Satou-san was very connected in the local music scene and would often take me to various live folk music events going on. It was a wonderful experience, participating in a musical culture that I was familiar with but had only ever read about in academic papers while simultaneously recognizing that my Japanese had progressed enough …
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East Asia
The Cafe by the Music Shop
When I lived in Kyoto while studying abroad in the spring semester of my Junior year, I frequented a little cafe near my host family’s apartment. I found it on Google maps (as I found most restaurants in Japan) and was immediately intrigued by the cozy atmosphere. So one day I made the 15 minute …
The connection between Music and Culture
During my time at Wesleyan, I’ve been a part of 2 ensembles, the Chinese music ensemble and the introductory Korean drumming ensemble. These are experiences that I could have never had without Wesleyan and the incredible resources the music department has in sponsoring programs that go beyond the borders of typical western cannon that you …
Manifesto to Build a Prosperous Nation-State
Preamble A newly formed nation faces many challenges, including establishing an economy, educating the people, and creating a national cultural identity. We must not be deterred by such challenge but rise to meet it in the effort of building a prosperous state for our citizens. The records of history have taught us innumerable lessons on …
As History Repeats Itself
Another essay I wrote for my global coursework centered on Japanese popular music, I analyze how the repetition of musical history shows that society’s underlying structural frameworks can be more static than they first appear. This class taught me much of what I know about post WWII Japanese musical history and how it is closely …
The Evolving “Japanese Woman”
During my sophomore year I took an interesting class examining Japanese popular music and its evolution since WWII. During the class I analyzed the pervasive concept of the “Japanese Woman” and her portrayal through music, noting how how it has evolved from WWII Gunka (war music) to the popular “boogie-woogie” musical style of the 1950s. …
Scattering Sakura
(Lyla Normand, 4.2.24, Park in suburban Kyoto ) This photograph was captured during an introspective stroll I took shortly after learning about the history of the famous Japanese cherry blossom, or Sakura, from my host father. I, like many others, only knew them from the pictures—the iconic symbols of Japan, fleeting and beautiful. I was …
The Process of Applying to CLS
This application cycle marks the second time I’ve applied to the Critical Language Scholarship, and through completing it i’ve learnt a lot about myself and how to formulate these types of applications. I applied for Urdu the first time around, and this time I decided to apply for Japanese as the language fit much better …
Enka and the National Imagenings of Japan
When looking at musical studies, I’m particularly interested in a Japanese genre called Enka. Enka was made in the 1970s/80s yet imitates traditionally through the use of traditional instruments and vocal techniques. In reality it’s a mixture of the modern and traditional, but it is consumed as authentic traditionality. In my SP23 class, ‘Pop Music …
Enka, Schlager, and Nationalism
During my FA23 class, ‘Losers of WWII,’ students wrote a research paper comparing Germany and Japan on a topic of their interest. We were instructed to find a way Germany and Japan were different, and then explore possible reasons for this difference. I decided to write about music, and this blog post is a collection …
