Job Opening: Associate professor and journal editor, University of Tokyo, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia

Posted on October 3, 2015 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution:  The University of Tokyo, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, the Department of Pioneering Asian Studies：IJAS
Location:     Japan
Position:      Associate Professor

Academic Recruitment for Associate Professorship  (IJAS)
Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, the University of Tokyo
Position – Associate Professor Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo, and Editor, International Journal of Asian Studies

The Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo, is actively engaged in a public search for a new associate professor whose major responsibilities will include international academic exchange, most importantly serving as an editor of International Journal of Asian Studies. Candidates for the position need to have excellent language skills in English and research interests in Asia. This is a fixed-term appointment: — the successful candidate will be appointed for a five year term. We would like to make an appointment beginning on April 1, 2016, but the starting date can be negotiated. The deadline for applications is 4 Nov, 2015. The guidelines for applicants can be found at http://www.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/recruit/sinsedai_asia201604_jp.html. We think salary and benefits are competitive.

Contact Info:
KURODA, Akinobu
Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, University of Tokyo
7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033
Japan
Email: ankuroda @ ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Website:          http://www.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/recruit/sinsedai_asia201604_jp.html

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Fun Link Friday: Weird Hotel

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Paula

No, that’s not just my judgment. Apparently a new hotel has opened in Nagasaki, the “変なホテル,” or “Weird Hotel,” which boasts being staffed almost entirely by robots! Ever wondered what it would be like to be checked into your hotel by a velociraptor in a bell hop hat or open your rental room with facial recognition instead of a key? Well now you don’t have to wonder anymore! Check out the videos below for a news report and some footage on the interesting places tech is taking us in Japan these days:

 

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Job Opening: Lead Project Assistant, Hyogo Business and Culture Center [part time]

Posted on October 1, 2015 by LM

job opening - 5Position Title: Lead Project Assistant (Part-time contract position)
Location: Seattle, WA
Education: 4-year degree
Position Immediately available, preferred start day October 1st, 2015

Wage: $15.00/h (Less than 29 hours a week ) +DOE
Benefits: Bus Pass

Major responsibilities:
1. Event Management & Coordination
The successful candidate will be responsible for planning and executing events, Recruiting/ managing volunteers, fundraising, generating event content, producing/ distributing marketing materials, etc. Some examples of event related duties include:
o The Washington State Japanese Speech and Skit Contest: Organize and execute this event by arranging facilities, funding, and contest prizes in addition to coordinating judges, event MCs, VIPs, volunteers and contest committee members. Candidate must also develop contest guidelines, oversee participant applications, and event promotion.
o HBCC / WATJ Summer Institute: Coordinate and organize yearly teaching seminar for Japanese teachers of Washington State.
o Local Community Japan: Related Events: Coordinate HBCC participation at Japanese cultural events such as, Cherry Blossom Festival, Aki Matsuri, Sakura Con and others.

2. Sister City Programs
o Support and strengthen sister city relationships by attending relevant events and act as a liaison between city representatives. Help to establish new sister city relationships.
o Interface with local organizations.

3. Intern Manager
o Hire and manage quarterly interns; assigns duties and responsibilities; communicate with program coordinators at Hyogo Pref. University, UW and Bellevue　Community College, government officials and volunteer organizations.

4. Office Information Technology and Management
o Oversee office IT systems and electronic presences. Manage social media sites, digital marketing, and the HBCC website. Advise office staff on IT-connected issues and support all staff and interns with IT issues.

5. Marketing Project Support
o Assist Marketing Manager with promotional activities and on site events. Event planning and creation of promotional materials. Help with organizing market research. Translate reports from Japanese to English. Assess result from marketing campaigns. Develop and publish press releases.
The HBCC project assistant will also have joint responsibilities in greeting visitors, answering phones and providing general assistance with other office projects as necessary.

Minimum Qualifications:
A 4-year bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from an accredited institution; experience living and/or working in Japan; Japanese language proficiency; and high-level English proficiency and excellent communication skills.

