040&linkFrom=SearchFollowing traditional Japanese design standards, the garden provides a local example of Japanesedesign and gardening. The garden landscape includes several classical Japanese garden elementsincluding a formal entry gate, waterfall and stream, tea garden, rock garden, tsubo garden, stonebridge, earthen bridge, and wooden bridge; it is enclosed by a tiled roof and earthen wall. The gardenprovides a formal entryway to the NBI Center, a retreat from everyday activities, and a place to learnmore about Japanese culture and art forms.FILMSSPICE: USING FILM TO EXPLORE HISTORYhttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/using_film_to_explore_history/Film's ability to serve up living images of past events gives it an advantage over most history books.Most feature films invite their viewers to identify with the characters and scenes depicted on screen;watching Akira Kurosawa 's Seven Samurai (1954) leaves one with a visceral and nearly indelible senseof what a Japanese village must have looked like, and a feeling as well for some of the ideas aboutstatus that came to structure early modern Japan.28

ASIA EDUCATION MEDIA SOURCE (AEMS)http://www.aems.uiuc.edu/Our mission is to promote understanding of Asian cultures and peoples and to assist educators at alllevels, from elementary schools to colleges and universities, in finding media resources for learningand teaching about Asia. To access a free newsletter with review articles on recent Asia-related filmsand other multi-media resources, as well as essays on teaching about Asia, seehttp://www.aems.uiuc.edu/publications/newsletters/newsletters.html.MINAMATA: THE VICTIMS AND THEIR WORLDhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068951/Minamata: The Victims and Their World is the first film by Tsuchimoto Noriaki on the issue ofMinamata disease. It follows the lives of twenty-nine households that suffered mercury poisoning aswell as the growing movement to support their cause. Higashi Productions, 1972. 105 minutes.SHIRANUI SEAhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374217/In Shiranui Sea, filmmaker Tsuchimoto Noriaki returns to Minamata where, after winning court casesand receiving compensation, victims face the rest of their lives with the irreversible damage of theirdisease. The film also explores the growing number of unidentified victims, poisoned in the sameway, from across the bay of the Shiranui Sea. Seirinsha Productions, 1975. 153 minutes.SAMURAI JAPAN: A JOURNEY BACK IN TIMEhttp://www.amazon.com/Samurai-Japan-Journey-Treasures-Ancient/dp/B000CQQIYE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1209406669&sr=1-1Japan’s great monuments, pagodas, and temples are the physical evidence of people steeped in theways of Buddhism – a stark and fascinating contrast with the famous Samurai warriors and theirnoble Code of Bushido. Featuring terrific graphic re-creations and animation, this episode of LostTreasures reveals a traditional society, which, throughout the centuries, has been deeply concernedwith balance, calm, and order. Features superb 3D graphics, state-of-the-art computer generatedanimation, all new location footage, and expert commentary and analyses. Cromwell Productions, 2006.50 minutes.JAPAN: MEMOIRS OF A SECRET EMPIREhttp://www.amazon.com/Japan-Memoirs-Secret-Empire-Japan-Memoirs/dp/B000BITU2K/ref=pd_sim_d_title_4After becoming supreme ruler in the late sixteenth century, Tokugawa Ieyasu moved Japan's capitolto Edo, (now known as Tokyo) transforming the sleepy fishing village into the country's premierpolitical and economic center. For almost three hundred years, Japan's shoguns maintained domesticpeace while they isolated the country from Western influence. In Edo, a diverse populationflourished amidst a cultural and economic renaissance. PBS Paramount, 2004. 170 minutes.JAPAN UNDER AMERICAN OCCUPATIONhttp://www.amazon.com/Japan-American-Occupation-History-Channel/dp/B000FKP0ZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1209408573&sr=1-1The Japanese surrender at the end of WWII allowed U.S. troops to peacefully enter as an occupationforce. What they found and how they transformed their former enemy is told through the work of ateam of cameramen who recorded it all on color film. They were among the first to witness thedevastation wrought by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They also captured on filmthe first free elections and the birth of Japanese democracy. It was a remarkable journey! A&E HomeVideo, 2006.29

