User:Wolfetan/sandbox

'''Ethan- you picked an excellent article to develop further because what exists on wiki is very thin. However what you have done so far needs much developing. Regarding your sources- they are weak and inappropriate (except for Merry White's book which is excellent). Tofugu was originally an undergrad course assignment and is now a language learning business. Similarly, Boutique Japan is a coffee vendor. You need to be weary of commercial sites and find more academic ones. Look at Merry White's bibliography for example. You should also work on your outline and logical flow. Right now it seems like disparate sections without a fluid sequence. Spend the next two weeks reorganizing and developing. Additional sources will help you with this.'''

Article evaluation of the article "Pearl Millet":

- In the section, "Pearl Millet around the world" there is no source to back up any of the claims made by the writer of where and how pearl millet is ground around the world.

-On "Research and development" there is no source to back up the last paragraph.

-In the Namibia section of "Pearl Millet around the world", the source used, #5, is not applicable to what is being discussed.

-There is no source to back up the first paragraph's last few sentences, "and it spread rapidly through India reaching South India by 1500 BC, based on evidence from the site of Hallur. Cultivation also spread throughout eastern and southern parts of Africa. Pearl millet is widely grown in the northeastern part of Nigeria (especially in Borno and Yobe states). It is a major source of food to the local villagers of that region. The crop grows easily in that region due to its ability to withstand harsh weather conditions like drought and flood. Records exist for cultivation of pearl millet in the United States in the 1850s, and the crop was introduced into Brazil in the 1960s."

-The few sources that are used that are applicable are relevant to the text.

-Pearl millet is only mentioned in "Cuisine & Empire" by Rachel Laudan in it's reference to being grown in the Sahara.

-The information seems unbiased.

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Editing an article:

I edited the, "Pearl Millet" article on Wikipedia, adding two sentences: "India begun growing millet before c. 3300 BCE. It is currently unknown how it made its way to India.  " under the section, "Pearl millet around the world" and it's subsection, "India".

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Potential Topic

https://www.kurasu.kyoto/blogs/kurasu-journal/77443265-japanese-kissaten-and-third-wave-coffee-similar-than-you-think

White, Merry. Coffee Life in Japan. University of California Press, 2012.

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What is missing from the current Kissaten article on Wikipedia: ~
 * There is no history of Kissatens, which would include when they started, where the first ones where, how they operated, and much more.
 * There is no description of the typical coffee that is served there, as well as the preparation that is typically used.
 * There are little citations used, there is only one reference used, and it's not very reliable.
 * The unique & traditional setting found in a Kissaten.
 * A description of the culture around coffee in Japan, and how Kissatens relate to it (provide a respite because of the Kissaten's relaxing environment)

START

Introduction to Kissatens:

Beginning in 1888, the concept of coffee-drinking kissatens was started by a man named Nishimua Tsurukichi. He opened a coffee serving kissaten called Kahiichakan, where he wished to allow people to do what they wanted with their time there, never intruding upon what they were doing. This ideology spurred the creation of many different types of kissatens that are still evolving today.

Kissatens were significantly diversified in the 1920s, following the creation of Café Tiger and Café Lion in 1907, which brought music into cafes and kissatens. In the 1920s, high-end kissatens were created, ones like the junkissa where artists went to be in peace while doing their work, not distracted by females as waitresses, as only male waitresses were allowed to be present. However, while there was a large focus on work and music in these later kissatens, there was also a large focus on the craft of the coffee, using intricate devices like the siphon pot, which came to prevalence in the 1950s for it's difficulty of brewing and quality of coffee.

Typical Brewing Methods:

Upon walking into a Kissaten, one could find either a Nel Drip, which utilizes a cloth filter, or a Siphon pot, a very laborious brewing method that is difficult to master. One might also find a V60 or Kalita, which are also common all around the world.

What is Found on a Typical Kissaten menu: Coffee is the main item being served, with breakfast typically being prepared until 11am. This breakfast is typically, "toast, egg, and salad".

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The First Recorded Kissaten & it's Owner:

Nishimua Tsurukichi, the man who established the first coffeehouse in Japan in 1888, was born in 1859 in Nagasaki. He attended Yale University in the United States where he found he liked coffee. Then, on returning to Japan as well as the subsequent death of his wife, he found himself married to another woman in 1887. In 1888 he then built his own house where he opened up Kahiichakan, the first coffeehouse. He provided a place for respite at this coffeehouse, allowing people to stay all day, left to do what most pleased them. Kahiichakan also set the stage for intermingling between social classes.

Kissatens and Their Evolution:

Kissatens evolved into many different styles each highlighting Japanese individualism. During the early 1900s, many niche types of kissatens were being developed, catering to extremely specific audiences. These styles are listed below, with many still emerging to this day, such as cat cafes.

Further, kissatens and cafes rose to popularity very quickly in Japan, with the first one beginning in 1888, and by 1930, 800 kissatens and cafes existing in only Osaka. By 1936, there was 11,700 kissatens and cafes across Japan.

Kissatens in a Social Context: Kissatens, in the early 1900s, allowed Japanese people a respite from the intense life contained in Japan. Japanese people can have a private table while still being in public. The blurring of social lines and hierarchy was found, and beginning in the 1920s, men and women coexisted in kissatens.

Different Styles of Kissatens:

Junkissas: This style begun when more modern cafes started to develop. They developed because people were looking for a quiet spot for work. The main item served is coffee. Junkissas became the selected spot for intellectuals. Unlike other types of Kissatens, Junkissas featured no alcohol, as well as no live music. On top of that, the servers were all male. In the late 1920s, these cafes brought many artists to them, these artists were searching a sense of peace so that they could more easily do their work.

Jazz kissas: Beginning in 1907, with Café Tiger and soon after Café Lion, both of these cafes had live Western music, which started the flow of Western music into Japan. Since the music was live, and recordings hadn't yet been made ubiquitous, these jazz kissas remained small in number. Then, in the mid 1920s, recordings gained prominence in jazz kissas, allowing for a larger spread of Western music. One notable jazz kissa at this time was the Duet.

In the mid 1950s, "jazu kissa" began to rise in prominence. These jazz kissas did not allow talking in the cafes, focusing solely on the music. They regularly had Japanese jazz music playing, however Western music was always preferred.

Meikyoku Kissa: These cafes translate to classical music cafes. These began in the early 1930s, when most people in Japan did not have a record player at home. Patrons enjoyed these as there was good sound quality to be enjoyed, and they could stay as long as they wanted to. In the 1950s, these provided even more of a respite as Japan had fallen on hard times.

Anabateki or Kakurega Kissa: In the late 1920s, these more casual Anabateki or Kakurega kissas began to emerge. These kissas featured long hours, as well as mediocre coffee. The kissa typically had coffee that was kept warm until it ran out, with customers often remarking that it tasted quite old and bland.

Utagoe Kissaten: Beginning in the mid 1950s in Japan, Utagoe kissatens were extremely reminiscent of karaoke bars. In these shops, musicians would play their songs with the customers who would sometimes sing along.

These Utagoe kissatens became associated with leftist movements when the majority of musicians were singing songs associated with antiwar sentiments. Today, Tomoshibi in Shinjuku, Tokyo is an example of a Utagoe kissaten.

Ongaku Kissa: Around the same time frame as Utagoe Kissatens, Ongaku kissas started as a cafe where there was an immense mix of music genres for customers to listen to. In contrast to the jazz kissas, there were more music options represented in these venues.

Muongaku Kissa: Beginning in the 1920s, these are cafes that did not feature music.

END

Peer Review by Grace

First, I really liked reading about Kissaten, since I actually knew little to nothing about it. This being said there is a lot more I would like to know, maybe you can add a more detailed brewing method explanation. Explaining the different types of methods in a little bit of more detail- maybe a chart?

I would also like to see how the seating in Japan is because as a reader it is hard to even envision such a set up especially being from New York.

Also you have written different types of Kissatens, is there more than one type?, because you only listed one so maybe add some more :)

In Japan what are the competing coffee shops?

PEER REVIEW (Parker) Hey man, nice start. I would like to see some images, for I think this specific topic would benefits greatly from a visual representation. Maybe a video or picture of a Siphon or Nel drip? You rely heavily on the 3 sources you have found, which isn't bad if there aren't a lot of resources out there for you to work with. Try to find some more if possible. I really enjoy learning more about these, as I have always been personally intrigued by Japanese Coffee culture.

Alexa's Peer Review I think you've got quite an interesting subject. While it's something I've never heard of, it's clearly significant and relevant to our recent lecture on stimulants and coffeehouses. The respite you speak about fits into Japan's "work hard, play hard" ideology, which always makes me think of the eclectic night life found in certain cities there (that comes complete with crazy bars and karaoke). In regards to your draft, strongly define the various brewing methods, possibly including how rare/common each one is, their significance, and their difficulty. You should also expand on the section about menus because I'd love to know what's served during the rest of the day in a Kissaten, not just in the morning (unless that was all the info you could find). In addition, images would help your audience (or at least someone like me) visualize what a Kissaten used to look like and currently looks, along with what the various brewing methods look like. Overall, however, I think you're heading in the right direction.