Additional Requirements:
The ideal candidate for the position will also have the following skills:
• The ability to work independently on multiple projects on deadlines in a fast, efficient manner.
• Be well organized and able to multitask effectively.
• Have experience in event coordination and a working knowledge of Hyogo prefecture/Kansai area.
• Have experience in accounting of the company/organization.
• Have above average technical proficiency in Office / DTP software; IT and telecommunications experience.
• Be able to work in a disciplined way under minimal supervision

How to apply:
See details on HBCC’s original posting.

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Call for Papers: Princeton Graduate Student Symposium in East Asian Art

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Travis

call for papers [150-2]*Where: Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
*When: Feb 27, 2016

*What: a graduate symposium in East Asian Art, on the subject of Images and Codes: The Problem of Reading Art

As the official call tells us:

Both text and image can be seen; the process of interpreting what is seen is often described as “reading.” Written language is a learned code, and thus it requires the knowledge of a specific set of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. In the field of art history, the method of “reading art” emerged out of the study of semiotics during the late eighties and continues to the present. By blurring the boundaries between text and image, “reading art” assumes that art objects, like texts, can be decoded and thus read. Moreover, “reading” presupposes that there are those who can read, those who cannot read, and those who determine how to read. Do images, however, require their own code of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary? This symposium aims to explore the intersections between reading and seeing, images and codes in East Asian art history.

Sample topics include, but are not limited to:

*Do art historians decode art, encode art, or both?
*How does “reading” art differ from reading a language?
*What are the limits to “reading art”?
*What is the value of viewing apart from any coding or conventionality it might contain?
*With a work that mixes both text and art object, how are the two codes reconciled?
*How does the reproducibility of a work (such as a woodblock print) affect its “readability”?
*How does one read an art object, text, or otherwise, in which the meaning is intentionally obfuscated?

Presentations will be limited to 20 minutes, with additional time set aside for discussion.

To Apply:

To apply, please kindly send an email with an attached 300- to 400-word paper abstract and your curriculum vitae (CV) in English to the email address below.

All entries are due by Monday, 9 November 2015.

Please email submissions to:

Skyler Negrete and Mai Yamaguchi
Department of Art and Archaeology
Princeton University
tangctr@princeton.edu

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Job Opening: Asian history, University of Northern Colorado

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution:      University of Northern Colorado, History
Location:          Colorado, United States
Position:           Assistant Professor of Asian History

The History Department at the University of Northern Colorado invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor of Asian History to start August 2016. Era and area of expertise are open. 3-3 teaching load including Asian Civilization surveys, modern China, and upper-division/graduate courses in areas of interest. PhD in hand at time of appointment. Review of applications will begin November 1 and will continue until position is filled. Initial interviews will be conducted via Skype. Please submit to http://careers.unco.edu/postings/590 cover letter, C.V., unofficial graduate transcripts, and two sample syllabi (one survey and one upper-division course. Combine both syllabi in a single document and upload to “other documents”).

In addition, referees should send three confidential letters of recommendation to

Asian History Search Committee, History Department, University of Northern Colorado, 501 20thSt. Campus Box 116 Greeley, CO 80639 or to search chair at robert.weis@unco.edu.

Deadline: November 1, 2015

 

Contact:           robert.weis@unco.edu

Website:          http://careers.unco.edu/postings/590

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Book Announcement: Monster of the Twentieth Century, Kotoku Shusui and Japan’s First Anti-Imperialist Movement

Posted on September 27, 2015 by Paula

mtcThis extended monograph examines the work of the radical journalist Kotoku Shusui and Japan’s anti-imperialist movement of the early twentieth century. It includes the first English translation of Imperialism (Teikokushugi), Kotoku’s classic 1901 work.

Kotoku Shusui was a Japanese socialist, anarchist, and critic of Japan’s imperial expansionism who was executed in 1911 for his alleged participation in a plot to kill the emperor. His Imperialism was one of the first systematic criticisms of imperialism published anywhere in the world. In this seminal text, Kotoku condemned global imperialism as the commandeering of politics by national elites and denounced patriotism and militarism as the principal causes of imperialism.