V-J DAY: THE DAY THAT CHANGED THE WORLDhttp://www.amazon.com/V-J-Day-Changed-Anniversary-Commemorative/dp/B000JQHVPW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1209408573&sr=1-2The surrender of Japan on “V-J Day” marked the end of the World War II hostilities. But at whatcost? Take a closer look at the day considered by many to be the most important day of the twentiethcentury. Also included is a biography on Emperor Hirohito. Prior to Japan's defeat, he was ademigod; after Japan's surrender, he became the symbol of modern middle-class Japan. 250 minutes.BEYOND THE CLASSROOM – LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS(See sections under RELIGION and GARDENS for Seattle area temples and gardens)CONSUL-GENERAL OF JAPAN IN SEATTLEhttp://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp/about/about.htmExcellent resource for programs in Japan, Japan-Washington relations, and links to localorganizations.HYOGO BUSINESS AND CULTURAL CENTERhttp://www.hyogobcc.org/The Hyogo Business & Cultural Center is committed to nurturing stronger governmental, businessand cultural relations between Hyogo Prefecture and the United States. Through a variety ofprograms and services (including cultural classes), we continue to expand international friendship andunderstanding with a particular focus on our sister-state, Washington State.SISTER-CITY RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN JAPAN AND WASHINGTON STATEhttp://www.seattle.us.emb-japan.go.jp/relations/cities.htmThe relationship between Japan and Washington State is very close, not only at the level of traderelationships, but also at the interpersonal level. There are currently thirty-four active sister-cityrelationships between Japan and Washington State, providing opportunities for exchanges andunderstanding between the people of both places. Washington also has a sister-state relationship withthe Hyogo Prefecture.EASTSIDE NIHON MATSURE ASSOCIATION (ENMA)http://www.enma.orgENMA is a non-profit organization staffed by a team of community-minded volunteers who areinterested in preserving and furthering the arts and crafts of Japan for the enjoyment of allcommunity members in the Greater Seattle area.JAPAN-AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTONhttp://www.us-japan.org/jassw/Located in downtown Seattle, this organization serves as a valuable hub of information and resourceson local, national, and international issues concerning cultural, economic, and political relationsbetween Japan and America.JAPANESE CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY CENTER OF WASHINGTON (JCCCW)http://www.jcccw.org/main.htmlAfter roughly five generations, the Japanese-American population in the Seattle area has becomeincreasingly scattered and the need to develop a Center where heritage, culture, and communityevents can be celebrated, preserved, and hosted is great. This has been a decades-long dream held bythe Japanese-American community and we as community members have organized to finally achievethis goal. In our new location, on the site of the Japanese Language School, in operation for close toone hundred years, the JCCCW hosts heritage events and cultural gatherings.30

JET ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (JETAA)http://www.pnw.jetalumni.orgThe Pacific Northwest Chapter of JETAA encompasses Washington, Northern Idaho, and WesternMontana and focuses most of its activities in and around the Puget Sound area. Working with thelocal Consulate of Japan, we promote and foster Japanese/American cultural exchange, assist withand facilitate personnel recruitment for the JET Program, and provide support and assistance to newJET returnees.JAPANESE-AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF WASHINGTON STATEhttp://www.jachamber.com/The JACC is a community based, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Our mission is to promoteincreased understanding of Japanese and Japanese American culture and heritage. We do this byencouraging and nurturing leadership and collaboration while promoting values of integrity,excellence, and entrepreneurship.SEATTLE JAPANESE LANGUAGE SCHOOLhttp://www.seattlejapaneseschool.org/The mission of the Seattle Japanese Language School is to give instruction in the Japanese Language,augmented by the introduction of culture and history of Japan, and to enhance the learning process.31

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sCBA Lesson PacketMEETING NEEDS AND WANTS:U.S. AND JAPANESE TRANSPORTATIONINNOVATIONS IN THE 1950S AND 1960SMay 1, 2008Authored By:Rebecca Luhrs, World Affairs CouncilCBA TOPIC: Meeting Needs and WantsLEVEL: Middle SchoolThis document is intended to assist teachers who are implementing the MeetingNeeds and Wants CBA for middle school students, but may also be useful to anyoneteaching about economics, world history, and geography.1

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sTABLE OF CONTENTSWASHINGTON STATE CBA (CLASSROOM-BASED ASSESSMENT):MEETING NEEDS AND WANTS3HISTORICAL BACKGROUND FOR TEACHERS 3KEY QUESTIONS 4ACTIVITY 1: ECONOMICS 101 4ACTIVITY 2: BRAINSTORMING NEEDS AND WANTS 6ACTIVITY 3: CULTURE AND VALUES EXPLORATION 7ACTIVITY 4: USING TRANSPORTATION TO MEET NEEDS AND WANTS 7ACTIVITY 5: SOURCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES 8WRITING THE CLASSROOM-BASED ASSESSMENT 10HANDOUTSHandout #1: Connecting Economic Terms 12Handout #2: Opportunity Cost of Commuting 13Handout #3: Japanese and American Culture and Values 15Handout #4: Transportation “Winners” and “Losers” 17Handout #5: The Federal Highway Act of 1956 18RESOURCES 192

