Japanese Language Tables: Spring 2013
Need extra help for class? Want to brush up on old language skills? Interested in learning Japanese in a non-traditional way? Stop by the Japanese Language Table to practice among your peers! Any students, teachers or faculty can attend, enrollment is not required.
Upcoming Japan Events
Symposium: Color in Ancient and Medieval East Asia
Friday, March 8; Saturday, March 9
Spooner Commons
Hosted by the Spencer Museum of Art
Grant Goodman Lecture: Dr. Steve Rabson, “Compulsory Japanese Civilian Suicides in the Battle of Okinawa"
Wednesday, March 27 | 7:30 p.m.
Kansas Union, Malott Room
CGIS Water Conference
Friday, April 12 | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday, April 13 | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Spooner Commons
East Asian Studies Graduate Student Research Forum, Eric Rath (History), moderator
Friday, April 12 | 4 - 5:30 pm
Watson Library, Room 455
Tea & Talk: Michael Baskett (Film & Media Studies)
Thursday, April 18 | 4 p.m.
Kansas Union, Malott Room
East Asian Library Annual Faculty Research Forum
Friday April 26 | 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Watson Library, Room 455
Please RSVP to vdoll@ku.edu
Want e-mail updates? Join our list serve by emailing Susan Henderson, susanhenderson@ku.edu
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and on Facebook, KU Center for East Asian Studies
Past 2012-2013 Events
CEAS Lunar New Year Party
Friday, February 15 | 5 – 7 p.m.
ECM Center, 1204 Oread Ave.
Performance: Xijing Art “Summit”
Wednesday, January 30 | 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Spencer Museum of Art, Auditorium
Modernities Seminar, Prof. Liang Luo (University of Kentucky), “The Lights of Tokyo: Spirituality, Performance and Politics”
Thursday, January 24 | 3:30 - 5 p.m.
Hall Center for the Humanities, Seminar Room
Environmental Film Festival:
Wednesday, October 10 |5:30 PM
Spencer Museum Auditorium
Manufactured Landscapes
Introduced by Dr. Megan Greene. Post-viewing discussion led by Dr. Greene
Co-Sponsored by CGIS, CREES and LAS
Taiko Drumming Festival
Sunday, October 7 | TIME TBA
Lawrence Arts Center
Come to the Arts Center and learn about traditional Japanese taiko drumming then join Erika Norikami, the Center's Japan Outreach Coordinator to make authentic Japanese hachimaki, headbands.
Sixth Annual Mid-Autumn Moon Viewing Party
Sunday, September 30, 7:00pm
Lied Center Courtyard, West Campus
Past 2011-2012 Events
Godzilla & Friends VII: The End of Godzilla!
Friday & Saturday, May 4–5
Washburn University, Henderson Center, Rm 112 (Topeka)
That big, green monster, Godzilla, will be returning to Washburn University for the 7th annual and final Godzilla & Friends Festival. This free event celebrates the cultural history behind the giant creature in all of its bizarre diversity. For a schedule of screenings and events, visit http://www.godzilla-friends.org/
Lecture: Hitomi Tonomura, "Samurai Beyond Tom Cruise: Letters of a Family Man in the Fourteenth-century War"
Thursday, April 12 || 7 pm
Malott Room, Kansas Union
The samurai are one of the most enduring cultural species the world has ever known. For more than a millennium, they and their choreographers have worked hard to trumpet their heroic virtues and legitimize their existence by constructing stories, images, and slogans. “Samurai Blue,” which hopes to play in FIFA World Cup, and my student who showed up in a samurai garb on Halloween illustrate the perennial success of samurai image-production. But who were the samurai? We take a small slice of their long and complex history by focusing on a major and violent fourteenth century war, depicted graphically in the Tale of Grand Peace (Taiheiki). While this famous Tale offers us an unforgettable vision of courage to kill and die, another set of writings tells us a different story. In the 1990s, priests at a temple near Tokyo came upon old letters sunk in the neck crevice of a Boddhisatva statue. The letters, numbering more than fifty, bear the signature of an undistinguished conscript, Yamanouchi, who apparently sent them from his camp to his son and wife back home. Unlike the Tale, which came to be recited throughout the centuries, Yamanouchi’s voice would have vanished into oblivion, had it not been for this extraordinary discovery. These letters recast the meaning of violence and the samurai's reality, especially viewed against the beloved Tale of Grand Peace (Taiheiki).
