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Using Film for Intercultural Language Study in Japanese 2014 National Symposium on Japanese Language Education

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NSW HSC Japanese Extension Stage 6 Course • 60 hour course of study Year 11 Term 4 – Year 12 Term 3

• Syllabus details Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES)

http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/japanese-extension.html

• Organisational focus: The individual and contemporary society

• Prescribed text 2014 – 2018: The film Okuribito (Departures) 2008

• Prescribed issues: Coping with change; The place of traditions in modern society; Connectedness

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Prescribed issues explored through prescribed text by: • exploring relationship between prescribed issues and text

• creating original text in response to prescribed text

• evaluating linguistic and cultural features

• analysing socio-cultural context

• identifying how meaning is conveyed.

Syllabus prescriptions

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Objectives The Extension course has two objectives: Objective 1 Present and discuss opinions, ideas and points of view in the language

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Objectives Objective 2 Evaluate, analyse and respond to text that is in the language and that reflects the culture of communities that speak the language

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There are two outcomes: Outcome 1 The student: 1.1 discusses attitudes, opinions and ideas in the language 1.2 formulates and justifies a written or spoken argument in the language

Outcomes

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Outcome 2 The student: 2.1 evaluates and responds to text personally, creatively and critically 2.2 analyses how meaning is conveyed 2.3 analyses the social, political, cultural and/or literary contexts

Outcomes

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4 prescribed extracts Main characters: Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) Mika Kobayashi (Ryoko Hirosue) Ikuei Sasaki – his boss (Tsutomu Yamazaki) Tsuyako Yamashita – bath house lady Yamashita, her son Kazuko Kobayashi – Daigo’s mother Yoshiki Kobayashi – Daigo’s father Shokichi Hirata – bath house friend, crematorium worker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IysFO9ZzQDs

The Film “Departures” おくりびと Trailer

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• Pressure on Daigo when he loses his job with orchestra • Pressures of the new job • Bereaved parents / husband coping with loss • Owner of bath house – son’s regrets • Daigo coping with his own father’s death • Mika’s acceptance

Issues reflected in the film: Coping with change

• Mother raising children on her own

• Death rituals are for the living • To reflect on death is to reflect on life

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• Daigo and Mika’s life in Tokyo vs life in Yamagata • The job of a nokanshi • Rituals providing comfort. Yukan, hot water rituals. • Historically the role was provided by family member, now

has “contaminated” overtones • Disdain for occupations thought of as “dirty” • Public bath houses – decline in patronage • Rural way of life threatened

Issues reflected in the film: The place of traditions in modern society

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Issues reflected in the film: Connectedness

• Relationship between Daigo and Mika • Daigo’s connection with cello and its music • Rituals of purification and transformation • Daigo watching the fish going home to die • Relationship between Yamashita san and Hirata san • Hirata san: Death is the gate, not the end • Daigo keeping the stone, ishibumi • Daigo’s family to become three, playing cello to baby • Shinigesho Death make-up, comb hair, make-up. Sasaki san

made his wife beautiful and sent her off.

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Intercultural language study

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Based on the book by Aoki. “Coffin Man: The Journal of a Buddhist Mortician” Screen play by Kundo Koyama – without direct credit to author, Aoki. Aoki wanted to explore theme of afterlife. The director, Yojiro Takita, wanted to explore universal issues. Not pessimistic, wishing to see the deceased at peace. Mourning channelled into rituals that provide comfort. No great focus on afterlife. Loss of traditions, spiritual loss.

Original text

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In addition to the prescribed text, students will read, listen to and view a range of texts relevant to the prescribed issues. Related texts can be: articles, songs, poems, short stories, etc. These can be sourced from: newspapers, books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, YouTube and other online sites. They can be in Japanese or in English.

Related texts

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The documentary “Tender”

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Students are also required to analyse the film techniques used by the director to convey his message: e.g. editing, type of shot, tracking, colour, lighting, sound, sets, props, humour. Use of voiceover, monologues. We know how Daigo is feeling but his wife doesn’t. Diegetic and non-diegetic sound Language: • Very polite language when dealing with the bereaved • Yamagata ben • Language show relationship between characters

Film techniques

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• Cello, music: Beethoven’s symphony No 9 his final complete work before he died. Here played as Daigo’s musical career terminated. Also often performed at end of year concerts in Japan. Daigo as a child with cello. Playing The Wayfarer, symbol of father’s departure.

Cello soundtrack: Memory by Joe Hisaishi • Water: the river, the bathhouse, rocks by river, father by

ocean, cleansing at funeral, the fish going home to die, the octopus

• Food: Sasaki with puffer roe, Christmas celebration, gift of dried persimmon, fresh chicken that Daigo can’t eat after making video.

Recurring motifs

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The HSC examination is divided into two examinations: the oral examination, held in Term 3

the written examination, held during the HSC examination

period.

External examination

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In both the oral examination and the written examination, students are required to present and support a point of view in Japanese. The oral examination is worth 10 marks. The written examination is worth 40 marks.

External examination (continued)

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This section will consist of two parts: Part A (15 marks) There will be approximately five short-answer questions related to an extract from the prescribed text (response in English) Part B (10 marks) There will be one extended response question where students will be required to respond to an aspect of the prescribed text by taking the role of a character, imagining a hypothetical situation, or writing a description of an event from a different perspective (response in Japanese)

Written examination – Section 1

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大悟: 一体自分は何を試されているんだろう。。。 Why does Daigo feel this way? 喪主： あの、今日は申し訳ありませんでした。 Why does the man’s attitude change? Extract 4: このエクストラクトでのさくらの花のいみは何でしょう？

Part A sample questions

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Extract 2: Imagine you are Naomi’s daughter. Write a thank you letter to Sasaki. (10 marks, approximately 400 ji) あなたはなおみさんの娘です。佐々木にお礼の手紙を書きなさい。 Extract 3: You are Mika. Write in your blog how you felt today. Your answer must reflect this extract. あなたは美香です。この日感じたことをブログに書きなさい。

Part B sample questions

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Section II – Writing in Japanese (15 marks) Students will be required to answer one question from a choice of two. The questions are phrased in English and Japanese requiring a response in Japanese of approximately 600 ji. (15 marks) These questions relate to the prescribed issues. あなたは日本のフォーラムでスピーチをすることになりました。 だいは「若者にとって伝統はもう無用だ」です。スピーチのげんこうを書きなさい。 You are taking part in a forum in Japan. You have been asked to speak on the following topic: Traditions are no longer relevant in young people’s lives. Write the script of your speech.

Written examination – Section ll

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Students speak for 3 minutes with 7 minutes’ preparation time. They choose one of two topics, expressed in Japanese and English. (10 marks) The topics are based on the prescribed issues. Example: Sometimes we have to throw away our dreams and accept reality. ゆめをすてて、げんじつを受け入れなければならないことがある。

Speaking exam - monologue

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Japanese Extension support materials for Okuribito http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondary/languages/languages/japanese/assets/pdf/secondary/jap_ext_final_2013.pdf sally.shimada@det.nsw.edu.au