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sWASHINGTON STATE CBA (CLASSROOM-BASED ASSESSMENT):MEETING NEEDS AND WANTSThe Meeting Needs and Wants CBA states:“As a citizen and member of a community, you need to have an understanding of differenteconomic systems. You will analyze the methods that societies use to meet the economic needs andwants of citizens.”What does the CBA require students to do?1) Describe examples of how two societies have met their needs and wants.2) Explain how both societies’ rights, values, and/or beliefs have affected their economicchoices.3) Compare and contrast the two groups’ economic choices citing specific similarities anddifferences.4) Show a thorough understanding of opportunity cost through explanation and analysis.Note: The position statement may take any of a variety of forms, e.g., essay, letter to the editor orpolitician, journal entry, or newspaper article. In addition, students’ in-class presentations may takeany of a variety of forms, e.g., PowerPoint, theater, board games, models, videos, cartoon series,speech, or multi-media presentation.The graphic organizer and scoring rubric for this CBA which appear at the end of this document arealso available at the OSPI website.OSPI’s instructions for teachers and students: Washington State Social Studies CBA Meeting Needsand Wants: http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/SocialStudies/default.aspxHISTORICAL BACKGROUND FOR TEACHERSBeginning in 1868 in the Meiji period, the Japanese Empire built up a strong, industrializedeconomy. During World War II (also known as the Pacific War) Japan’s economy was destroyed bymilitary attacks, use of scarce resources for military purposes, and severed trade relations. Transportwas nearly impossible, and urban industrial production halted. During the U.S.-led occupation ofJapan from 1945 to 1952, the Allies democratized Japan’s political system and liberalized itseconomic system. When they attempted to dismantle the Japanese zaibatsu (conglomerates), theJapanese resisted on grounds of international competition; looser industrial groupings, known askeiretsu, evolved. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Ikeda (1960-1964), the Japanesegovernment undertook an ambitious "income-doubling plan." Ikeda’s government rapidly expandedgovernment investment in Japan’s infrastructure: building highways, high-speed railways, subways,airports, port facilities, and dams.In the U.S., the post-war economy was very strong, allowing the country to focus on meeting itswants as well as its needs. Consumer goods, such as cars and televisions, were in high demand asaffluent Americans moved to the suburbs. As the U.S. looked back on WWII and entered the ColdWar, President Dwight D. Eisenhower pushed for the National Interstate and Defense HighwaysAct of 1956, a plan inspired by the German autobahn network. In addition to facilitating transportof civilians and consumer goods, it would provide key ground transport routes for military supplies3

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sand troop deployments in an emergency. With the expansion of highways, the role of railroads alsoshifted dramatically.KEY QUESTIONS• How did the U.S. and Japan develop rail and road systems in the 1950s and 1960s? How didthey choose which forms of transportation to use for passengers, freight, or both?• How did the construction of new transportation systems affect communities, particularlythose located on old routes or displaced by new routes?• How did American and Japanese values influence decisions about transportation systems?• How did the U.S. and Japan address physical obstacles to construction, such as water andmountains? How did construction affect wildlife, ecosystems, air quality, etc.?• For each country, what were the opportunity costs of the decisions made?ACTIVITY 1: ECONOMICS 101Overview of activity: In this initial activity, students will define key economic terms and considerhow they are connected. Students will explore the concept of opportunity cost in the context of theAdopt-a-Highway program, and continue at home by calculating the opportunity cost ofcommuting.PART 1: KEY ECONOMIC TERMSPass out Handout #1: Connecting Economic Terms. Give students time to look up definitionsof each term and write down definitions in a way they understand. A good resource for students isthe “Gloss-arama” on the AmosWEB site, where definitions are in very plain language:http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=glsKey terms:• Scarcity• Natural resources• Needs and Wants• Supply• Demand• Opportunity cost• Public goods• Planned economy• Market economyPART 2: OPPORTUNITY COSTEconEdLink is “a premier source of classroom tested, Internet-based economic lesson materials forK-12 teachers and their students.” Visit the lesson entitled “Why Adopt a Highway?” whichaddresses the concept of opportunity cost and the role of government.http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM345&page=teacher4

