Westerners+in+Japan


 * ==Describe the role of Westerners in assisting Japanese 'modernization' and 'westernization'==
 * ==Answer and address each of the following questions in your presentation==
 * ==Include four images in your presentation that relate to Westerners in Japan==

3. Tom Cruise's characater, Captain Algren, is loosely based on the French commander Jules Brunet. Who was Brunet? How is Brunet's life similiar to the storyline of The Last Samurai?
====4. After their responsibilities were fulfilled, most Westerners returned to their home countries. There were, however, some Westerners who decided to stay in Japan and adopt Japanese dress, language, and culture. What aspects of Japan and Japanese culture do you feel would have been the most attractive to these Westeners?====

5. A British traveler once said, "Japan offers as much novelty as, perhaps, an excursion to another planet." What does this quote tell us about how many Westerners viewed Japan in the late 1800's?
====6. In The Last Samurai, a romantic relationship between Taka and Captain Algren is suggested. In what ways might the relationship between a woman of samurai status and a Westerner have been an 'impossible' relationship in real life?==== ====7. In the film, there are several scenes in which a Western representative from the United States is negotiating a trade agreement with Japan. At the end of the movie, the Japanese emperor refuses to sign the agreement. At this time in history (1876-1877), do you think the Japanese would have been able to refuse the trade agreement with the United States? Why or why not?====