| "A Multimedia History
|
A team
of historians and computer specialists from the University
of Aizu (Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan) and from
Applied Cad/Art (Eugene, Oregon, USA) is developing educational
software on Japanese history, focusing on the Aizu region. We are
using hypertext and hypermedia to promote free form exploration
of text and audiovisual materials, including movies and animation. Our
goal is to develop multimedia software which encourages original
exploration of the available data by students. The software is
planned for a variety of platforms accessible to university students
and other learners, including Worldwide Web, Macintosh, and PC.
By focusing on the Aizu region, our treatment departs from the
standard emphasis on centers of political power in Kyoto and Edo
(Tokyo). Not only do standard treatments slight important matters
in the relationship between center and periphery, they actually
offer a skewed depiction of historical development: in fact, it can
be argued that regions such as Aizu were far more typical of Japan
as a whole than were the centers of power. Studying Aizu, therefore,
can arm us with fresh questions and a fresh viewpoint for the study of
Japanese history.
We have launched our project with a segment on
Buddhism in the Aizu
Region.
This entire site is "under construction" and may change from day to
day.
Topics intended for full treatment (with their own separate pages) in the
near future are designated by capital letters in the text.
To make comments and suggestions, also contact
jan@cs.csustan.edu
Except where otherwise noted, the copyright for this material is held by
the
Aizu History Project. You may utilize these pages freely for teaching and
research,
but in the unlikely event that you find a profit-making use for them,
contact
jan@cs.csustan.edu for permission.
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