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sTime and interest permitting, have your students walk through the entire lesson, including sectionson the history of the Adopt-a-Highway program and the environmental issues. Otherwise, skipdown to the Conclusion and Assessment Activity (reproduced below from the website listed above).Conclusion Questions:1. If states have to spend money to pick up trash on the highway, what effect do you think thishas on other programs and services provided by the states? [Other programs get less moneyor may get eliminated altogether.]2. How do states decide what programs to provide if they don't have enough money for allprograms? [State legislators decide on which programs will be funded usually based onpriority. In other words, those programs that legislators think are the most important to thevoters will usually be funded first.]3. Do you think highway cleanup programs are considered as important in most states asprograms for schools or new highway construction or medical service? Why?4. Many local organizations such as Boy Scout troops, garden clubs, college fraternities, andcivic groups adopt highways. Why do you think so many groups adopt highways? [To dosomething good for their local area and keep their town or area looking good; they receivesome positive publicity or advertising since their name is displayed on the stretch of highwaythey adopt; to reduce government dollars being spent on highway cleanup.]5. Are you or any members of your family in an organization that has adopted a highway?Assessment Activity:Calculate the cost of highway clean up:If workers are paid $6.50 an hour to pick up trash on the highway and one worker can clean up a 4-mile stretch of highway per 8-hour day, calculate how much it would cost to clean up:A. a 20 mile stretch of highway [20/4 = 5 workers x $6.50 x 8 hours = $260]B. a 100 mile stretch of highway [100/4 = 25 workers X $6.50 x 8 hours = $1,300]C. a 500 mile stretch of highway [500/4 = 125 workers x $6.50 x 8 hours = $6,500]In Texas, there are approximately 79,400 miles of roadway that are maintained by the state. Howmuch would it cost to clean litter off all the roads four times a year? [79400/4 = 19,850 workers x$6.50 x 8 hours x 4 times a year = $4,128,800]After completing the Activity, you may have the basics for judging whether the cost of highwaycleanup looks high. Texas actually spends less than some other states on highway cleanup. In 2001,Georgia spent $12 million to pick up trash and debris from its roadways. This represents anopportunity cost for the state - $12 million spent on highway cleanup that could be spent on anotherproject or program. The state chose to spend this money on highway cleanup and their secondchoice or opportunity was not chosen. Think about what might be a good second choice forGeorgia state legislators if they had this $12 million available? {answers will vary – it might be usefulto point out some things states typically spend money on, such as education, state parks, expandingstate highways, health care, and economic development} There are often economic trade-offs thatoccur in funding at the local, state, and even national levels because dollars are limited but needs arenot.Write a three paragraph essay on the cost of your state's highway cleanup. Does the cost surpriseyou? Also address some ideas about where you would like this money to be spent if it weren't spenton highway cleanup.5

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sPass out Handout #2: Opportunity Cost of Commuting. For homework, have students ask threeadults about their commute time and transportation expenses and calculate the cost in time andmoney for an entire year of commuting.Back in class ask students to share what they learned. For instance, you might make a class chart toshow the range of commute times. Ask students what might be done to reduce the time and/or costof commuting. Encourage them to share their own opinions, as well as the opinions of the adultsthey interviewed. (Responses might include ideas such as: moving to live closer to where you work,carpooling, using public transportation, telecommuting or working from home some days, or askingyour government officials to improve public transportation and roads.)Next, ask students to share responses about the trade-offs (opportunity cost) involved withcommuting. What activities or purchases do adults give up when they choose to commute? If theymoved in order to live closer to where they work, what advantages might they give up? Ask yourstudents to imagine that they are adults looking for jobs and homes. How much of a commutewould they consider acceptable? Why?ACTIVITY 2: BRAINSTORMING NEEDS AND WANTSOverview of activity: This activity will help students focus on the primary objective of the CBA, toidentify needs and wants and methods for meeting them. Encourage students to use some of theeconomic terms they used in the previous activity in their discussion.Ask students to break into small groups to brainstorm needs and wants of societies throughout time,and to brainstorm methods that societies use and have used throughout time to meet the economicneeds and wants of their citizens. Bring the entire class back together to share their ideas. Letstudents list anything they think of at first. If some do not seem to fit, let the class discuss andclassify them.Examples might include:Needs:Food – fishing, hunting, gathering, farming, working a job to earn money and buy foodWater – building wells and irrigation systems, building plumbing/sewer systemsClothing – hunting and using fur, using lamb’s wool, inventing/using sewing machinesShelter – using trees, plants, or mud to build houses/huts, using rocks to make cementWants:Security – building weapons, fences/walls, forming armies, inventing communication systemsMobility – riding animals, inventing and building boats, trains, cars, buses, roads, and airplanesConsumer Goods – trading, inventing/adopting a factory model to mass produce goods usingassembly lines and interchangeable partsRecreations & Entertainment – building theaters and stadiums, preserving national and state parks6

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sACTIVITY 3: CULTURE AND VALUES EXPLORATIONOverview of activity: This activity will help students identify “rights, values, and beliefs” that mayaffect U.S. and Japanese economic choices. Please emphasize to students that this activity requiresthem to generalize as they describe two complex societies using broad brush strokes. There aremany differences in culture and values between individuals, families, communities, and regionswithin both countries. Students should discuss and revisit the concept of stereotyping at thebeginning and end of the lesson as a reminder that these descriptions are not intended to describeindividuals within each culture.Part 2: Japanese and American ValuesVisit Columbia University’s Asia for Educators: Japanese Culture and Society site:http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/at_japan_soc/Harvard professors Theodore Bestor (anthropology) and Helen Hardacre (Japanese society andreligion) explain aspects of Japanese culture and society in short videos.Pass out Handout #3: Japanese and American Culture and Values to students. Ask them towatch the videos and/or read the transcripts, conduct independent research, and fill in the table.Students may begin their independent research by using the resources listed in this packet and alsoin the Global Classroom resource packet on “The Japanese Approach to Environmental Issues,”which may be found at: http://www.world-affairs.org/globalclassroom/resourcepackets.htmACTIVITY 4: USING TRANSPORTATION TO MEET NEEDS & WANTSOverview of activity: This activity asks students to begin exploring transportation innovations inthe specific context of the U.S. and Japan in the 1950s and 1960s. Students will start by gaining abasic understanding of geography and population density in the two countries. Next, they willresearch the development of the interstate and shinkansen systems and consider who “won” and“lost” as a result of these developments.Part 1: Comparing Population DensityVisit the Ask Asia website lesson plan entitled “How Big is Big? A Population Density Exercise”:http://www.askasia.org/teachers/lessons/plan.php?no=81&era=&grade=&geoThis whole-class exercise helps students understand population density and spatial relations inunderstandable, comparable terms. Students, with some classroom tools, will learn about Japanesepopulation density by visualizing approximate and relative sizes of the world's regions andpopulations and using comparison and analogies to gain a clearer understanding of the world inwhich they live.Note: Ask students to use population figures in the 1950s or 1960s for this activity. Time permitting,repeat the activity with current population figures.Part 2: Transportation Innovations in the U.S. and JapanTransportation: They Say We Had a Revolution (Part 2)http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=nn725&page=teacherSkim the lesson plan and decide which parts you would like to do with your class.Scroll to the bottom of the page. Extension Activity 2 asks students to:7

