Course Project Discussion: Historical & Cultural Topics

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Our historical topic will be about the Goryokaku Festival Parade. We will research the festival's origins and the purpose of the festival. As the parade is already incorporated in our itinerary, our group wants to gain a more in-depth appreciation of the event. By researching the historical significance of the parade, we hope to understand the deeper insights of the significance of the civil war and the people involved. There will be a specific focus on Hijikata Toshizo, a famous samurai who played a prominent role in the war. With one of our members participating in the parade, we will be able to acquire first hand knowledge on the historical clothing and possible significance of the outfits and dress practices.

Our primary research methods will be: attending the festival and seeing the parade in action, having one member participate and external research on the history of the civil war. Further reading can be conducted on the samurai and Hijikata Toshizo. We will also attain information from our historical visit of Goryokaku Park. Through this research, our group expects a better understanding of the civil war in Hokkaido, and what the conflict entailed. We expect to learn more about the samurai, and what happened to traditional values at the end of the Meiji period. We want to learn more about the historical impact of Japan's period of isolation, and how the conflict between past and present Japan is still relevant today. We hope to learn more about the importance of the festival, and how history has been preserved in the Goryokaku Fort.

The cultural topic will be on local seafood in Hakodate. This topic is of interest to us because Hakodate is a port city. We want to taste authentic fresh seafood, and understand the process of acquiring, buying, and selling one of Hakodate's most renowned resources. We will examine the fishing industry, and how it influences local economy and lifestyle. We hope to taste the local cuisine of Hakodate, including preparation methods and cooking techniques. Our focus will be on what is seasonally available, as we are visiting during the springtime.

Primary research methods will include visiting the morning market, dine at one local restaurant to see how local dishes are prepared, and visit the Hakodate City Northern Pacific Fisher's Document Museum to learn about fishing practices in Hakodate. In the morning market, we hope to explore the social aspect of seafood shopping, and the shopping etiquette involved in sales. The visit will also help us clarify how seasonal availability affects products sold. We can examine prices in the market, compared to prices of dishes in restaurants when eating out, letting us learn about how fishery affects prices. We expect this project will help us understand the movement of products in Hakodate's resource-based economy. We also hope to have a deeper understanding of how the fishing industry and product availability has affected the lifestyle of those living in Hakodate. Cultural aspects such as how fisheries demand a certain way of life may also be explored. In trying different foods, we hope to diversify our taste in foreign cuisine and appreciate the connection between food and culture.


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