Unit Plan
Columbia University

Asia for Educators: Contemporary Japan: Culture and Society

For Students 9th - 10th
A comprehensive site on the culture and society of contemporary Japan, with video resources for learning about urban and rural life, the Japanese family, education and work, Japanese identity, the pop culture of Japan, and traditional...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: The World of Haiku

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A productive, technologically relevant site that provides a lesson plan on the Japanese Haiku. Complete with educational objectives and extensive student-centered lesson development.
Article
BBC

Bbc: Religions: Divinity of the Emporer

For Students 9th - 10th
Article on Japanese culture and religion looks at the concept of divinity of the Emporer.
Handout
PBS

P.o.v.: The Japanese Concept of "Wa"

For Students 9th - 10th
Part of a larger P.O.V. site about high-school-level baseball in Japan, this page delves into the meaning of "wa," a code of behavior that underscores the Japanese sense of group harmony, especially as it applies to the team sport of...
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: The Floating World of Ukiyo E

For Students 9th - 10th
An exhibition review on the Japanese art form Ukiyo-e. Very nice images and history of this art form with an interpretation of an historical link of Japan and the Western world.
Website
Other

Kanzaki: History of Japan's Literature

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource traces the changes in Japanese literature from its beginnings in the Nara period through the present.
Handout
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Japan Web: Kyo Sensu (Folding Fans)

For Students 9th - 10th
This page gives a description of how Japanese Kyo-Sensu (folding fans) were once very popular.
Website
Virtual Museum of Canada

Virtual Museum of Canada: Community Stories: Our Mothers' Patterns

For Students 9th - 10th
A photographic look accompanied by stories of the sewing and dressmaking in the Japanese Canadian community.
Website
Other

Heike Monogatari

For Students 9th - 10th
A summary of The Tale of the Heike and important characters and themes in this epic which related to the miltary culture of the fourth century in Japan.
Article
Other

Japan Society: Framing Twentieth Century Japan: A Top Ten List

For Students 9th - 10th
An essay, by university professor William Tsutsui, itemizes ten themes that can help make the story of modern-day Japan understandable. Themes touch on a range of issues, including the changing role of women, technological advances, and...