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960s“Debate whether the benefits of the interstate highway system outweighed the costs. To get started,students are directed to divide a sheet of paper in half lengthwise. On one side, they list ‘winners’who benefited and the reasons why. On the other side, they list the ‘losers’ who were negativelyimpacted. These web links will help students identify the costs and benefits.”Expand the activity to include Japan’s development of the shinkansen (high-speed rail) system. Givestudents Handout #4: Transportation “Winners” and “Losers” and ask them to fill it in as fullyas they can. Students may begin their research on the shinkansen by using the resources listed at theend of this packet. After students have completed the activity, display or hand out the followingdocument:http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/nn725/docs/nn725_list_of_winners_losers.pdfFor additional curriculum ideas:America on the Move, Unit Four: 1950s and 1960s – Suburban Communities on the Movehttp://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/learning/classroom.htmlReview the curriculum unit and decide which parts you would like to use with your class. The unit ispart of the America on the Move series by the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum ofAmerican History. The activities incorporate primary sources, city planning concepts, and equityissues around development of interstates and suburbs.ACTIVITY 5: SOURCES & BIBLIOGRAPHIESOverview of activity: This activity will help students distinguish between primary and secondarysources, and closely examine examples of primary sources. Students will also work alone or ingroups to practice writing annotated bibliographies.PART 1: REVIEW PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESOURCESVisit the following “Research 101” website for help presenting the concepts of primary andsecondary sources to your students. You may also ask students to navigate the site and take the quizat the end:http://www.lib.washington.edu/uwill/research101/basic00.htmFor more on primary sources, visit the following websites:• Using Primary Sources on the Webhttp://www.lib.washington.edu/subject/History/RUSA/• Using Primary Sources in the Classroomhttp://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/lessons/primary.htmlOption 1: The Federal Highway Act of 1956Download the Federal Highway Act of 1956 from the following site:http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=88Or pass out Handout #5: The Federal Highway Act of 1956. Ask students to read a section ofthe document and answer the questions.8

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sOption 2: Maps as primary resourcesAsk students to search for at least two pairs of maps from different time periods, and discuss whatchanges and developments the maps reveal:• A U.S. highway/interstate map from the 1950sA recent U.S. highway/interstate map• A U.S. railway map from the 1950sA recent U.S. railway map• A Japanese highway/interstate map from the 1950sA recent Japanese highway/interstate map• A Japanese railway map from the 1950sA recent Japanese railway mapPART 2: WRITING ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHIESVisit and direct students to the following websites for guidance on writing annotated bibliographies:• The OWL at Purdue: Annotated Bibliographieshttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/01/• Claremont Graduate University Writing Center: Writing Annotated Bibliographieshttp://www.cgu.edu/pages/836.asp• OSPI also provides guidance on writing annotated bibliographies in some of the CBAmaterials. See, for instance, the middle school Causes of Conflict CBA. Click on “supportmaterials” and look for the checklist called “Analyzing Sources” on page five.http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/SocialStudies/MiddleSchool.aspxListed below are six resources on transportation in Japan and the U.S. Ask students to explore eachsite and write an annotated bibliography. Or, divide your class into six groups and ask each groupmember to tackle one website and write an annotated bibliography. Have students report back tothe class summarizing what they learned and whether they feel their source is useful and reliable.Geography of Japanhttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/geography_of_japan/Ministry of Lands, Infrastructure and Transport: History of Japanese Roadshttp://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road_e/hist/index.htmlHigh-speed Railways in Japan: A Short History and Current Topicshttp://library.krri.re.kr/own/rail_treatise/2003fail/20031211/8598_file_001.pdfThe Interstate is 50 (either use the website or choose another document on the site)http://www.interstate50th.org/docs/techmemo1.pdfOverview of U.S. Freight Railroadshttp://nationalatlas.gov/articles/transportation/a_freightrr.html#fourThe Great Paving: How the Interstate Highway System helped create the modern economy--and reshaped the FORTUNE 500.http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/01/26/358835/index.htm9