Annual Grant Goodman Distinguished Lecture in Japanese Studies: Gregory M. Pflugfelder, “Private Parts and Public Concerns: Erecting the Modern Japanese Penis”
Wednesday, March 28 || 7:30 pm
Malott Room, Kansas Union
Critical theory, especially of a Freudian-inflected variety, has produced a rich account of the phallus as a cultural symbol. As this lecture demonstrates, however, a history of the body that takes seriously the actual penis can be no less eye-opening. In modern times, penises have been concealed, cleansed, inspected, manipulated, measured, and subjected to other forms of social regulation and medical normalization, in addition to their physiological functions in sexual arousal, urination, and reproduction. In Japan and other places, modernity has also given rise to what might be called a “penis industry”—a complex of urological knowledge, business interests, and advertising media that, by instilling a fear in young males that their genitalia embody a shameful departure from the physical norm, encourage them to part with their cash in order to receive one or another kind of treatment. This lecture traces the emergence of the penis industry in early twentieth-century Japan, focusing on the advertising strategies that its entrepreneurs developed in print to promote a distinctively modern form of psychological anxiety.
Celebrating East Asian Studies Scholarship: An Interdisciplinary Showcase
Thursday, February 16 || 5:30 pm / 6:30 pm (see below)
Watson Library, Third Floor West
A reception with food and music celebrating East Asia scholarship on campus will begin at 5:30 pm. A panel discussion will begin at 6:30 pm, when four East Asian faculty will discuss scholarship and the rewards of their research (Megan Greene, CEAS Director, will serve as the moderator).
Murphy Lecture in Art History: Julie Nelson Davis, “Reading The Mirror of Yoshiwara Beauties, Compared”
Monday, February 6 || 5:15 pm
Spencer Museum of Art, Room 211
Julie Nelson Davis is Associate Professor of East Asian Art at the University of Pennsylvania.
Lunar New Year Party 2012: Year of the Dragon
Friday, January 27 || 5-7 pm
ECM, 1204 Oread Avenue
Come celebrate the Year of the Dragon with East Asia food tastings, games and activities, music and fun.
Murphy Lecture in Art History: Kuiyi Shen, "Figure & Body in Modern and Contemporary Art"
Monday, November 21 | 5:15 pm
Room 211, Spencer Museum of Art
Kuiyi Shen is Director of the Chinese Studies Program and Professor of Asian Art History, Theory, & Criticism at the University of California, San Diego.
Peter Hershock (East-West Center, Honolulu), “Democracy and Difference: A Buddhist Path Past Liberal Freedoms and Illiberal Order”
Wednesday, October 12 | 7 pm
Malott Room, Kansas Union
Co-sponsored by the KU Dept. of Philosophy, KU Dept. of Religious Studies, and the Hall Center for the Humanities.
Tea & Talk: Utako Minai (Linguistics), “Japanese and English: Linguistic Similarities and Differences”
Wednesday, October 5 | 3 pm
Pine Room, Kansas Union
Japanese is a language that is quite different from English in many respects, not sharing the same orthography, sound system, or grammar. However, once we compare these two seemingly different languages from a linguistic perspective, we discover surprising similarities. This lecture discusses the similarities and differences between Japanese and English, focusing on some recent comparative research from the fields of linguistics, psycholinguistics, and language acquisition.
Fifth Annual Mid-Autumn Moon Viewing Party
Monday, September 12 | 7:30 pm
Dole Institute of Politics front lawn
Bring your picnic blankets and/or camp chairs and join us for a celebration of the mid-autumn full moon. Enjoy East Asian music, poetry, games, and mooncakes under the stars. Co-sponsored by the KU Chinese Students & Scholars Friendship Association.
Conference: Identity & Community after the Cold War
August 25–27 || Alderson Auditorium, Kansas Union
International conference investigating the great changes in concepts of identity and community after the end of the Cold War. The last two decades have witnessed the confluence of many different kinds of radical change: the demise of communism as a force in politics, the resurgence of radical religious communities, the emergence of global climate change as a major challenge to traditional economies and communities, and the innovative growth of digital technology. The conference is FREE, but prior registration is required. For more information and to register, please click here. Co-sponsored by the KU Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies; Center for East Asian Studies; Kansas African Studies Center; Center for Global & International Studies; and Latin American Studies Center.
