Isaac Abrams

Visual Cultural History of Japan, Mizenko

5/10/17

A Look Into the History and Globalization of Sushi

            I wanted to take a look into the deep history that sushi has and try to find the point that it globalized to America to become what we know it as today. I don’t have a huge history with Japanese Cuisine, but after getting hooked on any and every program that Chef David Chang was in, my interest in the food culture of japan grew. Living in Connecticut didn’t give me many options for exploration into this interest, but my proximity to NYC allowed me to experience some very fine sushi, by American standards. After these excursions began, my grandmother, a very well-traveled lady, told me that what I was eating was incomparable to the sushi she had eaten in Japan in the 70's. So I set myself up on the path to study abroad and become learned in a culture I was tragically unfamiliar with. This project is the culmination of my cuisine-based passion and all that I have learned so far.

            Japan has always, for the most part, been a fishy diet country, probably due to it being surrounded on all sides by water… Much like the Europeans with herring, the ancient Japanese would pickle or salt their fish to preserve it for long periods of time. Without refrigeration technology, the people of Southeast Asia needed a way to prevent their fish from rotting before they could enjoy it. Thus, in what is estimated to be the 3rd-5th century BC in Southeast Asia, the character for pickled fish with salt, si 鮨, showed up in the Chinese dictionary. Soon-ish after in approx. 2nd century AD, the character for pickled fish with salt and rice, sa 鮓, was found in the Chinese dictionary. Together, this is the foundation of what we know today as Nare-Sushi.

A modern pic of Nare-Sushi

            Nare-sushi was, as you can see, pretty gross looking, and, as you might imagine, pretty awful smelling too. Nare-sushi was made by gutting the fish, usually carp, rubbing it in salt, and pickling it in a barrel made of wood for a few months. After a while, they would take the fish out, remove the salt, and stuff the insides with rice. The rice-stuffed fish would then be packed tightly together under heavy stones. As rice ferments, it releases lactic acid bacilli, and when this reacts with the salt from the first step, the bacterial growth in fish is stalled. This process is similar to pickling and is the reason why sushi kitchens are called ‘tsuke-ba’, or pickling place.  What distinguishes Nare-sushi from the other ancient forms of sushi is that after the process is complete, about a year later, the rice is scraped off and only the fish is eaten. This pickling practice was most likely brought to Japan during the ninth century as Buddhism spread from China. The practice died out in China when northern nomadic tribes invaded the area. The oldest form of Nare-sushi is known as Funa-zushi which is derived from the golden carp known as Funa that are caught in Japan’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Biwa. Since it took so long for the fish to ferment, Funa-zushi was only available to the wealthy upper class from the 9^th to 14^th centuries. 

A diagram of Funa-Zushi

            Between the 14^th and 15^th century, Japan had fallen in the middle of a civil war, and the time it took to ferment the fish had to be reduced. Coincidentally, the vinegar business in Japan had just taken off during the 13^th century, and the locals had begun to appreciate the taste of sourness. This, combined with the urgency that war demands, created a new form of sushi, known as Han-Nare Sushi, or Mama-Nare Sushi. Instead of a year of fermentation, the barrels would be opened after a few weeks, and the rice would be eaten with the fish rather than be discarded. This was made possible by the influx of positive preference toward the vinegar-y taste.

            Some historical context is needed for the next section of sushi. In 1606, Tokugawa Ieyasu, a Shogun dictator, moved from Kyoto to Edo. The city of Edo transformed into a modern city in what seems to be overnight. This was jump started in part by the rising merchant class, and the nightlife scene becoming quite popular. Edo became one of the largest cities, so business flocked in. By the mid-1700's, sushi makers would ferment the fish by placing a layer of cooked rice that was seasoned with rice vinegar underneath cured or cooked fish. This combination was then pressed under a wooden box for up to a few days. This fish was not raw, however, and had to be pickled, cured or cooked. This form of sushi was adopted by many prefectures, and each had their own style of box-pressed sushi, or Haya-Nare sushi. For example, in Nara, people would use persimmon leaves to wrap the sushi, while in Toyama, they would use bamboo leaves. 