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sWRITING YOUR CLASSROOM-BASED ASSESSMENTSTEP 1: CHOOSING YOUR TOPICNow it is time for students to sift through what they have learned and what has piqued their interestfor further research and analysis. In order to meet the requirements of the CBA rubric, studentsmight compare and contrast both the highway systems and the rail systems in Japan and the UnitedStates. Alternatively, students might choose other related topics to research on their own.After they have chosen a topic, students will need to research and analyze. Reviewing some of thesekey questions again may bring up some new ideas.Key Questions• How did the U.S. and Japan develop rail and road systems in the 1950s and 1960s? How didthey choose which forms of transportation to use for passengers, freight, or both?• How did the construction of new transportation systems affect communities, particularlythose located on old routes or displaced by new routes?• How did American and Japanese values influence decisions about transportation systems?• How did the U.S. and Japan address physical obstacles to construction, such as water andmountains? How did construction affect wildlife, ecosystems, air quality, etc.?• For each country, what were the opportunity costs of the decisions made?STEP 2: COLLECTING INFORMATIONHere you may incorporate whichever research methods your school/district teaches (Big Six,QUEST, etc.). Your school librarian may be able to support you and your students in this section.• Distribute a copy of the Meeting Needs and Wants Graphic Organizer. The graphicorganizer, as well as a checklist and a helpful suggested outline may be found under “supportmaterials” for the Meeting Needs and Wants CBA at:http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/WASL/SocialStudies/BridgingDocuments/MiddleSch08/MiddleSchEcon-MeetingNeedsandWants-SupportMaterials.pdf• Ask each student to choose a topic that most interests them.• Students who choose similar topics could work in small groups to develop an annotatedbibliography of articles, websites, graphs, photos, and statistics related to the topic. Forother excellent up-to-date resources, encourage your students to visit the World AffairsCouncil website and look at the resource packets from past professional developmentprograms (found under “Teacher Resources” in the Global Classroom program):http://www.world-affairs.org/globalclassroom/resourcepackets.htm• If students are independently finding their own resources, remind them to consider thereliability of the sources they are consulting. Review criteria for evaluating websites. Thefollowing site from Valparaiso University provides a helpful list of criteria as well as links tomore information on analyzing websites.http://www.valpo.edu/library/user/evaluation.html#criteria• You may want to query and discuss with your students: How should you begin? What wouldbe the most effective way to compile your research? What is the best way to gather primaryand secondary sources to study these issues? Discuss with students the need for multipleperspectives and points of view. What resources would provide alternative points of view?What sources do you think would be the most reliable?10

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960s• If a student’s topic seems too broad, ask the student to consider how to go about narrowingit down.• In the middle of the research process, allow some time for groups to share some of theirrelevant and best resources with other groups, to ensure that every group will be successfulin finding relevant documents. What sources were the easiest to understand? What sourcescontained the most relevant information? Compare and contrast the resources that you haveused.• Remind students to make notes in the graphic organizer.STEP 3: ANALYSIS• Students work independently or in their groups to analyze the information they have found.Students should be encouraged to fill out the graphic organizer completely. This will ensuresuccessful completion of tasks and sub-tasks required in the CBA.• Some students may discover that they lack information for one piece or another. You mightallow more time in class for research or ask students to do this for homework.• Students may need particular support with thinking about “how rights, values, and/or beliefsaffected economic choices” as well as with the opportunity cost piece. You might set asidetime for students to share their thinking about these two elements in small groups beforewriting their final drafts. They might review their work on the handouts for Activity 3:Culture and Values Exploration.STEP 4: CULMINATIONStudents should begin their individual writing work.• Describe examples of how two societies have met their needs and wants.• Explain how both societies’ rights, values, and/or beliefs have affected their economicchoices.• Compare and contrast the two groups’ economic choices with specific similarities anddifferences• Show a thorough understanding of opportunity cost through explanation and analysis.11

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sHandout #1: Connecting Economic TermsUse a dictionary or the glossary found on the AmosWEB site to fill in definitions of the terms belowin words that you understand: http://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=gls. When you aredone, draw arrows between boxes to illustrate how the terms are related. Write a phrase on eacharrow to explain the connection. Or cut out each box and work with a partner to arrange the termsin a way that makes sense to you.Scarcity:____________________________________________________________________________________is due tolimitedNatural Resources:____________________________________________________________________________________Needs & Wants:____________________________________________________________________________________Supply & Demand:____________________________________________________________________________________Opportunity Cost:____________________________________________________________________________________Public Goods:____________________________________________________________________________________Market Economy:____________________________________________________________________________________12Planned Economy:____________________________________________________________________________________

