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Rob_Hugo@PortNW1 - Hiroshima Peace Museum
Over the Winter Holiday, I visited the Hiroshima Peace museum. It is a place one has to visit in Japan - especially if that person is an American. Before even arriving at the museum, the town itself struck me. It is such an alive and beautiful and clean and built upon place. To think that this city was taken down to nothing only 60 years ago is amazing. The people there were very friendly. A statement that sounds so hollow since all places I have visited I would say the same thing. But, here it seems to have a different meaning. My grandfather was in WWII. These people"s parents and grandparents were in the same ware. And here we are together on the same street.
Getting off the train, I was hungry. The first thing I ate was a dish called HiroshimaYaki - a variation of the more commonly known OkonomiYaki. The restaurant was in the basement of a department store off in the corner. Just a counter. The chef is right in front of you. He starts with eggs and pork and a batter which he then stacks to near the ceiling cabbage and other tasty things. He then flattens it down to a pancake with his spatula. Mmmmmm...
Walking from the train station to the museum, to cross streets, there are many "subways." These subways are just an underground walkway that allows you to cross the street without waiting for traffic. Sometimes these subways take you just to the other side. But, many in Hiroshima could take you to the other side, OR you could continue walking free of traffic UNDER the street for blocks. Even miles. There are shops and people and musicians. Being Hirosima - and knowing what the city is internationally famous for and to what museum I was heading - being underground wth so many other people felt all the more amazing.
Finally arriving at the museum, I was faced with large school groups. Just like it is mandatory for an American in Japan to visit, I believe all Japanese students visit the Peace museum at least once. The museum is set on beauftiful grounds. I believe it is an island it sits upon. With the river running on either side of you. I really cannot remember. At one end of the grounds is the Dome. It is a governmental greek looking dome that survived the bombing and was left there as a reminder. Inside the museum - which I believe was free with suggested donations - it is quiet. People look at the pictures on the walls and read the accompanying captions. In the center is a scale model of the town showing what it looked like in on that August day 60 years ago.
I do not know if I will return. Maybe to take my own kids when they are old enough. But as I said, everyone needs to go once. To be reminded of what can happen in seconds if the wrong decisions are made.
Thank you
Anonymous"Treasures from Shanghai" oopening at the Bowers on 2/18
If you’re looking for a museum opportunity to replace a missed seminar session, the Bower Museum in Santa Ana is opening a special exhibit “Treasures from Shanghai” this Sunday. To celebrate the opening of a new wing on 2/18, there is also a free lecture on the exhibit by the Deputy Director of the Shanghai Museum, Chen Kelun. The exhibit is attempting to highlight 5000 years of Chinese art and culture The Bowers Museum website (bowers.org) has additional information on the special activities this Sunday as well as info on tickets and directions. There is also a blurb on the opening in today’s (2/15) LA Times “Weekender” p.E3. I’ve always enjoyed my visits to the Bowers and an added incentive, they have a great restaurant. The Shanghai exhibit will be open until 8/19.
Christine Schumacher
AnonymousI took my daughter to see the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles and found myself struck by the history of the Japanese people living in Southern California. It is a very thought-provoking museum. It opened in 1992 and is devoted to preserving the history of Japanese Americans. The upcoming exhibit in March will feature the Sculpture of Ruth Asawa called, "Contours in the Air". Admission is $8.00 and the museum is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM.
AnonymousI highly recommend taking a stroll through the Japanese garden located at the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino, CA. The garden features a variety of sights such as a moon bridge, stone lanterns, a Zen garden, a traditional Japanese house and a collection of Bonsai trees. You can see a variety of plants and trees that are native to Japan. I think that a field trip to the gardens would be a wonderful educational experience for students of any age.
AnonymousIn addition to the other gardens located at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA, I also recommend seeing the beautiful Chinese gardens located on the far right of the entrance. These gardens have been under construction for the past year, but they are expected to finish by the end of February. The public is still free to explore the gardens during the construction. The Chinese gardens cover 12 acres. Some of the highlights are lakes and streams, pavilions and tea houses. The gardens were inspired by Suzhou-style gardens, being places for contemplation, celebrations, social gatherings, art, the writing of poetry or just taking a leisurely walk. Apparently they used 600 tons of limestone rock from Tai Hu near Suzhou in the landscape. Once the construction is finished, I think it will become one of the most popular places to visit at the Huntington Library.
Anonymous"Shanghai Treasures" at the Bowers Museum
In an earlier posting I mentioned my plans to attend the opening of the Bowers Museum’s “Treasures from Shanghai” on the Chinese New Year 2/18. I did and the collection was excellent. As requested by Kami for a missed class, I put a detailed description on the “Asia in my Classroom” which you can access for more information. However, in brief, I encourage you to visit the Bowers for a delightful outing. Although you’ll miss the opening day dragons, drums, demonstrations and lecture, the small, but choice Shanghai collection is lovely. In addition, the two other current exhibitions “Mummies” and Ansel Adams “One with Beauty” are spectacular. And the museum’s restaurant is just as yummy as I remember. Enjoy!
