Reviewed by Kachina Martin, Studio Art & Art History instructor at Muhlenberg High School; grades 10-12
What a delightful book! A Year in Japan is an artist’s journal of her impressions and experiences of living in Kyoto, Japan. It is a very enjoyable, subjective view of Japan, offering readers unique insight into the daily lives of the Japanese and their culture through short, descriptive vignettes and charming drawings by the author, Kate Williamson. Williamson was in her early twenties when she lived in Japan and her observations regarding cell phones, food and social outings will resonate with older students, however her drawings would appeal to students of all ages. I think that this text could be used multiple ways. As a Studio Art teacher, this is a wonderful example of an artist’s journal. I am always seeking works beyond the European tradition to use as examples for my students. Williamson’s descriptions of daily occurrences, such as “Safe Fruit” which details the way in which her purchase, a single apple, was wrapped in a “foam cozy and placed inside a paper bag, which was then sealed with a sticker bearing the department store’s name and handed to me in a plastic shopping bag,” demonstrates the care with which products are wrapped and presented to the consumer. Her drawings are equally engaging, whether she is drawing a single apple encased in foam or replicating the stamps which are found at almost every public space as a way to create souvenirs. Her compositions seamlessly integrate writing and imagery; they are not only beautiful, but invite studio students to analyze Williamson’s use of the elements and principles.
Additionally, given that the author is an American viewing the Japanese culture, the text offers an opportunity to talk about American culture, having students consider what moments in their day might be a uniquely American experience. What events might they, an American teenager, choose to represent? What media would best represent their experience – collage, pencil, paint – or even watercolor, as the artist uses? As such, this text could be used as a visual prompt for art students to create a single composition or a series of images using Williamson’s text as a sample. The text could also be effective outside the studio as way in which to illustrate the ability of visual images to convey information. By creating a brief PowerPoint using images from the text, teachers in both Literature and History could introduce Japanese culture by asking students to delve deeply into the images, creating a writing exercise based on what they are seeing (What do I think is happening? What is this representing? What else do I want to know about this?). The author offers historical information when relevant, but overall, her work is focused on contemporary Japanese culture.
Personally, having been fortunate to travel to Japan thanks to NCTA, many of Williamson’s experiences resonated with me, such as her amazement over the many shops dedicated only to socks. Her lively drawings beautifully illustrate the Japanese love of pattern and color in everything from washcloths to clothing, and Williamson’s focus on the importance of natural beauty speaks to the influence of Shintoism, pervasive throughout Japanese culture. This text offers the reader a highly personal and intimate look at Japanese life and I highly recommend it to all ages, both artist and non-artist alike!