Japanese Studies Commons^™

Through The Lens Of “Kigo”: Understanding Japanese American Wwii Poetry, Grace C. Shields

Honors College Theses

In 1957, nearly ten years after the closing of Tule Lake Segregation Center in Newell, California, the last of the ten War Relocation Authority (WRA) concentration camps to close, author Keiho Soga writes on a piece of paper:

“Untitled”

By: Keiho Soga

Beyond the forbidding fence 

Of doubled barbed wire 

The mountain, 

Aglow with purple,

Sends us its greetings.

In this brief moment of reflection, Soga recounts his time in Sand Island Internment Camp, another of the Japanese American internment camps established during World War II by the United States government after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. …

Critical Period Constraints And Learning Strategies: Balancing Incidental And Intentional Vocabulary Acquisition In Japanese Second Language Acquisition, Emma Ward

Honors College Theses

The Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) supposes there is a biologically determined window during which language acquisition occurs most efficiently. This theory has profound implications for Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research, suggesting the timing of language learning can significantly impact one's ability to achieve native-like proficiency. As vocabulary acquisition is a fundamental aspect of language learning, understanding how to optimize learning strategies within the constraints imposed by the critical period is essential for maximizing language learning outcomes. The Japanese language, with its complex writing systems and unique syntactic structures, presents significant challenges for learners, especially those who begin learning the language …

Koxinga: The Catalyst Of Taiwan's Current Geopolitical Conflict, Lauren Masterson

Honors College Theses

Taiwan, strategically located in the South China Sea, has long faced challenges in asserting its sovereignty. While much of the existing scholarship focuses on the 20th-century conflict between the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party, this study turns to the mid-17^th century to trace the roots of the island’s contested status. It centers on Zheng Chenggong (1624–1662), also known as Koxinga, who established the Ming loyalist Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan (1661–1683) following the fall of the Ming dynasty. By examining Koxinga’s actions and the legacy he left behind, this research draws parallels between his retreat …

An Overview Of Japanese Kampo: An Integrative Approach To Medicine, Olivia Yaste

Honors College Theses

There is a growing interest in the use of traditional medicine for the treatment of disease and health conditions around the world. The traditional medicine system of Japan has been in place for thousands of years and the traditional herbal system, Kampo, has been fully integrated into the modern national healthcare system. The compilation of information on topics surrounding Kampo written in English is scattered, making it difficult to gain a broad understanding of the subject without immense time and effort. This paper aims to review the existing literature on a variety of topics surrounding Kampo in order to give …

Maturing Manga: An Analysis Of Adult Themes In Shōnen Manga, Audrey Leahy

Honors College Theses

Manga is a Japanese form of visual storytelling comparable to comic books and graphic novels that has seen a significant increase in popularity abroad in the twenty-first century. In Japan, manga is published in magazines intended for particular target audiences. The two most prominent of these are shōnen, manga for young men, and seinen, manga for adult men. This paper examines these demographics and explores the growing similarities between these two demographics. The research compares the adult content and themes of manga in both shōnen and seinen manga. The series Dorohedoro and Chainsaw Man were analyzed both quantitatively for amounts …

Abenomics’ Effect On Gender Inequality In Japanese Society And The Workplace, Arianna C. Johnson

Honors College Theses

In this study, I determine the extent to which Japan’s shrinking workforce population has been affected by gender roles. Many Asian countries are experiencing a prominent decline in birth rate and population, which has increased global interest in these issues. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Japanese government officials have eagerly responded, pushing Japanese women into the labor force as a possible solution. However, this decision has unanticipated drawbacks, which require officials to address Japanese women’s concerns in and outside of the workplace. I argue that the Japanese government will have more success by addressing these needs, creating a more gender-equal …

How To Get An American Boyfriend: Japanese Women And Westernization, Nicole M. Puckett

Honors College Theses

Since the end of World War II, and even more so since the 1980’s, Japanese women have been gaining more and more independence through jobs and international experience. Part of this move towards liberation can be seen in how brand-focused many Japanese girls and women are and the overt manner in which they try to express themselves in typically western ways. This report will focus on Japanese women and how they try to make themselves appear western as a means of defining their individual identities and how they balance that with their usual prescribed roles as traditionally Japanese mothers and …