2020 Lecturing Program
Affiliation in Japan: The University of Tokyo and Kyoritsu Women's University
With my students in my American women’s history class at Kyoritsu.
Dr. Brian Dirck is a Professor at Anderson University in the Department of History and Political Science. He specializes in U.S. history, particularly in legal and constitutional history. He has written several books, primarily on the American Civil war era.
Dr. Dirck, a Kendo aficionado, had been interested in Japan ever since he visited it in 2018. “As soon as I came back, I knew I wanted to go back to Japan again,” he recalls. He has been teaching in the U.S. for over 24 years and wished for a different environment. He wanted to grow as a teacher, a scholar and as a person. “As a teacher you have to model a way of living that your students will see, emulate, and learn from,” says Dr. Dirck.
So, he did some research on the Fulbright Program and chanced upon a program for teaching American history courses in Japan. He extensively researched the needs of Japanese students and universities, collected input from people with Fulbright experience, and prepared a document that fulfilled the requirements of the program.
When asked about what motivated his course choices, he says, “The primary motivation was to teach a different cohort of students, to take stories of the American past and put them in front of people who don’t have a background largely in American history.” Since he is a professor of legal constitutional history, he incorporated these structures into his teaching in Japan and taught a course in nationalism explaining their role in building national identities. “‘What does it mean to be Japanese’ has been a long-standing question for the Japanese people,” he explains. He also taught the history of immigration in America, as his research revealed this interested Japanese students in general. His Japanese teaching experience was delightful. He recalls, “I loved my students. They were the best young people ever.” He was also touched by the warm welcome he received from everyone with whom he interacted in Japan.
My wonderful graduate students (they took my course on American nationalism) at the University of Tokyo.
In addition to teaching at the University, Dr. Dirck toured around the country, gathering experiences along the way. “My students at the University of Tokyo very graciously gathered with me on their days off and showed me around Tokyo. We went to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, toured the Emperor’s Gardens,” he recalls. He fondly shares one of the highlights of his stay: a visit to the sacred Mount Ohmine in Nara, “It was a deeply moving experience to stand on top of Mount Ohmine with the sun going down and clouds below you.” Dr. Dirck went back to the U.S. as a changed man.
Looking back on the influence that his Japan experience had on him, Dr. Dirck recalls the quote by the poet T.S. Eliot:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
He says that is how he feels about the entire experience. He finds subtle differences in his perspective and his way of teaching. “I understand the experiences of my fellow Americans who are not white,” says Dr. Dirck. In addition to an enhanced sense of empathy and willingness to listen, he is also more patient in his teaching. “I had to watch and listen in Japan a lot,” he recalls.
To future researchers trying to avail the Fulbright scholarship, Dr. Dirck says, "Do your homework. Make sure you understand what your host country is looking for.” He emphasizes putting the requirements of the research country before personal needs. It would help one stand a better chance at being awarded a Fulbright scholarship.
Standing atop Mount Ohmine, enjoying the truly breathtaking scenery and wondrous spirituality of this place.
Another view of the crest of Mount Ohmine.
On the airplane, ready to depart for my overseas flight (from the U.S. to Japan).
Teaching my first classes virtually, from my hotel room in Shinagawa while in quarantine. A very kind note which accompanied a care package sent to me while I was in quarantine soon after my arrival.
I delivered a presentation on Abraham Lincoln (my primary area of research) for students and others who might be interested, at the University of Tokyo.
Visiting Senso-ji in central Tokyo with two kendo friends.
Touring the main University of Tokyo campus with two students who were kind enough to spend the day showing me some of Tokyo’s main attractions.
On the Fourth of July, I visited a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Odaiba, Tokyo.
Central Shibuya, where I spent a great deal of time, this area being in close proximity to Komaba, where I stayed.
With two senseis at one of the many kendo dojos I visited, this one near Kanda station.