Careers in the Foreign Service
August 11 || 12 noon || Alcove B, Kansas Union
David Peterson, a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, will explain the importance of the foreign service in international diplomacy, discuss the process of becoming a foreign service officer, and answer questions regarding this exciting career track.
Past 2010-2011 Events
Author Reading: Mariko Nagai
Nagai will read from her new book of stories, Georgic, inspired by catastrophic events in Japanese history and folk tales.
Tea & Talk: Masami Tateno, “Traditional Chinese Medicine and Japan”
Wednesday, April 27 | 4 pm | English Room, Kansas Union
Traditional Japanese medicine, Kampo (“Chinese formulae of medicine”) has been much influenced by Chinese medicine, but with its own particular characteristics. In this lecture, Nihon University professor Masami Tateno will clarify Japanese traditional medicine’s own characteristics compared with its Chinese counterpart.
Thursday, March 17
Tea & Talk: Short Film and Discussion, Tokyo: Neon City
Tokyo relies increasingly on skilled immigrant labor. This program examines the implications of societal change with insightful commentary about multiculturalism, racism, and interracial marriage (26 minutes, with discussion to follow). Part of the Heartlands & Migrations series.
Monday, February 28
Film & Director’s Q&A: The Cats of Mirikitani, with director Linda Hattendorf
Eighty-year-old Jimmy Mirikitani survived the trauma of WWII internment camps, Hiroshima, and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11 threatens his life on the New York City streets and a local filmmaker brings him to her home, the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy's painful past. An intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing powers of friendship and art, this documentary won the Audience Award at its premiere in the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival.
Wednesday, February 23
INSIGHT Artist’s Talk: A discussion with Roger Shimomura and Bill Tsutsui
Tuesday, February 22
Demonstration: Katie Baldwin, Visiting Artist, Japanese Woodblock : Mokuhanga
Become acquainted with the secrets of achieving multiple colors in a woodblock image with perfect registration through the traditional techniques of mokuhanga. Learn about the technical aspects of this process. Gain a basic understanding of the tools, materials, kento registration, carving sequence, and printing methods associated with this ancient technique. Participants will be introduced to contemporary artworks that use the mokuhanga technique.
Friday, February 11
Opening Reception: Shadows of Minidoka: The Art of Roger Shimomura and His Collection of Art and Ephemera from the Japanese Internment Camps
Wednesday, September 22
Annual Mid-Autumn Moon-Viewing Festival. Join us for East Asian music, poetry, and moon cakes as we celebrate the full harvest moon. Music provided by the Kansas City Chinese Music Ensemble. Free & open to the public.
Past 2009-2010 Events
Thursday, September 24
Tea & Talk: Paul Dunscomb (University of Alaska), “The Lost Decade: Death Agony of the Postwar Consensus in Japan?” The systemic economic, social, and political crises that swept Japan in the wake of the “bubble economy’s” collapse brought numerous reform proposals from foreign and Japanese sources. Yet for those in a position to make such reforms, the real challenge was to ride out the crisis by making the absolute minimum change necessary to preserve a postwar consensus that particularly advantaged them, thus prolonging the agony and bringing Japan the “Lost Decade,” 1992-2003.
Saturday, October 3
Mid-Autumn Festival Moon-Viewing Party. Join us for East Asian music, poetry, and moon cakes as we celebrate traditions surrounding the full moon.
Wednesday, February 3
Japanese Film Festival: “I Just Didn’t Do It”
Wednesday, February 10
Japanese Film Festival: “Always: Sunset on Third Street”
Wednesday, February 17
Japanese Film Festival: “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time”
Friday, February 19
CEAS Annual Lunar New Year Party
Celebrate the Year of the Tiger with activities for everyone, including performances and East Asian food tastings.
Tuesday, February 23
Conference: “East Asia Leading the World Recovery”
The emerging economies of East Asia are expected to lead the global economy out of its doldrums. Economic integration and intra-Asia cooperation are crucial to realize the potential for local market development and the resurgence of global trade. This seminar aims to discuss economic integration and industrial development strategies in East Asia and exchange views on the potential involvement of the United States in the regional development of East Asia. The conference is free, but registration is required. Contact Suzanne Scales (864-3125, sscales@ku.edu). Co-hosted by CEAS, KU CIBER, and the Institute of Developing Countries (IDE JETRO).
Monday, March 1
Lecture: Sachi Nakachi, “Surviving Hiroshima: A Daughter’s Story.”
