Self Introduction

Name

Alli Hemp

Hometown

Smithtown, New York

Majors & Minor

East Asian Studies, Psychology & Japanese

Class of

2017

Why are you taking this class?

To fulfill my graduation requirements

Because I love taking classes with Mizenko Sensei

Because I enjoy learning about Japan & its culture, and I'd like to do just that!

What aspects of Japanese culture?

The nuances of daily Japanese life as compared to western countries that often go unnoticed

Experience?

I have had the privilege to travel to Tokyo over the summer, experiencing firsthand daily life and language

Image making

I enjoy drawing images with pencil and colored pencil. I typically draw using manga style, however recently it has shifted to some sort of cartoon hybrid.

Images

This image features some decorations for the annual star festival in Japan. When I visited the country over the summer, I happened to be there for a portion of the celebrations. I had the opportunity to see many of the decorations as well as participate in some festivities. I wanted to include an image of this to emphasize the effect Japan had on me as well as some of the beauty I had the privilege to witness. For me, this image represents happy memories. I wanted to choose something simple--like we investigated in the last post, there are many grand and beautiful things about Japan. However, I wanted to zero in on something specific. Japan has hundreds of festivals, and you can always find a festival in Japan. So really, the star festival isn't all that unique. This is why I chose it; when lost in the shuffle of festivals, one of them in particular is important to me. This is why this image of Japan appeals to me when in another context it could just be another festival to someone.

This is not a screenshot from a movie I watched for another one of Mizenko Sensei's classes, Japanese film. The title was "I Was Born, But..." and the scene occurs after conflict within the family. The film class really opened my eyes to scene analysis, and so I had more interest in this visual culture class since I had some experience dissecting frames and the meaning behind everything they encompassed. Between the closeness of the couple and their children, the expressions on their faces, even down to the angle of the camera and the layout of the frame, the scene emanates a level of intimacy not shown before in the film and not often present in Japanese culture. I really enjoyed analyzing the depth of the work that goes into these frames, and I hope to come to appreciate the same in what we look at in this class. Japanese film appeals to me based on the deep themes that often go with them, as well as typically being set in Japan with all of its beauty and culture.

For the last image, I chose some artwork done by myself. I tend to do very simple work, only featuring one subject with no background because I can't draw backgrounds lol typically in black and white. I do however do color images using colored pencils and ink outlines, but that is the extent of my abilities. In this picture, I drew some fan art from the show Mermaid Melody, one I frequently watched and re-watched throughout my school days. I chose this specific one not only because I feel proud about the way it came out, but also because it symbolizes one of my guilty pleasures: useless girly fodder with fantasy and frills and no deep meaning to ruin my overbearing optimism and overall carefree outlook on life I'm looking at you Mizenko. All in all, there's always room to improve, but the real point is that I really like mermaids and fantasy and silly cartoons that make me feel happy for no good reason. This image appeals to me because it represents something that makes me happy, and was important to me growing up.

Images Associated with Japan

Three Images...

This image is an action shot of a city in Japan. There is quite a lot going on, between the people moving about and the numerous (very much so) signs that take up almost all the focus in the frame. The streets are swarming with people, with little open space to even see the pavement, and those in the foreground are blurry, because they are moving so quickly. The photo depicts the nightlife of Japan; it is bustling, action packed, and fast paced. Lights and activity that is captured signify the excitement and unrest that apparently goes on--the city does not know sleep, it is active even at night. 

This photo depicts a maiko (left) and geisha (right) who look like they are putting on a performance or giving a talk of some sort. They are dressed in traditional Japanese garments, and are positioned in front of a decorative screen featuring cherry blossoms. They stand on tatami mats, yet one holds a microphone to speak in, pulling the viewer back into reality from this seemingly perfectly framed image of tradition and old times. The entire image smacks of traditional Japan, as almost all of the signs in the image signify the unique and original culture of the country. Save for the microphone, the picture almost entirely excludes any evidence of modern technology or influence, in stark contrast to the first photo that focuses on that very thing.

Finally, I wanted to choose a photo that squeezed almost everything into one image. While this is not an actual photograph someone took with a camera and instead a computer generated image, it is still a sign that carries a lot of meaning. This image looks as if it were designed to be the epitome of Japan. Creators took time to include many things commonly associated with Japan, featuring Fuji-san, a red torii gate, banzai tree, and maneki neko. Creators also made a point to make the sun in the image red, as it appears on the Japanese flag. The text on the image reads only "JAPAN", as if the culmination of these symbols represent the country as a whole. While it would be outrageous to ask one to put the entirety of Japan in one photo, I find it interesting that the images were so limited. They didn't even include *GASP* cherry blossoms...what to do indeed. The photo does however succeed (in my eyes) to show some of the beauty and tradition of Japan, which seems like that's what the creators were going for. 

Food for Thought...

For all of these searches, I simply typed into google "Japan". There were some recurring themes that popped up in the images which I initially disregarded, but my last image choice made me think: what would come up if I typed America? What would a graphic like the one above look like if someone made the same concept but with America, taking all the things that America was known for? Curiously, I googled "America". The difference in the results were stunning. Nearly all of the results were the American flag, either by itself or plastered on the outline of any other shape. Alongside those images were scattered results of eagles (typically posed with some sort of flag) or the Statue of Liberty (again, with the same overbearing presence of the flag--AGAIN). Looking back at my search for Japan, the Japanese flag appeared three times in the first 5 rows of results. America? Fifteen. FIFTEEN. I wonder what peoples' opinions are regarding the apparent obsession with the American flag--why is there such a difference between what signs represent Japan and what sign(s) represent America?

Semiotics in Japanese & American Ads

Semiotics & Ads

Japanese Ad:

In this sign, the signifiers include the photos of the people, their expressions, and the words that are displayed. The models are normal people, happy, smiling, and enjoying themselves. There is also the presence of the product, the alcohol. The photos suggest a sequence of events, often used in advertisements. A man has a drink, a woman has a drink, they end up both having a good time and get to know each other. What's more is the text, which can be read two different ways; "Sore Kara" (the brand) "atarashii" (it's new) -OR- "sore kara" (also) "antarashii" (it's just like you), which refers to the reader using familiar connotations. Overall, the ad seems to be designed to create an atmosphere of closeness, friendship, and a sense of tradition--this product brings people back tot he good old days where it was a great time, hence making it desirable.

American Ad:

The signifiers in this sign are the models, their clothing, and the text. While one can typically grasp the fact that this is a lingerie advertisement, there is more that is being signified than the desire to sell a product. This ad features text that actually explicitly describes some of the concepts that are being portrayed, unlike most ads. The text reads "THE PERFECT 'BODY'" while using a very specific type of model in its campaign. This makes it easier to understand the connotations of the statement--that the women being displayed have the perfect body, or that the bras are designed for the perfect body. Bras and lingerie are associated with sexiness, also telling viewers that this is what people should find attractive. The ad seems to convey that the product plus the consumer equals the epitome of perfection and sexiness, thus sending the message that consumers need this product to achieve this described perfection.