Buckden Learning Group

Course Description: The course is made up of 5 talks linked to Julian’s study of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima radiation disaster and will show how the events of that time tell us a lot about Japanese culture and politics, resilience, folklore and superstitions. The sessions will start with a general introduction to Japanese culture and the 2011 disaster (and discussion of stereotypes against reality), and move on in the second week to how physical geography and history forged the country’s culture. In the third session we will look at how language and literature have shaped (and been shaped) by that history and geography, including a deep dive into the world of haiku. In the final two talks Julian will discuss the visual arts such as painting, calligraphy, and then move on to examine religion in Japan, folklore (and the supernatural!) and how old beliefs have played a part in the tsunami recovery.

Course Description: Only 90 years after independence a young and idealistic country was plunged into a devastating civil war. The course begins by examining the causes of the war and the issues which divided the country. This war was the first modern war and saw the introduction of new weapons and methods of warfare. Study of the experience of those who fought and the generals who commanded brings a personal aspect to the conflict. One session involves handling artefacts and another studies music and poetry produced in the war. The course concludes by considering the impact of the war and its place in the history of the USA.

Course Description: A review of many different examples of beauty from art, landscape, life – what standards do we employ in deciding what is beautiful? (Exact dates to be confirmed)