Sachi Nakachi is associate professor of English at Tsuru University, Tsuru, Yamanashi, Japan. Sponsored by CEAS and the Project on the History of Black Writing.
Wednesday, March 3
Japanese Film Festival: “Memories of Matsuko”
Thursday, April 1
2010 Franklin D. Murphy Lecturer Toshio Watanabe (University of the Arts, London), “Modernity and Censorship: Nude Painting Controversy in Meiji Japan (1868-1912).”
Thursday, April 8
2010 Franklin D. Murphy Lecturer Toshio Watanabe (University of the Arts, London), “Modern Japanese Gardens in a Transnational Context”
Monday, April 12
Annual Grant Goodman Distinguished Lecture in Japanese Studies: Edward Drea, “From Samurai to Soldiers.”
Creating a new Japanese imperial army amidst samurai insurrections, peasant uprisings, and sweeping social change was a revolutionary achievement. Drea will narrate that success and describes how the army was built, who became soldiers, and the lasting consequences for Japan. About the speaker: After military service in Japan and Vietnam, Ed Drea received his MA in international relations from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, and his Ph.D. in Modern Japanese History from the University of Kansas. He has taught at the US Army Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and the US Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, and was Chief, Research and Analysis Division at the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C. Following the lecture, there will be a book signing of his latest work, Japan’s Imperial Army: Its Rise and Fall, 1853-1945, published by the University Press of Kansas. Drea is the recipient of the Society for Military History's award for Best Book on Non-US Military History.
Tuesday, April 20
Career Talk: Alex Arvizu, “Working As a Foreign Service Officer”
Current Foreign Service hiring is at a level unprecedented in recent years. Arvizu will talk about his role as Director of Entry-Level Career Development and Assignments at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, where he oversees assignments for newly-hired Foreign Service generalist and specialist officers. In 2010, the State Department expects to hire close to 1,400 new Foreign Service officers and assign them to various posts – most of them abroad – to represent the United States and the American people. This is an excellent opportunity for students considering future careers in the Foreign Service or politics.
Monday, August 2
Concert: The Junkeo Takeo Koto Concert, featuring members of the Wakatake-kai Koto Group of Tokyo
Traditional Japanese music performed on the Koto and Sangen instruments. The concerts will be followed with an opportunity for audience members to try on Japanese katana and kimono and play the koto. A volunteer group will perform a simple Japanese folk song on koto following each concert. Free & open to the public.
Past 2008-2009 Events
Monday, September 15
Annual Mid-Autumn Festival Moon-Viewing Party. Join us for East Asian music, poetry chanting, and moon cakes as we raise our (non-alcoholic) glasses to the full moon.
Monday, September 22
Tea & Talk: Patricia Graham, “Chinese and Japanese Arts: Antique or Not, Authentic or Fake?”
The production of copies is part of the tradition of East Asian visual culture. Not all copies are fakes, and many have monetary value, sometimes more than the original. Understanding the different contexts in which copies were produced helps understand how to evaluate them. This presentation introduces the wide variety of Chinese and Japanese arts that are commonly copied, showing how some are copied for legitimate reasons, and others for deception.The issue of forgeries is particularly pertinent and vexing because these have increased substantially and become more difficult to discern in recent years, due to technological advances.
Friday, October 31
Japanese Maintenance Lecture: Takao Shibata, “Title TBA ” (in Japanese). The Lecture Series in Japanese is sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies as part of the Advanced Language Maintenance Program.
Saturday, November 1
Reception for Hosei University students & faculty. Learn about contemporary Japan! Students interested in Japanese culture are invited to attend this free reception welcoming students from Hosei University in Japan. All KU students are invited—you do not need to speak Japanese to attend.
Thursday, November 6
Tea & Talk: Akiko Takeyama, “Selling Dreams: The Art of Seduction and Affect Economy in Japan”
Assistant Professor Takeyama (Anthropology & Women’s Studies) will discuss her research on Tokyo’s popular host clubs.
Murphy Lecture in Art History: John Szostak (Assistant Professor of Japanese Art, University of Hawaii at Manoa), "Recovering Tradition: The Kokuga Society and Modern Japanese Painting Reform."
Sunday, November 9
“What Makes a Monster? From Godzilla to Spore.”
Are you afraid of monsters? Come examine what makes a creature monstrous, why we are drawn to beasts that scare us, and how monsters sometimes become our friends. Bill Tsutsui (History) and Randi Hacker (Center for East Asian Studies) will use videos, create-your-own-monster stations, and a scavenger hunt to take the audience into the dark corners of humanity’s psyche, where these creatures lurk! A great event for kids of all ages. Part of the CLAS Acts Lecture Series.
