Whatever your goal, this section is designed to support your teaching and learning.
There are many ways to “decenter” Japanese art history. Opening space in our learning environments for a wider and less-conventional range of objects, concepts, cultures, and voices can take many forms. A “plus one” approach might be to simply include one or two Okinawan textiles in a lecture of fashion in 17th-century Edo. Others might want to go farther to offer whole lectures or units on topics that might expand and complicate conventional art historical narratives (e.g. presenting the tea ceremony in a global context inflected by international relations and colonialism). One could even use the materials on this site to completely rethink notions of the “survey” and concepts of “Japanese art.” These guides can also be adapted for use by community leaders or museum docents.
Included here are sample lesson plans, in-class exercises, pre-made slide decks, and many other resources to make “decentering” easier and more enjoyable for students and teachers alike.