AnonymousKip Fulbeck had an interesting exhibition at the Japanese American National Museum. It was called "kip fulbeck: part asian, 100% hapa". The exhibition was a display of portraits by artist Kip Fulbeck. He had traveled the country taking photographs of more than 1000 people he called, "Hapa". This term was originally a derogatory label that came from the Hawaiian word for half. It seems to be a term that is embraced with a sense of pride nowadays, that refers to people of mixed-race heritage including Asian or Pacific Rim areas. Under the pictures were interesting comments by the people he photographed, stating their feelings about what being "Hapa" meant to them.
AnonymousThanks Christine for posting the info on the museum. I plan to visit it as well. If anyone is interested please let me know.
Haydee
AnonymousI recently had the chance to attend a book signing and meet a renowned and published author. Gail Tsukiyama is the recipient of the Academy of American Poets Award, the recipient of the PEN/Oakland Josephine miles Award, a freelance book reviewer for the San Francisco Chronicale, a book review editor for the online magazine The Waterbridge Review, a guest speaker at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival and the Sydney Writer's Festival, and one of 50 authors invited to participate in the first National Book Festival in Washington DC. Quite the resume.
Her published novels include Women of the Silk, The Samurai's Garden, the Language of Threads, Dreaming Water, and Night of Many Dreams. The first book, Women of Silk, is a 10th grade core novel and I am currenlty on page 37. Pei is just meeting her new friends.
This was a terrific opportunity that I feel qualifies as a museum visit. The author gave a speech about what it is like to be an author. The trials and tribulations of what that profession endures to produce the stories we love to read. What made her works relevant to our class is that she has japanese and chinese heritage. And she grew up in the melting pot of San Francisco with those backgrounds. Her books, for the most part, center on Asia. Some are about China and some are about Japan.
I had one question of her during her talk. I was curious if any of her books had been translated into other languages. Curiously, her novels have a strong following in the northern European countries. However, it took some time for any Asian countries to become interested. Most recently, Japan has had the pleasure of reading her novels. Some people have let her know that though her novels are good, she has misused a word here and there that a native would not do.
If you have the chance to read one Tsukiyama's books, as of page 37, I would recommend one. Thank you 😛
AnonymousLast weekend many of my students attended the Lantern Festival at China Town in LA. They came back with various artifacts they had created at the festival. Some brougnt pictures we shared on my LCD projector. I think the sharing really stimulated more interest in Chinese culture. I plan to offer more opportunities to my students to attend museums and will suggest the Huntington to tour the gardens and the Bowers. There is also a very interesting Japanese museum I visited last year to make up a session which is located right next to LACMA and the Tar Pits in LA. It is also worth a visit.
Cathy Rieder
AnonymousJake Lee is a Chinese water color artist who will be showing his work at an exhibit in the fall at the Chinese American Museum in LA. His work is very good. You can check it out at:
http://www.californiawatercolor.com/customer/home.php?cat=302&type=about_giclee
AnonymousThe LACMA museum has an amazing website where you can learn about various types of Chinese art. They really go into the history and development of the pieces. There are also a lot of pictures for us visual learners 🙂
AnonymousPacific Asia Museum
Pasadena
pacificasiamuseum.org
Today I had a great outing to the Pacific Asia Museum, located in Pasadena's Old Town.
If you desire more info, I've written an extended review in the museum thread in Asia in My Classroom.
AnonymousI finished the book "Women of the Silk" by Gail Tsukiyama. Interesting book. Worth reading. Simple. I believe that is her first of a few books. I imagine her writing got better as she went.
One intersting aspect of the book was that she is part chinese, part japanese. The book is written from the chinese perspecitve in the early/mid 20th century. Repeatedly, she refers to the Japanese as the "Japanese Devils." The Europeans/Americans are referred to as tthe White Devils. 
AnonymousDear Alex,
The book signing was a great experience to say the least. I purchased Women of the Silk for my mother and two aunts. When we were in China, it was really helpful to visit the silk factory to be able to photograph and see the stages of the silk worm and the machines and handiwork. I am sure that those of us who teach sophomore English will benefit from having that experience and being able to relate it to our students. Several of my students will be reading some of Gail's other books for their Response to Literature papers due in May. They are enjoying the Chinese literature and Aileen Willoughby has been instrumental in making it available to them. I do hope that some of the proceeds from our class will help to develop the Chinese literature collection in the libary for future projects.
Great entry Alex!
-Susan Pavelka Gregg