The Sushi carts in Edo

            In 1824 the man who is often thought of as the father of modern sushi, Hanaya Yohei, opened the first sushi stall in the Ryogoku district in Edo. Ryogoku is located on the banks of the Sumida River, and this stall was cleverly located on one of the two bridges crossing the river. Yohei took advantage of his location for more than just marketing, he would serve fish that was fresh from the bay. His process was as follows: Hanaya would add vinegar and salt to freshly cooked rice, let it sit for a few minutes, and then in a hand-pressed fashion, would top a ball of his sushi rice with a thin slice of raw fish. Because the fish was so fresh, there was no need for fermentation or preservation, and Sushi could be made in a matter of minutes rather than days. Yohei’s Nigiri Sushi, or finger sushi, became the new standard for sushi preparation. By 1923, hundreds of sushi carts were seen around Edo, as you can see in the above Ukiyo-e. If you know your Japanese history, 1923 was also the year that the Great Kanto Earthquake devastated what was now known as Tokyo. This tragedy was a blessing for those who owned sushi carts. Since so many buildings were destroyed, cart owners could afford cheap land in Tokyo and most of sushi creation moved indoors to restaurants known as Sushi-ya.

Hanaya Yohei and his restaurant

            The globalization of sushi to America is earliest mentioned in the book Japanese Interiors where it mentions that “Domestics served us with tea and sushi or rice sandwiches.” Although this is as culturally insensitive as Beato’s work, this book is the first mention of sushi in America and gives us a good look into where the globalization began.  During an influx of Japanese immigration following the Meiji restoration, sushi was first served in the early 1900’s. The first sushi restaurant reportedly opened in 1906 in the Little Tokyo district of Los Angeles. Popularity of Japanese food peaked ca. 1905 when it was served at Japanese-themed social gatherings. According to a food historian the earliest published mention of sushi eaten by an American was in 1904 in the Los Angeles Herald about a luncheon served in Santa Monica. Several years later, anti-Japanese nationalism caused a decline in the acceptance of this cuisine. This was furthered by World War II, and most Japanese-American restaurants on the West Coast were force to close or sell of their businesses.

Unlike other “ethnic foods” in America, sushi was not an inexpensive lunch food. In part because of its celebrated appearance, Japanese food was always viewed as a fussy haute meal, and this slowed its national acceptance. The images and uses of tuna in the US slowed wide adoption even further. Sushi tuna was a deep red, served straight from the ocean, while Americans were used to the white clumpy tuna-fish that was used in sandwiches. This attitude began to change when the ‘fresh ingredient movement’ emerged in Southern California in the 60's. Because of sushi’s preparation of fresh ingredients, it fit the thin ideal of beauty that was at the forefront of the diet craze. Sushi met every standard for being healthful and light, and above all it was seen as a diet food without a negative social implication. Due to these changing perceptions of beauty, sushi restaurants opened across the US. From its initial appeal to Japanese executives, sushi had begun to attract the upper percent class by appealing to the diet-conscious. And with this attraction came widespread acceptance that stretched into even the least healthy markets of America. 

A fan painted by Hiroshige

After my research I am left with a few questions, primarily toward that of the future of sushi. As we can see, sushi has evolved many times over the course of history, but its current form shows that, in fact, culture would change to fit it. With the diet craze of the 60s hitting southern California, Sushi and its fresh ingredients offered a good looking option to those used to tofu and kale. The California roll, a sushi roll butchered with avocado and fake crab, is an excellent example of sushi’s ability to adapt to the dietary habits of its consumers. But sushi isn’t all modern and adaptable, some dishes in Japan like Ochazuke still use the funa-sushi style of sushi, showing that it can still be a classic historical dish. But since the Americans did get a hold of it, repulsive things like using brown rice and making the rolls too big (look up: Sushirrito) to eat in one bite still are popularized in modern cuisine. The evolution of the visual aspect of Sushi is also interesting, with American restaurants putting things such as plastic grass in the sushi tray. To adapt to the colorful ideals of American eyes, sushi chefs do things such as the rainbow roll to draw in customers looking to post it to their Instagram. If I were to do further research, I would want to look into the visual appeal of sushi to consumers in other countries.

