Announcing the following graduate student conference being held at the University of California, Santa Barbara, February 12-13, 2016, and to invite abstract submissions.

This conference aims to explore the relationships between institutions, polities and frameworks in premodern Japan. With the theme of “networks and negotiations” in mind, we aim to expand our understanding of the construction and maintenance of complex connections between diverse groups and how they shaped the premodern history of Japan.

We welcome proposals for panels and individual papers from graduate students working on pre-Meiji Japan in any discipline within the humanities and social sciences. Proposal topics may include, but are not limited to the following: shrine and temple networks, domestic and international diplomacy, travel and travel culture within and without Japan, economic organization, and artistic networks.

Please send a 200-word abstract and brief biography to Travis Seifman and Emily Simpson at ucsbnetworksandnegotiations@googlegroups.com by November 1, 2015.

The conference theme is intended to be relatively broad and inclusive, while still sticking to a coherent theme; if you have any questions, or are unsure if your work fits within the theme, please do not hesitate to contact us, at the above email address.