Today I registered for my *extra classes* today on top of Japanese class. The extra classes i’m taking is Japanese Society through film and Intro to Shinto & Christianity in Japan. Last week I was able to sample most of the classes offered to forigners and those two seemed like interesting choices. Mind you, these classes aren’t really top-notch LC type classes by any means.

The Society class is mostly 3 hours of watching a Japanese movie and then discussing elements of Japanese Society represented in the film (i.e. Japanese motifs, themes, and devices). Yeah… It might pick up later on, but I can’t say I’m totally sold on the class. The concept is good. Many movie inspired classes work if the teacher is trying to teach something. However I do not detect a “plan” from this teacher so I’m concerned there is really no “direction” or “point” this teacher wishes to teach us.

The Shinto Class is ok, but it doesn’t compare to the first week or two of Japanese History at LC. Many foreigners and Japanese are taking this class because the subject is kinda interesting, but the teacher is even more interesting. The Class is taught by a Jason Barrows “Jason Sensei.” My personal opinion of him I’ll keep to myself, but his teaching style is very direct and perhaps “commanding” of his students particularlly these three female “assistants” who assist him in all various manners. He teaches the class using what he thinks he knows and what he thinks is important. It’s not a teach and then discuss class and I felt the first day was a little starved of hard facts. I’ve heard many opinions of this teacher by many different people including my host mom and they vary from good to Not so good. If you’re truely wondering about this class… let’s just say one of the notes I jotted on the top of my note pad the first day was:

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