Monday, December 1
Revolution in Film: KT (Japan)
A taut spy thriller about the real-life abduction of Kim Dae Jung , later elected president of South Korea, from a Tokyo hotel in 1973. Directed by Junji Sakamoto. Part of the Revolution in Film Series, presented by the KU International Area Studies Centers—the Center for East Asian Studies; the Kansas African Studies Center; the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies—as part of a year-long program devoted to "Protest & Revolution." (For a full list of films, see http://www.crees.ku.edu/revolution/).
Friday, February 20
Japanese Maintenance Lecture: Akitoshi Sogabe (Konan University), Title TBA.
The Japanese Maintenance Lecture is part of the Advanced Language Maintenance Program sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies. Free and open to the public.
Friday, February 27
Roundtable Discussion: “What Does ‘Revolution’ Mean in Our Time? Society, Science, and the Arts.”
The idea of revolution as radical social-political change is no longer dominant. In the arts and literature of the latter half of the 20th century, images of change are often playful, parodying rather than confronting. Although there is no artistic “avant-garde” in the modernist sense of the word, art continues to disturb, ask questions, challenge the status quo, and move audiences to think and, it is hoped, to change. Part of the “Changing the World” series co-sponsored by the KU Center for East Asian Studies, Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies, the Center for Latin American Studies, and the Kansas African Students Center.
Tuesday, March 24
Tea & Talk: “Global Partners for Local Organic Foods: Connecting the U.S. & Japan through Kansas & Saitama.” Local members of the Global Partners for Local Organic Foods project will discuss the genesis of the partnership and projected outcomes.
Tuesday, April 7
Panel Discussion: “The Financial Crisis: Lessons Learned from Japan and East Asia.” Speakers are Takao Shibata, KU Chancellor’s Lecturer and former General Consul from Japan; Chris Anderson, Associate Professor, Harper Faculty Fellow, KU School of Business; and Gordon Sellon, Senior Vice President and Director of Research, Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Part of the CEAS Symposium on East Asia and the Financial Crisis, co-sponsored by the KU Center for International Business Education and Research.
Thursday, April 9
Lecture: James Miller, “Investments Gone Bad: A Comparative Account of Banking Crises in Japan and the United States.” Miller is Adjunct Professor of Law, American University, Washington College of Law. Part of the CEAS Symposium on East Asia and the Financial Crisis, co-sponsored by the KU Center for International Business Education and Research.
Thursday, April 16
Roundtable Discussion: “Changing the World: Revolutionary Thinking about the Environment”
Over the last 200 years the natural environment has played a crucial role in radical social thought. In the early 21st century, the endangered environment has forced thinking that is changing how humans live on this planet. This roundtable focuses on (1) the historical and contemporary ways that revolutionary thinking and social revolutionaries have conceptualized the natural environment, and (2) how the environmental change of the last half century has radically changed our conceptions of our lives. Panelists will address the interaction of all these factors with a focus on different regions of the world. Part of the “Changing the World” series co-sponsored by the KU Center for East Asian Studies, Center for Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies, the Center for Latin American Studies, and the Kansas African Students Center.
Monday, April 27
Grant Goodman Distinguished Lecture on Japanese Studies: Samuel Yamashita (Henry E. Sheffield Professor of History, Pomona College), “Coercion, Compliance, and Resistance in Wartime Japan, 1942-1945”
At first glance, everyday life in Japan during World War II calls to mind the American home front: there were the same rousing speeches by the country’s leaders and official spokesmen, the enthusiastic send-offs of servicemen, the mobilization of women for war work, the rationing of scarce commodities, the censorship of war news, and the solemn respect shown the war dead. But the wartime diaries and correspondence of ordinary Japanese reveal that their government exercised such extraordinary control over their lives that most had no choice but to comply with government directives, even when it meant extreme hardship or death. Yet many Japanese were critical of their government’s policies; some recognized the signs of defeat; and a few even defied official directives.
Wednesday, June 24
Global Partners for Local Organic Foods: Recognition Ceremony For Kansas' Pioneers of Local And Organic Foods
Come and celebrate the Pioneers who helped make local and organic happen in our community. Get a taste of the town's best and learn how buying local is more than a monetary investment in our community. Event presented by the Kansas Rural Center, the Community Mercantile, and Local Burger Restaurant, with grants from the Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund and the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership. ($5 admission; tickets available in advance at the Community Mercantile, Local Burger, and Liberty Hall.)