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sHandout #2: Opportunity Cost of CommutingAsk three adults how many minutes and how much money they spend commuting each week. Thenask what ideas they have for how the time and/or cost of their commute could be reduced. Finally,ask what activities or purchases they are giving up in order to spend that time and money oncommuting. What else might they be doing with those minutes, hours, and dollars? (These tradeoffsrepresent the opportunity cost of commuting.)Adult 1NameAbout how many minutes do you spend commuting each day?How many days per week do you travel this route?About how much does it cost (gas or bus fare) each day? $Total minutes spent commuting each weekTotal spent on gas or bus fare each week $Ideas to reduce time/cost of commute?How else might you spend this time and money?MinutesDaysMinutesAdult 2NameAbout how many minutes do you spend commuting each day?How many days per week do you travel this route?About how much does it cost (gas or bus fare) each day? $Total minutes spent commuting each weekTotal spent on gas or bus fare each week $Ideas to reduce time/cost of commute?How else might you spend this time and money?MinutesDaysMinutesAdult 3NameAbout how many minutes do you spend commuting each day?How many days per week do you travel this route?About how much does it cost (gas or bus fare) each day? $Total minutes spent commuting each weekTotal spent on gas or bus fare each week $Ideas to reduce time/cost of commute?How else might you spend this time and money?MinutesDaysMinutes13

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sHandout #2: Opportunity Cost of CommutingNext, add your three respondents’ answers together:Total minutes spent commuting each weekTotal hours spent commuting each weekTotal spent on gas or bus fare each week $MinutesHoursFinally, calculate time and money lost each year:According to the Washington State Population Survey, average hourly wages in Washington were$24/hour in 2006 (http://www.ofm.wa.gov/sps/2006/tabulations/wghr1st.txt)Total time lost: Multiply total hours spent commuting each week x 50 weeks/year (assuming 2weeks vacation):Money lost in time (wages): Multiply $24/hour x total time lost (in hours):Money lost in expenses: Multiply total spent on gas or bus fare each week x 50 weeks/year:Total money lost: Add money lost in terms of time + money lost in expenses:List here the ideas you heard about how commute times might be reduced:List here the activities and purchases that these adults are giving up in order to spend this time andmoney commuting (opportunity cost of commuting):14

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sHandout #3: Japanese and American Culture and ValuesExplore Japanese culture and society, as well as values and beliefs, by watching videos on the topicsbelow at http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/at_japan_soc/. If you do not have access to the internet orcannot view the videos, read the transcripts and underline words and phrases that help youunderstand Japanese society better. If you see another topic that interests you, watch that video.Tokyo Video“Tokyo, like many Japanese cities, still retains a strong sense of neighborhood, of very small spatiallydiscrete, socially discrete, areas that have a real flavor and character of their own.”Volunteer Fire Department Video“If you look at a map of Tokyo, for example, you'll see that throughout the city, the street plan isthis mass of twisting, turning, little alleyways. There's no straight line between here and there. Andso in many neighborhoods volunteer departments are needed if only to be able to guide theprofessional firefighters to the scene of a fire, tell them which alley to go down, which street theyneed to turn at, because unless you're a native of the neighborhood you may not be able to find yourway.”Homogeneity Video (starting at 1:30)“One of the ways in which Japanese think of their own society as "unique" is to emphasize thehomogeneity of Japanese society, and indeed by lots of comparisons, Japan is certainly a much morehomogeneous society than say the United States. There are relatively few linguistic differencesbetween different parts of the country. In terms of social class, peoples’ lifestyles are quite similar.The degree to which rich people and poor people are differentiated from one another economicallyis much less than in the United States. And, it's often said by Japanese that they are ethnicallyhomogeneous, that there are no real foreign populations in Japan.”Consensus Video“Consensus is a well known part of Japanese social relationships. It seems, to an outsider at least, asif everything in Japan is decided by this sense of harmony and this sense that everybody has toagree…. And indeed, Japanese talk a lot about how to preserve this sense of equality. One of theways in which they do this is by making sure that any decision that affects a group as a whole is atleast going to be circulated around and discussed amongst all its members. So indeed, Japaneseorganizations do often appear to have a much higher degree of consensus about policies, aboutaims, about aspirations, than would be true in an equivalent American group.On the other hand, it doesn't mean that Japanese inherently agree with one another, or that thereisn't conflict in society, but rather that conflict is managed within the group, and conflict isnegotiated against other demands of personal interaction, personal social relationships. Andeventually the goal is to, through conflict and through very carefully managed conflict, to come upwith some kind of unified position that everybody can agree with.”Pop Culture & Portability Video“One of the interesting things about Japanese popular culture, and the fact that it really is youthculture, is that on the one hand you have the sense of Japanese children not having a lot of time, nota lot of "youth" to spend, they're so wrapped up in the education system. On the other hand youhave this incredibly complex, incredibly vibrant popular culture. I think one of the keys tounderstanding this apparent contradiction is that Japanese popular culture has excelled in portability.There are all of these things that kids can take with them and do as they're traveling, perhaps on thetrains or the subways from school to cram school, or from cram school back home.”15