The Rainbow Roll

References:

Ashcraft, Brian, Alex Walker, and Jason Schreier. "The Man Who Invented Sushi." Kotaku Australia. N.p., 06 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 May 2017.

Avey, Tori. "Discover the History of Sushi." PBS. Public Broadcasting Service, 05 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 May 2017.

Carroll, Walter F. "SUSHI: Globalization through food culture: towards a study of global food networks." (2009).

Cooper, Hannah. "The Truth About American Sushi No One Wants to Hear." Spoon University. N.p., 16 July 2015. Web. 10 May 2017.

Dare, Stephen. "Primitive Funa-Zushi. The Horrid Roots of Modern Sushi." Primitive Funa-Zushi. The Horrid Roots of Modern Sushi | Metro Jacksonville. Metrojacksonville, 10 May 2016. Web. 10 May 2017.

"Sushi - Japanese Food Recipes." Ukiyo-e Pictures of Sushi - Japanese Food Recipes. SimpleLifeInc, n.d. Web. 10 May 2017.

"Sushi: It’s More than Just Raw Fish." The Japanese Culture Club. Pennridge High School, 26 Aug. 2012. Web. 10 May 2017.

Wei, Clarissa. "An Illustrated History of Sushi." First We Feast. First We Feast, 20 Oct. 2016. Web. 10 May 2017.

4/24/17 Shofuso Assignment

             One of my favorite pictures i took on the trip is this one, which i took in the kitchen whose traditional name is escaping me. It shows the light from the Shoji giving some of the shadow on the woven basket. The really cool part is that even though you see the light coming through the Shoji in the background, the doorway behind the camera is giving off enough light to create shadows on the cups. This is a great testament to Tanizaki's In Praise of Shadows. I did not know the feeling he portrayed in his text until i sat in the Shoin and i really saw how impressive the shadows created were.

Photo Contest Entry:

4/20/17 Things I've learned

1. Murakami Takashi designed the cover art of one of my favorite rap albums.
2. Japan's culture was forcibly changed by westerners, rather than through a natural change.
3. I knew nothing about Ukiyo-E and now i know quite a bit, including how it is cut and the stages of painting that go into it.

4/18/17 Sontag Essay

        1. Sontag's gruesome and disheartening photos and words did a good job of making war seem pretty damn terrible.  but yet, she argues that war will still seduce people even after seeing the results that come in the form of these photos. She tries to force the reader to be put through the horrors of these war scenes, but says that still just causes us to empathize. Empathy for these victims is all we can have, because she says we will never be in the position to truly imagine what its like for them.
       2.A. Sontag touched on the idea that photos used to be entirely reality, because there was no technology to forge fakes. While i was writing my roommate showed me a video of a nuclear bomb test and the soldiers that were surrounding it.  after it went off, they ll got up and walked toward the explosion. I thought that i had to be fake because they would just be walking to their unknowing deaths, but my roommate argued that just because they are doing something dumb, it isn't fake.
         B. Something else interesting was the inclusion of the feminist ideals in the beginning of the essay. She talked about how the Women always have something they are trying to prove. This gives off a feminist vibe which is cool.
     3. 
This is a photo of some ruins in Syria. Although Syria has come to the forefront of the world's War News, this is only a recent development.  For years many people ignored their cries for help, but since they became so loud people had to stop ignoring them. Looking at these ruins, one must ask oneself, for what purpose were all of these homes destroyed? Why was the conflict ignored until it reached this point?

4/4/17 Cuteness

Part 1.

           As i thought of what in my life i could count as "cute" i really really struggled. I don't think it is because i have evolved beyond the appeal of cuteness, i just don't have anything significant enough that i could attribute it to being meaningful. It is possible that due to my courses/personal interests/ relationships that i don't have time to indulge in "cuteness." Or it is possible that because of those things i am suffering and need a bit of cuteness in my life. The writers might argue that since i am more adult that not giving in to the cuteness is less infantile? i don't know, but here's a cute picture of a puppy i found on google.

Part 2.

This is a photo of someone's collection of nintendo-ish stuffed animals. I chose this because regardless of the true character's size, all of them are shrunk down to fit the standard of a cute stuffed thing. Some of the characters portrayed aren't even cute, id argue, but when you bring them down to the same size and make their eyes huge and bodies tiny, its hard to say they aren't cute. For example, that yellow thing on the right side is a Pokemon that puts you to sleep and eats your dreams out of your nose. Not too cute. By shrinking these figures and making them infantile, it creates a cuteness atmosphere that, regardless of its falsehood, draws attention.

Yoshitomo Nara:

This piece of art is very simplistic, like much of his other work. There is very little detail in the face of the head in the bottom portion. The red lettering in the top portion really captures the eye, while still matching with the lips of the head. Although the quote says it is better to burn out than to fade away, it looks to me like the head has done neither of those things. This might be to speak to the difficulty of letting yourself go, whether it is burning or fading.

Murakami Takashi

There is a chance that more people have seen this album cover without even knowing that it was created by Murakami. It is one of his more straightforward art pieces, due to its intended audience. The bear, Mr. West, is "Graduating." He is being shot out of the Murakami style head that is topped with a classic symbol of university, the greek arches. Interestingly, the head's eyes are more closed than usual Murakami style eyes, which might symbolize the interest the University has in you, which is very little.

Final Project Update:
       As i begin my research into the art and history of sushi, and its migration to western culture, i have come across many worthwhile reads (and some restaurant menus). I want to introduce the class to the different types of sushi, and how each is prepared. i don't know yet how i should design my presentation, but i am thinking of just going chronologically through history. Here are some links that are both scholarly and not as much.
        To the topic of sushi itself and its design:

• THE ART OF SUSHI
• Sushi: it’s more than just raw fish | The Japanese Culture Club

        To the topic of its globalization and adaptation:

• 36Carroll氏-times.indd
• The Truth About American Sushi No One Wants to Hear
• Sushi standards and the American way - The Washington Post

I will continue to add to these lists as i continue research.

Japan Travel Album

      I am a man who brings rich travelers across the Atlantic from America to Great Britain. I have seen the coastline from sea many times, and this bored me. I want to see exotic architecture that i can not experience from the ocean. I would also like to see the sea from land, as this is a rare opportunity for me. 

       This is the first stop on my journey, featuring a gorgeous photo of the water from the perspective of the land. At home i live in a house very similar to this, but with superior architectural stability. It looks like this one could be blown away easily in a storm! Also, look at that boat, its narrow hull must do terribly in any choppy waves. 

What a beautiful sight this is! I am used to looking in at this scene, but rarely do i see it from this angle. The red gate on the top of the rock is supposedly a shrine, but i don't know how you would get up there. The rope that wraps around the two rocks must be for stability so they don't erode away, the waves must be strong here. 

 This is another photo of what they call a shrine, which looks to be just a big red gate in hard-to-reach places like the previous photo. This place in particular is one i was recommended to see, due to its beauty. Although quite whelming, i was disgusted by the amount of fellow tourists were here. I am used to solitude at sea and the amount of people here really made me want to leave. 

The harbors of Japan that i was able to visit are nothing like the organized, advanced ports of America. As you can see in this photo, which is taken from a mountain i was able to hike up, there is no rhyme nor reason to where sailors can take mooring. Even the city itself is clearly poorly organized. New York is keenly grouped into blocks, whereas it is quite easy to get lost in the labyrinth that is Nagasaki. 

