Creativity is generally considered a personal attribute, which is individualist and cognitive and less as a relational construct situated culturally and collectively. Past comparative cultural studies of creativity involving East Asian contexts focus on an individualist and cognitive perspective with relatively limited research investigating the…

This paper presents the results of an interdisciplinary project in which English poetry and performance studies were integrated into a poetry performance project for EFL students in a language education programme at a Japanese university. The project used the theories and methods of But?¯, a contemporary Japanese form of dance and visual art, to…

This article addresses the activation of aesthetics through the examination of an acute sensitivity to melancholy and time permeating the literary and pictorial arts of Japan. In medieval court circles, this sensitivity was activated through a pervasive sense of aware, a poignant reflection on the pathos of things. This sensibility became the…

Globally, early years policies and documents have set out aspirational outcomes and benefits for children, their families and the wider society. These policies have emphasised the place of early childhood provision within the wider global agenda, by tackling inequality and disadvantage early on in children's lives. However, these strategies have…

In this article, we describe a programme of qualitative research and interpretive analysis around an approach to foreign language pedagogy that aimed to develop learners' symbolic competence through experience with and examination of the signs in acts of communication. Learners were presented with the problem of visually representing the abstract…

A sky fading from blue to white to red at the horizon, and water darkening from light to midnight blue. Strong diagonals slashing through the image, drawing a viewer's eyes deeper into the picture, and delicate trees poised to convey a sense of beauty. These are the fascinating strengths of the ukiyo-e woodblock prints of Japanese artist Ando…

Each year, seventh graders at Woodlawn School in Davidson, North Carolina, learn about Japan through a compilation of literature, history, and art. They are introduced to a wide range of ideas and materials: they study the Heian and Tokugawa Periods as well as modern Japan, the code of the samurai warriors, haiku and its components, and Japanese…

Western cultures' conceptions about creativity emphasize originality and final products; Eastern cultures, skill and process. Does this cultural difference impact how creativity unfolds over the lifespan? To examine this, we investigated Japanese "ukiyo-e" printmaking (c. 1670-1865). Almost 2,000 illustrations of datable prints by 44…

This packet, written for teachers of sixth-grade art and language arts courses, is designed to inspire creative expression in words and images through an appreciation for Japanese art. The selection of paintings presented are from the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution. The interdisciplinary approach, combines art and language arts.…

The article describes a program at a special school for retarded and otherwise handicapped children in Japan which stresses development of artistic talents. The children's work has been the subject of an exhibition in Paris. (Author/DB)

Provides a strategy from the book "Strategies for Teaching High School Chorus." Students identify and compare three features of Japanese visual art and music: (1) the principle of understatement; (2) the attention to form and formalism; and (3) the emphasis on nature themes. Lists materials, procedures, and follow-up ideas. (CMK)

In this lesson plan, students explore the traditions and conventions of haiku, comparing this classic form of Japanese poetry to a related genre of Japanese visual art. Students also compose haiku of their own. The lesson's learning objectives are: (1) to learn about the history and poetic conventions of Japanese haiku; (2) to read and interpret…

Focuses on the life and career of Keiji Shinohara. Discusses his artwork,"Silence," and the techniques he used. Includes activities in a variety of subject areas, such as social studies, literature, science, mathematics, natural science, language, visual art, art, and religion. (CMK)

This collection of supplementary lessons about Japan is organized into four sections: writing skills; visual arts; games, music, and other arts; and social studies. Each lesson lists appropriate grade level, objective, materials needed, time required, and procedure. The following titles from each section are representative of the lessons: Writing…

The resource guide provides information on sources of exhibitions and materials for display which depict the peoples and culture of Asia. The major portion of the booklet represents one of the original Asia Society's exhibitions. The first section suggests several organizations which offer traveling exhibitions. Under each organization the kinds…