So, after 6 months of planning, across two countries, dozens of pages of reading, and probably subjecting myself to carpal tunnel in right wrist, we’re finally finished. Of course, over the next three days I’m going to obsessively read over my StoryMap, and I won’t officially hit ‘Publish’ on it until the tuesday before my public presentation, since I want to get feedback from the private presentation in class, and make absolutely sure I want to change nothing. Publishing also thankfully gives you a QR code that I can copy and paste into my slides, and after that I’ll create a bitly link so that everyone during the lunch can click through the StoryMap.
As December 3rd finally is coming around, I am really taking the time to reflect on what was my first real historical project about Japan. Of course, Dr. Hague was kind enough to let me write about foreign influences on the Meiji Restoration for my undergrad seminar, but that included research into the European side of things. This project, is what I always wanted, fully in-depth research into my specific period of study, into the period that I’ve spent the last few years studying. It also felt like it went by in the blink of an eye.
At first, I had planned on a database and map of major battles of the Sengoku Period (Warring States Period) of Japan, but quickly I realized that was not feasible in my timeframe for that was WAY to broad. It wasn’t until I walked through the streets of Kyoto in Japan, along the Kamagawa River to the Sanjo Bridge, where so many of the historical events I really studied had happened the idea finally came to me. That, combined with the Kyoto locals I was able to speak to (albeit through broken Japanese and translator) about this period I’ve been so passionate about studying really was what let me put my idea together.
The Bakumatsu, is full of what I love most about history. Interesting people with different sides to them, clashing ideas, and quite a bit or irony, since in the end both sides of the Restoration wanted the exact same outcome but had wildly different ways of wanting to go about it. Of course, years upon years of bad blood boiled over as well, but that still drips with irony.
Also of course, there’s the giant anime sized reason in the room. The reason I even learned about the Bakumatsu in the first place was that I played Fate Grand Order and saw Okita Souji. This really ties back into my YouTube video project last year, and what I want to accomplish with any kind of project I put out into the public space. I want to make it easier to access and understand for people who may be intimidated by the difficulty of reading a 500 page non-fiction book. I want to somehow open up avenues for people like me, who see something REALLY cool and historical in say a video game, anime or movie, and want to learn more right away but don’t have four years to become proficient at close reading and textual analysis.
I like to think that I’ve accomplished that at least a bit with both my video last year, and this project here.
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