Make a 60-second field recording of ordinary sounds and write a closely-observed description, modeled on the descriptions in the story. Do not specifically name the sound(s) you are describing. In the next class, we will take turns trying to guess the sounds based on your description. Upload your work to Google Drive, and be prepared to present and discuss your work next week.

Learn more about the mythological origins of the “Eight Princes” (the name of a bowling alley in this story) in this page from Supernatural and Mysterious Japanese Spirits, Hauntings and Paranormal Phenomena.

Find out more about the meaning of Jizo statues in “A Guide to Jizo, Guardian of Travelers and the Weak,” from The Japan Times.

Find out what the Japanese “bowling craze” of the 1960s was like for one American supplier, and then look at Lmages of two Japanese bowling alleys, featured in the photo essay "A Striking Beauty: 10 Eerie Abandoned Bowling Alleys,” from Urbanist.

“Many lonely seniors [in Japan] never reach out for help or connection.” Find out why in the blog post “Alienation Is Killing Americans and Japanese,” from Nautilus magazine.

Write a 200 - 400 word story or non-fiction essay about someone who is lonely, describing the way(s) in which he or she tries to become less lonely. Upload your work to Google Drive, and be prepared to present and discuss your work next week.

Watch this video demonstrating Ukiyo-e 浮世絵 printmaking techniques

Write a story or poem inspired by a work of art. If you need inspiration,browse the collection at the Museum of Modern Art. Be prepared to share the artwork in class. Alternately, you may write an entirely new story or a poem inspired by Le Ballon.

Look at photographs of the Chicago and Tokyo neighborhoods mentioned in the story in two Flickr galleries: Dybek’s Chicago and Shibata’s Tokyo. Look at a Google photo sphere of the Keihin Canal in the Ota Ward in Tokyo. Then, look at a Google photo sphere of some streets in the Ota ward.

Design a short walking tour of your neighborhood, highlighting two or three spots that connect to a particular memory or sense of place. Be creative: make a brochure, map (Google or hand illustrated, or audio/video guide for your tour. Upload your work to Google Drive, and be prepared to present and discuss your work next week.

Look at images of the many popular dishes with udon noodles and soba noodles, and also find out where you can eat them, from Japan Guide. Watch this documentary about soba traditions. Write a 200 - 300 word sketch describing a real or imaginary dining experience that introduces someone to a food that ties you to your family's culture or the place where you live. Where would eat, what would you eat, and what kinds of conversations would you have? Upload your work to Google Drive, and be prepared to present and discuss your work next week.

Read about Tosaku, a shop that specializes in traditional bamboo fishing poles and watch this short film about Toyko's river fishing culture.

Write a poem about two contrasting places. You can draw a contrast between the natural and the manmade, as “Riverwilt” does, or choose an entirely different focus, writing about two very different places you have visited. Both parts of the poem should describe things you’ve actually seen and experienced. Upload your work to Google Drive, and be prepared to present and discuss your work next week.

Read this recent article about Tokyo residents who are moving to more rural areas due to COVID-19.

Read this article and watch the TEDxTokyo talk by Azby Brown about how Japanese people are looking to the Edo era to address current environmental crises.

Find or create an image that depicts the meaning of the water’s edge in “Riverwilt.” Then write 150-200 word essay explaining your selection, citing specific moments in the poem. Upload your work to Google Drive, and be prepared to present and discuss your work next week.

Spend a few minutes writing down everything you remember about an important place from your childhood. What did you do there? Any events that stand out? Write down as many details about it as you can remember, drawing on your five senses. If a particular experience stands out, describe that experience (as Nomura Kiwao describes the encounter with the snake in this poem.) The next day, reread what you wrote. Circle the parts you feel uncertain about: maybe you wrote that a room was blue, but now you think it might have actually been yellow. Talk about the place and the uncertain memories with a friend or family member. Are there alternatives to the memory as written? Write down the alternative details on a sticky note and attach them to your draft. Then, write a poem or prose memoir that describes the place, including the original details you wrote down and the alternative details. Your piece, like “Riverwilt,” can include a portmanteau (an invented two-part word), describing an emotion, image, or impression. Upload your work to Google Drive, and be prepared to present and discuss your work next week.

Learn more about Japanese spirits by visiting the International Museum of Folk Art's online exhibition Yōkai: Ghosts and Demons of Japan.