My final photo is of the ship that will carry me to China where i will board a proper steamship. Its size is comparable to the charter ship that i own, but its sail design is much different. For starters, look how cramped they must be with those sails so close to the deck. Also, imagine how wet the deck must get with such a high draw; any large wave would come up over the side. But alas, it will do, and its design is elegant, thus my decision to keep its memory. 

              All of these photos do a good job of painting the picture seen by a tourist that might stick to the coastline. These are all Quintessential tourist locations, like the Torii gate seen in the third photo. The photos my sailor chose are all person-less pictures, which is what i portrayed him to enjoy. Due to these gaze-less inanimate scenes, the sailor must make his judgments based off of his personal interpretation of the landscapes in comparison to what he knows. In the first&last photo, he compares the ships seen in the picture to the ships he pilots and will board En Route back home. The view of Nagasaki is especially interesting because it encapsulates the messiness of both the Harbor and the City itself. With nothing similar to compare it to other than cities like London or New York, my sailor has to focus on the things he is familiar with. In this specific photo, he plays off of the downward angle of the camera to show that he truly is looking down on the city of Nagasaki, Japan. 

2/21/17 Beato: People
1.
-Westerners rarely came to Japan, so the photos that Beato peddled were clearly for a targeted audience, attempting to give them a basic understanding of the Japanese people. This allowed the 'gaze' of the viewer to be altered to fit whatever he wanted them to see.
-Some if not most of the photos are shamelessly staged, and the staging is poorly hidden. Staging photos of the people of Japan allowed Beato to give off whatever ideas he wanted, regardless of if they were accurate. This forced the gaze of the westerners viewing the photos to adapt to whatever scene he would portray, creating a false gaze upon the culture of Japan.
-The Unreturned gaze, the last gaze brought up in the reading, is from the gaze of whomever is inside the photograph. In many of these photos, since they are staged, the unreturned gaze is not allowed to be seen. Actors are not allowed a gaze, while natural photo subjects have to let their eyes wander and show curiosity toward the Photographer.
2.

This image, titled "Fencers" does a good job of staging the art of Kendo for Beato. While Kendo is very very different than Fencing, there are some similarities in Sabre fencing. As a fencer myself, Kendo has always been interesting. The caption of this photo gives the vibe that Westerners believe their refined Fencing is much more advanced than Kendo, even though Kendo has actually been around for thousands of years. All cultures have a history of swordplay, but the art of Kendo is definitely the least changed from its original form. The gaze of the subjects are toward each other, crating a very intense scene. The photo is cropped to force the gaze of the viewer to be on the swordsman, but it goes beyond this when you take into account the caption creating a sense of inferiority. Although it is unclear if this photo is staged, Beato created the idea that this sport is brutal and savage, furthering the myth of Japanese inferiority.

This image portrays a staged scene with a single woman tuning her shamisen. She is surrounded by classic Japanese curios, like the teapot and the flowered lamp on the floor. Without an understanding of the Japanese culture, the Viewers gaze shifts to the caption. This caption applauds the high level of work that music-making requires, but then shifts right around and calls the tune of the shamisen shrill and harsh. The girl's gaze is toward the neck of her shamisen, but it almost appears as if shes looking beyond it, giving off a longing vibe.

2/28/17 Globetrotters: People
1.
 -The prints collected from the Japanese during the time of the Globetrotters show attempts at portraying the modernization of Japan. This is contrary to the portrayal of the Japanese by the globetrotters, who repeatedly showed the Japanese as a 'behind' people.
-The females shown in the albums of the Globetrotters are overwhelmingly supposed to look like 'girls' rather than women. This might be due to the immaturity of culture that the westerners saw, but it might also be a power move; imposing the idea that their western women were more advanced and mature than the Japanese women.
-The scenes that the Globetrotters attempted to set up for their photo albums created inaccurate and fake ideas of Japan. Because they could create whatever scene they wanted with props and costumes, there needed to be no real accuracy so what came out of this was very false.
2.

