Lifelong Learning on Tape: The Great Courses:  “Understanding Japan:  A Cultural History”
January 15 – March 26, 2021    (12 weeks)   Fridays   Noon-1:30 pm  (Each week 2 sessions 30 min. each followed by a discussion)                                                 To register email: diana.patterson@glastonburyct.gov or nicole.mercer@glastonburyct.gov

In an exciting partnership with the Smithsonian, The Great Courses presents Understanding Japan: A Cultural History—24 lectures that offer an unforgettable tour of Japanese life and culture. Delivered by renowned Japan scholar and award-winning professor Mark J. Ravina of Emory University, it’s a chance to access an extraordinary culture that is sometimes overlooked or misrepresented in broader surveys of world history. Professor Ravina, with the expert collaboration of the Smithsonian’s resources brings you a grand portrait of Japan, one that reaches from its ancient roots as an archipelago of warring islands to its current status as a geopolitical giant. The journey is vibrantly illustrated with stunning images from the Smithsonian’s vast collections of Japanese artwork and archival material. Here for your enjoyment is a dazzling historical adventure with something to inform and delight everyone, and you’ll come away from it with a richer appreciation of Japanese culture.