Research into A) the roots of Japanese popular culture, and B) Meiji/Taisho global cultural interchange

The idea is to obtain and then share background knowledge and understanding of some of the points about the global cultural interchange between Japan and "the West" (Europe + the United States) referred to in Chapter 1 of the textbook. It would be a good idea to have at least a quick look at the introduction and chapter 1 before you do the research. You should be ready to talk about your research in Class no. 13.

I would like to divide you into four groups:

Group 1 (Chihiro, Mai, Nanami, Ryota, Takaya, Yudai) should focus on A, specifically Japanese popular culture in the Edo period.
Members should go to a museum that has exhibits related to Japanese popular culture, such as the 江戸東京博物館, before Class no. 13 (see the instructions below). They should also each find a "reliable" English-language website that introduces Edo popular culture to non-Japanese audiences, preferably to schoolchildren. Please look at the instructions below as well.

Group 2 (Gen, Haruki, Kaho, Kaoru, Mami, Miku) should focus on A, specifically Japanese art during and after the Edo period.
Members should go to a museum that is displaying ukiyoe, for example the permanent exhibit at the 東京国立博物館 or to the Ota Memorial Museum of Art, which has an exhibition of Hokusai and Kiyoshika at the moment (until 28 May). There is a Jakuchu/Buson exhibition at the Suntory Art Museum (until May 10). (If you visit the 東京国立博物館 you should also see the choju giga exhibition, which finishes on June 7.) They should also each find a "reliable" English-language website that introduces ukiyoe to non-Japanese audiences, preferably to schoolchildren. Please look at the instructions below as well.

Group 3(Gaku, Kaya, Keitaro, Shan, Shiori, Yosuke) should look at B, specifically non-Japanese influences on Japanese art/culture in the Meiji period onwards (Western-style painting and Nihonga).
Members should go to a museum that is displaying Japanese art/culture from the Meiji period onwards, for example the 東京国立博物館 or the Yamatane Art Museum, or special exhibitions at the Kodansha Noma Memorial Museum. (If you visit the 東京国立博物館 you should also see the choju giga exhibition, which finishes on June 7.) They should also each find a "reliable" English-language website that introduces ukiyoe to non-Japanese audiences, preferably to schoolchildren. Please look at the instructions below as well.

Group 4 (Ryohei, Seiji, Seito, Taiki, Takumi, Yunei) should focus on B, specifically Japanese influences on Western art. The most obvious example of this is the impressionist movement.
Members should go a museum that displays impressionist paintings before Class no. 13. The 国立西洋美術館 has impressionist paintings as well as other examples of Western art. There is a special exhibition called "Intimate Impressionism" at the Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum at the moment (until 5/24). They should also each find a "reliable" English-language website that introduces impressionism to non-Japanese audiences, preferably to schoolchildren, and helps them to understand the links between impressionism and Japanese art. Please look at the instructions below as well.



General instructions for the visits to museums:
Please visit a museum that has a collection relevant to your group. Before you go to the museum, read, or reread, the relevant part of the chapter, and think about what you expect to see. (You could also do some preliminary internet research.) As you look at the exhibits, think (of course) about what appeals to you and why, but also think about the artist and his or her intentions/the intended audience (and the unintended audience)/the colour/design/use of symbols etc., and the relevance of the exhibit to the global cultural interchange between Japan and "the West". Buy at least one postcard of an exhibit that interested you and be prepared to talk about this exhibit, and your response to the exhibits as a whole. Be ready to show me your ticket and notes.
General instructions for the websites homework.
To find a site, you need to think of a) the type of organization that might produce the sort of site you are looking for, and b) keywords that are likely to be appear on the actual pages of the site.
a) Why do you think that the site is "reliable"? (Who is responsible, when was it last updated, how is it designed etc.?) For more advice on finding "reliable" websites, see this page, from Cornell University Library. Please be ready to explain why it is "reliable".
b) Whaｔ are the strong and weak aspects of the site ? Please be ready to describe the site to the other students, with particular relevance to its strong/weak points from a) the point of view of a non-Japanese trying to find out about Japan, and b) from the point of view of the "global image" of Japan. What does the site contribute to a) understanding of the global cultural interchange between Japan and "the West" in the past, and b) to the actual global cultural interchange between Japan and "the West" that is occurring now? Be ready to show me your notes. These should include the title of the site and the url.