This photo does a good job of showing the myth of agricultural life that the Westerners believed every Japanese person had to endure. While there is agriculture back in America, there are no rice paddies so this would be a new scene for people see. Because of this, this photo makes them very curious and interested in such a new and exciting pastime!! The actual farmers are curious about the photographer, pausing their work to look up and see the Globetrotter.

These photos are quite amusing, showing what appears to be the same two Japanese people doing 3 separate handicrafts in the same room. there is very little attempt to hide the fact that all 3 are in the same place, shown by the repeating backdrop on the right side. The Shamisen being made are just strewn in a pile, because clearly that's what an actual Shamisen maker would do. These photos perpetuate the myth of the primitive Japanese working with their hands, and its almost shameful that these actors would participate in this photo shoot.

2/23/17 Globetrotters: Places
1.
-One major takeaway i got from the reading is how different experiences were for the visitors and the native people of Japan. the Globetrotters had previously traveled to places like India, or Asia, or the Americas, so they were prepared for being a tourist. This is unlike the Native Japanese who had never before been equipped to deal with heavy tourism.
-Following Beato's major success in photography, many similar businesses opened up in hopes that they could retain the success that Beato had. These photograph stores consisted of photos of places that the tourists may have visited, or wanted to visit but never got to. They would bring them home and brag to their peers about all the places the visited(or didn't).
2.

This photo is particularly interesting because it is one that was sold as a photograph to tourists. Strangely, there is a man standing on the hands who appears to be Japanese, and this might give tourists a laugh. I don't know much about Buddhist customs, but i would believe that it would be very disrespectful to stand on the statue of Buddha, especially one as famous as this. Perhaps the Japanese man has no ties to Buddhism and the tourists he was guiding thought it would be amusing for him to partake in this act. It appears as a very "natural native" photo to someone who would buy it.

2/16/17 Beato: Places
1.
-Beato is primarily a photography for the money, and what he captures shows this. The scenes he portrays are very touristy and appeal to the people who have never seen Japan and want a quintessential "Japan" photo. These photos are also more popular when the public is showing interest in Japan, so his sales correlate with foreign relations. Without the mass interest in Japan, his photos would have been a bust.
-As one of the only real photographers in Japan at the time of this cultural upheaval, Beato is actually one of the first people in the world to capture these historical events on camera. While this is not significant to the cultural change in Japan, it certainly paved the road for many more foreigners to do the same.
-Since Japan was changing at such a rapid rate, it is quite interesting to see Beato capture these photos right before the world was able to capture everything on camera. While some of the areas he captured are untouched by modern influence, you can also see how significant the changes have become in areas like Yokohama, with all the ships in the bay.
2.

This photo is taken of the Harbor at Nagasaki, and as Beato describes it, it is truly one of the most beautiful ports in the world. From what we can see in the photo, it is mostly untouched by cultural influence, except for the European factory on the opposite side of the bay. Unlike in Yokohama, you don't see massive ships at bay, nor very many English/dutch style homes. In Beato's caption he says of the factory that it was restrictive for workers to not be allowed to learn Japanese and that there was a teacher always present, but this is amusing coming from one a Westerner who is about to force their own culture on Japan.

This photo portrays the moat that surrounds the royal home of the Emperor, and is the former home of the Shoguns. To me, the house on the left seems pretty small for the residence of the emperor, and this is probably because the Emperor has been out of power for many hundreds of years at this point. The moats are an interesting touch, and mostly seem to be for intimidation, because those walls don't look more than 10 feet high. With such a meager presence, i think the size and stature of these buildings do a good job of signifying the current standing of the Emperor.

