The Game of Life

Board games can be serious business, designed not just to entertain, but also to prepare children (and adults) for “real life.” The American board game “The Game of Life,” for example, explicitly tells players to get lots of education, In this JapanLab we will create digital, playable versions one or two such Japanese board games (sugoroku) from a century ago. What did it mean to be a “good girl” or a “good boy” in 1920s Japan? What was decadent and what was dangerous? How was “good” behavior gendered? Which aspects of “good” behavior seem familiar, and which seem “old-fashioned” or distinctly Japanese? The images below are from popular adult game named after the proverb “if you fall down seven times, get up eight.” But if you gamble big, will lady luck smile on you? Or will the devil get his due?

Lady_luck.jpg
Gambling.jpg
Bad_luck.jpg

Apply by Friday April 26 2024, using this short survey

The application process is competitive. Successful applicants will be asked to interview in the first week of May

No prior experience is required, but an ideal team will include students with a combination of:

  • Traditional art and/or digital art skills

  • Computer Science / coding experience

  • Japanese literature, culture, history, and/or language skills

  • Experience in background music and/or sound design

  • Strong creative and/or analytical writing skills

Students with any of the above are encouraged to apply.

Digital Humanities Intern Responsibilities

1.     Familiarize yourself with the historical background

2.     Take the lead on your portion of the game, and assist on others

a.     Find historical artwork, develop original artwork, or a combination thereof

b.     Write text and integrate it into the game

c.     Design and code the game

d.     Create an engaging user interface.

3.     Participate in testing and refining the game created by the group.

4.     Attend weekly meetings on TBD.

Digital Humanities Intern Learning Outcomes

1.     Interdisciplinary research experience focused on Japanese history and culture

2.     Gain familiarity working with and interpreting textual and visual sources for a public audience

3.     Experience working as part of a team to complete a real, useable project

4.     Coding experience

Parameters

Successful applicants will enroll in a COLA internship—or the equivalent for their own college—in digital humanities via registration for LA 320wb (3 hours of credit).

Interns will work 10 hours a week, including group meetings. Interns must be available to meet during one of the following times: