Max Solensky

What was the topic of your research project for the Global East Asia Tokyo course and why did you choose that topic?

The topic of my Global East Asia Tokyo research project was the physical design of Japanese feature phones (garakei). For the past five years, I have worked to preserve video games released on garakei, most of which had been previously lost to time. However, I had never analyzed garakei as objects, so this Maymester was an opportunity for me to examine the physical side of garakei for the first time.

What were the main findings and/or highlights of your research?

After analyzing dozens of different garakei, I was able to derive some principles of “good” garakei design. The biggest takeaway was that garakei combined innovation with minimalism; their new features were not forced upon the user but seamlessly integrated into the phone’s form factor. For example, the first garakei to support landscape photos could seamlessly rotate its screen, similar to a camcorder.

Did you face any challenges when completing your research project or throughout the program in general? If so, how did you overcome them?

The main challenge for my research project was actually narrowing down which garakei I would use in my analysis! I probably looked at around 30 to 40 different phone models, so it was difficult for me to select which ones best embodied my “good design” principles. In the end, I decided to pick one device for every innovation (i.e. only one phone with a rotating screen).

In what ways did the Global East Asia Tokyo program impact or help your research?

The Global East Asia Tokyo program allowed me to engage in hands-on research with garakei for the first time. I was able to visit two small museums dedicated to displaying old technology, with one specializing in garakei. Given how garakei were an entirely Japanese phenomenon, this type of local investigation would have been impossible if the program was located anywhere else. Our visits to Meiji University were also incredibly impactful; I was able to ask some students about their experiences with garakei, and I remain in close contact with them to this day.

What are your post-graduate plans (include Middlebury, name of program at Todai, any scholarships and other awards)?

After graduating, I plan to attend Middlebury College’s intensive Japanese program over summer break. In the fall, I will begin a master’s program at the University of Tokyo. The program’s name is Information, Technology, and Society in Asia (ITASIA), and I will be analyzing garakei games as a social product of Japan’s social ethos during the early 2000s. I was accepted with a recommendation for the Japanese government’s MEXT Scholarship.

Can you share any anecdotes about your Maymester experience?

On my first day in Tokyo, another student and I wandered into a residential district next to Ueno Park. We heard a lot of cheers and chanting, and we noticed that all the streets around us were closed off to traffic. We had stumbled into the middle of an annual matsuri festival! We visited the local Shinto shrine and observed friends and families celebrating on the streets. It was amazing to be immersed in local Japanese culture on just the first day of the Maymester. I also spent seven hours at the Tokyo National Gallery…