2/13/17
1. -The interaction of Americans and Japanese in the growing commerce districts created very American-dominated lifestyles. The introduction of many western concepts came directly from these sprouting cow towns. Jobs were created and the influx of business benefited the Foreigners more than the locals
    -The massive influence of American culture forced the Japanese to abandon their historical pact of seclusion, and with this rapid split, created a gap that was filled with violence. There were those of the Japanese that originally resisted the influence, but the feudal system of Japan needed to take advantage of the growth, so resistance to the Americans was futile.
    -Unlike previous Ukiyo-e of the era, the ones representing the actual town of Yokohama were quite more simplistic than others. Also, the styles of scene being captured by the Japanese artists and the Westerners were very different. The westerners attempted to take scenes from the most quintessential "Japan" areas, like the large Buddha, or Cherry Blossoms.
2. -Do you think that if the Bakufu and the ShiShi were successful in repelling the foreign influence on Japan, it still would have spread eventually throughout time? For example, might the Western styles of dress and music have been imported to Japan without the force of the trade treaties?
    -Why do you think that the technology of Photography was not embraced immediately by Japanese artists? Due to the influence of Ukiyo-e's detail and yearn for accuracy, why was the Photograph not taken into rotation like it was in Western culture?
3.

I think this image does a very good job at showing, or imagining, the entire scope of how massive Western influence was. While still done through classic Ukiyo-e style, it emphasized the magnitude of the Western influence. All the vehicles have thick 3D designs, with a deep red chosen for the train cars and the background of the ships. The sky and the smoke from the train are in the artistic style of Ukiyo-e, but the Men and Women are a strange clash due to their attire. All of the flags flying on the ships does a good job of representing the rapid foreign influx of peoples and their cultures.

This print is titled "Picture of Western Traders at Yokohama Transporting Merchandise." While it is a lengthy title, the print itself is also quite lengthy. 5 different pieces complete the print, and its coloring is very different from the traditional Japanese print style. I picked this print mostly due to its massive size and unique coloring, but also its detail. There are many separate stories happening in each frame of the print, and this might be why someone would have bought it. Every time i look deeper into the photo, there is something new that I see.

This print is titled "Picture of a Mercantile Establishment in Yokohama." The topic of the photo is just that, a merchant's establishment in japan. Though there are many Foreign themes, like the American flag in the top corner, it is a fundamentally Japanese establishment. I chose it for that reason; you can see the roofing is of a Japanese style, as is the furniture around the room. The owner of the establishment, or even a visitor, might have purchased this print to remember what it looked like during the peak of commerce. Japanese entertainers are scattered around the rooms while the foreign businessmen speak with each other.

The Ukiyo-e that i chose is called Edo Meisho: Asakusa Kinryuzan. This print is by Utagawa Hiroshige, and it translates to "Famous places of Edo: Asakusa Kannon temple." Utagawa Hiroshige is regarded as one of the masters of Ukiyo-e, but never was financially stable. He was always underpaid for his series, and did not demand a fair salary. Most of his prints feature landscapes and flora/fauna, but he was regularly commissioned to make prints of cityscapes, like this one. This genre of print contains people doing what they do every say, and shows the natural beauty of the location. This particular painting shows people scattering around in the market due to the rain shower. Most of the people are facing to the right or the left, so they might be all running for warmer, dryer areas. There are chickens around the marketplace, something typical of old style markets, but these are non-cooped chickens, and might have gotten loose. Another interesting piece is that all the shopkeepers look identical, possibly because Hiroshige wanted them to not stand out, because they aren't the topic of the painting. Their robes are the same color as the steps to the temples, this might have been to save colors, or for the above reason, to not stand out. The blue of the steps is a very interesting choice because the rest of the colors are beige or greyscale. This color choice makes the Temple entrances pop, and forces the viewer to look down at them, instead of at the very empty expanse of the sky, which takes up half the painting. This print is very artistically interesting, and Hiroshige is clearly a master at his work.

This is an Ukiyo-e by Suzuki Harunobu created in 1769 during the Edo Period called  Akakusa Seiran. It shows us two women sitting on a raised platform, one of them is brandishing swords. i don't know much about culture in the 1700s but it appears strange that a women would be wearing swords, maybe this is why she has a hood raised over her face. there are leaves on the floor, so we can guess that this is was created during Autumn. We also see what appears to be a teapot on the floor, the women are probably sharing tea in the morning. The sword bearing woman also seems to be holding chopsticks, so the two women might be sharing a  meal. the one on the left has something like a stirring stick(?) so the pot on her right might be a mixing bowl.