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sHandout #3: Japanese and American Culture and ValuesNow that you have learned a bit about Japanese culture and values, think about culture and values inthe United States. Compare and contrast the two countries.Description of value Japan United States- From video -Emphasize homogeneity inNature of individuals in society language and social class- From video -Community and neighborhoods- From video -Managing conflict and makingdecisions- From video -Pop culture- Research -Environment- Your choice -Emphasize diversity, the idea of a“melting pot,” and individuality- Your choice -- Your choice -- Your choice -How might these values influence the way that leaders and citizens in Japan and the U.S. makedecisions about designing cities and transportation systems?16

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sHandout #4: Transportation “Winners” and “Losers”Research the U.S. interstate system and the Japanese shinkansen (high-speed rail) system.Brainstorm how individuals, workers/commuters, businesses/industries, cities, and regions wereaffected. Did the transportation systems help most people meet their needs and wants?U.S. Interstate System:WinnersBusinesses along or close to new routes grewLosersBusinesses bypassed by new routes sufferedJapanese Shinkansen System:WinnersCities chosen for stations grew rapidlyLosersCities without stations were neglected17

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sHandout #5: The Federal Highway Act of 1956Read this section of the Federal Highway Act of 1956. Underline and look up words you don’tknow, and then answer the questions at the bottom of the page.(a) INTERSTATE SYSTEM.—It is hereby declared to be essential to the national interest toprovide for the early completion of the “National System of Interstate Highways,” as authorized anddesignated in accordance with section 7 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 838). It isthe intent of the Congress that the Interstate System be completed as nearly as practicable over athirteen-year period and that the entire System in all the States be brought to simultaneouscompletion. Because of its primary importance to the national defense, the name of such system ishereby changed to the “National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.” Such NationalSystem of Interstate and Defense Highways is hereinafter in this Act referred to as the “InterstateSystem.”(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS – For the purpose of expediting theconstruction, reconstruction, or improvement, inclusive of necessary bridges and tunnels, of theinterstate System, including extensions thereof through urban areas, designated in accordance withthe provisions of section 7 of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 838)QuestionsAccording to the document,1. Who decided that the U.S. would build an interstate system?2. What year do they plan to complete it?3. What is the primary reason for building it?4. What areas will the interstate system extend through?18

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sRESOURCESECONOMICSEconEdLink Online Lessonshttp://www.econedlink.org/lessons/EcEdWeb - Economic Education Webhttp://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/home.cfmAmosWEBhttp://www.amosweb.com/cgi-bin/awb_nav.pl?s=glsTRANSPORTATION IN THE U.S.U.S. Department of Transportationhttp://www.dot.gov/Amtrakhttp://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePageInstitute for Transportation Research and Educationhttp://itre.ncsu.edu/NationalAtlas.gov: Transportation of the United Stateshttp://www.nationalatlas.gov/transportation.htmlFederal-Aid Highway Act of 1956: Creating the Interstate Systemhttp://nationalatlas.gov/articles/transportation/a_highway.htmlOverview of U.S. Freight Railroadshttp://nationalatlas.gov/articles/transportation/a_freightrr.html#fourAmtrak Factshttp://nationalatlas.gov/articles/transportation/a_amtrak.htmlEncyclopedia Smithsonian: Transportation Historyhttp://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/Science_and_Technology/Transportation_Technology.htmThe Interstate is 50http://www.interstate50th.org/docs/techmemo1.pdfThe Great Paving: How the Interstate Highway System helped create the modern economy--and reshaped the FORTUNE 500.http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2004/01/26/358835/index.htm19

Meeting Needs and Wants: U.S. and Japanese Transportation Innovations in the 1950s and 1960sTRANSPORTATION IN JAPANMinistry of Lands, Infrastructure and Transporthttp://www.mlit.go.jp/english/History of Japanese Roadshttp://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road_e/hist/index.htmlJapan Railways Groupwww.japanrail.comA History of Japanese Railways, 1872-1999http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3884/is_200109/ai_n8970167/pg_1Features and Economic and Social Effects of the ShinkansenHiroshi Okadahttp://www.jrtr.net/jrtr03/f09_oka.htmlHigh-speed Railways in Japan: A Short History and Current Topicshttp://library.krri.re.kr/own/rail_treatise/2003fail/20031211/8598_file_001.pdfShinkansen: From Bullet Train to Symbol of Modern JapanChristopher P. Hood. New York: Routledge, 2006JAPANColumbia University’s Asia for Educators: Japanese Culture and Societyhttp://afe.easia.columbia.edu/at_japan_soc/Ask Asia: Find Lesson Planshttp://www.askasia.org/teachers/lessons/Geography of Japanhttp://spice.stanford.edu/docs/geography_of_japan/Postwar Japan, 1952-1989http://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/content.cfm/postwar_japan_1952-1989Note: For more resources on Japan, seehttp://www.world-affairs.org/globalclassroom/resourcepackets.htm20