Saturday June 27
Cooking Japanese with Lawrence's Local Foods
Japanese organic food professionals, visiting Lawrence as part of an exchange project, Global Partners for Local Organic Foods, will peruse the Lawrence farmers market to find ingredients for Japanese dishes they will prepare at the cooking demonstration tent at the market. Free samples and recipes will be available. The Japanese group's visit, as well as one to Japan by Kansas professionals, is funded by a grant to the Kansas Rural Center from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.
Monday June 29
Public Forum on Local Organic Foods in Japan
A delegation of organic food professionals from Japan, visiting Lawrence as part of an exchange project, Global Partners for Local Organic Foods, will discuss the local organic food movement in their country and how that compares to what's happening here. The presentation will be in Japanese and English. The Japanese group's visit, as well as one to Japan by Kansas professionals, is funded by a grant to the Kansas Rural Center from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.
Past 2007-2008 Events
Friday, October 5
East Asian Graduate Student Research Forum: Sooa Im, “Beyond the Outlandish Charm: Manpukuji’s Eighteen-Arhat Sculptures.” Art History graduate student Sooa Im will speak about her current research. Attendees are invited to bring a sack lunch.
Friday, October 19
Japanese Maintenance Lecture: Masami Sugimori (Lecturer, KU English Dept), “Language, Literature, and Teaching: A Comparison of Classroom Dynamics in American and Japanese Universities” (in Japanese). Part of the Lecture Series in Japanese as part of the Advanced Language Maintenance Program.
Thursday, October 25
Tea & Talk: Maki Kaneko. New KU Assistant Professor Kaneko (Art History) will discuss her research on Japanese art.
Friday, October 26
East Asian Graduate Research Forum: Mari LaCure (Fine Arts), "Gathered and Waiting: Cross-Cultural Experiences in Japan." Attendees are invited to bring a sack lunch.
Wednesday, November 28
Japanese Maintenance Lecture: Akiko Takeyama (Anthropology and Women’s Studies), “Selling Dreams: Commodification of Male Sexuality in Tokyo Host Clubs” (in Japanese). Part of the Lecture Series in Japanese sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies as part of the Advanced Language Maintenance Program. Free and open to the public.
Friday, February 8
Lunar New Year Party
Come celebrate the Lunar New Year with activities for everyone, including crafts, performances, and East Asian food tastings.
Wednesday, February 13
Book Talk: Patricia Graham (CEAS Research Associate) will discuss and sign copies of her new book, Faith and Power in Japanese Buddhist Art, 1600-2005 (University of Hawai'i Press, 2007).
Thursday, March 6
Tea & Talk: Gregory Hadley
“Old Wars, Present Memories: Revisiting the ‘Field of Spears’”
Professor Hadley (Niigata University of International and Information Studies) discusses his book, "Field of Spears," the true story of a B-29 crew that was shot down over a rural Japanese village on July 20, 1945.
Saturday, March 8
Film: “Waterboys.” Five high school boys decide to learn synchronized swimming, influenced by the new coach of their school's swimming team, Sakuma. However, because of an unexpected incident, Sakuma must go on vacation, leaving the team without supervision. With the Tadano High's summer festival coming very soon, every club from the school is preparing a special event of their own. The boys eventually decide to organize a special sync swimming show, with the help of a dolphin trainer. (2001, 90 minutes) Part of the 2008 East Asia Film Festival.
Thursday, March 27
Grant Goodman Distinguished Lecture in Japanese Studies: William Kelly, “Japan As a Sporting Nation: Baseball, Judo, Sumo, Soccer!”
Professor Kelly (Anthropology, Yale University) will explore sport and sports fans in Japan.
April 10-12
Conference: “Olympian Desires: Building Bodies and Nations in East Asia”
This international conference will explore the Olympic games in East Asia and their impact on the politics, cultures, economic conditions, international relations, natural and built environments, and lifestyles of the host countries and the region.
Friday, April 25
Japanese Maintenance Lecture: Maki Kaneko (Art History), “‘Resounding Spirit’: Avant-garde in Post-War Japan” [in Japanese]. Part of the Lecture Series in Japanese sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies as part of the Advanced Japanese Maintenance Lecture.
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