Self-Introduction: Isaac Abrams
1. Your name (and name you prefer to be called, if different):
Isaac Abrams
2. Your hometown:Guilford, Connecticut
3. Your major(s) and minor(s):Psychology Major, Econ Minor
4. Class of: 2019
5. Why are you taking this class?  What do you hope to get out of it?I have always been interested in Japanese culture, and this is the most direct translation to that topic. I hope to get a better understanding of what has made Japanese culture what it is today.
6. What aspects of Japanese culture are of interest to you?I am both interested in the zen culture and the food culture of japan, due to how unique they are.
7. What, if any, direct experience of Japan or its culture have you had?

I have had no direct experience, but my interest has allowed me to pay attention to the culture of Japan from a distance. 

This is a bonsai garden in Japan, and it appeals to me because i have always been interested in the garden culture in Japan. I have (unsuccessfully) tried to maintain a bonsai tree, and the elegance of this garden is quite breathtaking.

This photo was taken during the 2016-2017 Fashion Week in Tokyo, and it is very interesting. you can see the historical influence in the right photo with the flower patterned silk, but it has been adapted to fit the modern sheikh in fashion.

This is a very gorgeous photo i took from my Uncle's Sailboat. in the background you can see the silhouette of the city across from NYC (not sure what its called), which gives it more elegance.  also the beam of light through the rain is also quite pretty.

I will be commenting on the theme of cultural imperialism in Japan due to foreign globalization. In the above photo is a aerial view of Akasaka Palace, a state guest house for foreign dignitaries. The USA has a similar  house, but it is not customary in Japan to house Guests in a separate house. This building is the opposite of Japanese architecture, in fact it is more renaissance than anything. the copper roofs are again very non-Japanese, which can be understandable due to its purpose as a guest house. you can see in the photo that two other flags are hoisted next to the japanese one.

This is an interior photo of the Akasaka State Guest House. as you can seem this is about as far from Japanese design as you can get, with crystal chandeliers and velvet drapes. this is the room where dignitaries would meet to have meals or balls. it too is very renaissance, with the ceiling being covered in cloud paintings and the trim of the windows being gold-leaf. Japanese architecture differs from these themes, going for a more minimalist approach. due to the influence of other countries, this palace was furnished to suit those countries, rather than Japanese tastes.

This final image shows the Akasaka's actual location in relation to the city surrounding it, Tokyo. it is not well known that such a palace that stands out like a thumb is actually so close to the largest city in the country. It is amusing however, because Tokyo is another example of  the influence of Imperialism on Japan. the architecture is very western and it differs greatly from the historical countryside japan is also known for. Akasaka palace is a very significant sign for the influence of Imperialism on Japanese government buildings.

This is a Japanese tourism ad directed at Australian skier/snowboarders. It has the connotation of luxury through the text clips along the side. These text clips are forceful signs of the luxury and fantasy that they hope to instill in the reader. the picture is the cliche Mt. Fuji and it is blanketed in snow. while no one actually skis on Mt. Fuji, they hope to attract people that ski to the ideal of snow covering a mountain. the edge being bent draws the readers attention to the final text clips of "japan. endless discovery." this is further helping the hope that through the text clips, the reader will come for snow activities and stay for the culture and history.

This is an America hamburger ad for Wendy's. the major eye catchers in the photo are the burger, the question text format, and the hot N Juicy word clip. the question format hopes to make readers ask themselves why they don't have a burger. It worked, while researching this subject I immediately ate the leftover burger I had in the fridge. it signifies the old Wendy's ad that asks about the beef in a burger, while responding to it with the headline picture. the burger itself is very appealing, with perfect proportions in all of its juiciness.