In addition to translating Imperialism, Robert Tierney offers an in-depth study of Kotoku’s text and of the early anti-imperialist movement he led. Tierney places Kotoku’s book within the broader context of early twentieth-century debates on the nature and causes of imperialism. He also presents a detailed account of the different stages of the Japanese anti-imperialist movement. Monster of the Twentieth Century constitutes a major contribution to the intellectual history of modern Japan and to the comparative study of critiques of capitalism and colonialism.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction

KOTOKU SHUSUI AND ANTI-IMPERIALIST THOUGHT
In the Shadow of Revolution
What Is Imperialism?
What Causes Imperialism?

JAPAN’S FIRST ANTI-IMPERIALIST MOVEMENT
The Boxer Rebellion and the Band of Idealists
Heiminism and the Russo-Japanese War
The Asian Solidarity Association and the High Treason Case

IMPERIALISM: MONSTER OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
BY KOTOKU SHUSUI
Preface
Three preliminary observations
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. On Patriotism
Chapter 3. On Militarism
Chapter 4. On Imperialism
Conclusion

Epilogue: The Monster of the Twenty-First Century?

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Author Info:

Robert Thomas Tierney is Associate Professor at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520286344

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Job Opening: Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution:   Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Global Studies and Languages
Location:   Massachusetts, United States
Position:   Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Global Studies and Languages Section invites applications for a tenure-track position in Japanese Studies at the level of Assistant Professor, to begin in Fall 2016 (employment begins July 1, 2016). Candidates must hold a completed Ph.D. by the start of employment. Preference will be given to candidates with two years of academic teaching experience at the college or university level, and clear evidence of scholarly development. Teaching duties include mid-tier and upper-level undergraduate courses in Japanese Studies. Native, or near-native, fluency in Japanese and English is required. Applicants should have a specialization in Japanese Studies with direct relevance to research areas such as media and the arts; urban, youth and/or popular cultures; gender or ethnic studies; or Japanese history, literature, anthropology, or cultural studies. Applicants must have significant scholarly work that is published or currently in press. Digital humanities projects will also be considered. MIT expects a highly productive and innovative research program as part of the requirements for tenure. MIT is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities. Please submit a letter of application, CV, three letters of recommendation (including one that specifically addresses your teaching profile), one writing sample of published or publication-ready scholarship (no longer than 30 pages) in English, and two syllabi of undergraduate courses that you would be interested in teaching. Submission of one additional writing sample in Japanese is optional (and should be no longer than 30 pages). Priority will be given to applications received no later than Wednesday, October 7, 2015. Please submit all application materials to: https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/5737

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Job Opening: Kazushige Hirasawa Chair of Japanese Studies, Bates College

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution:  Bates College, Asian Studies
Location:     Maine, United States
Position:     Kazushige Hirasawa Chair of Japanese Studies

The Asian Studies Program at Bates College, a highly selective private liberal arts college located in south-central Maine, invites applications and nominations for the Kazushige Hirasawa Chair of Japanese Studies, to begin August 1, 2016. This is a senior position at the Associate or Full Professor level. The new Hirasawa chair will receive tenure upon appointment, and will chair and further strengthen Bates’s established interdisciplinary program in Asian Studies (with majors in Chinese, Japanese, and East Asian Studies). Ph.D., native or near native proficiency in Japanese and English, and a substantial record of teaching and publication are required. Experience leading or playing a major role in developing an academic program is desirable. The field of specialization (within the humanities or social sciences) is open, but candidates should be willing and able to teach a Japanese language course, as well as topical courses of their own choosing dealing with aspects of Japan and/or East Asia. The teaching load at Bates is 5 courses per year—4 courses for a program chair. For more information about Asian Studies at Bates, see our webpage (http://www.bates.edu/asian/).

The College and the Asian Studies Program are committed to enhancing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum. Candidates who can contribute to this goal are especially encouraged to apply, and the search committee expects candidates to identify their strengths and experiences in this area.

Review of applications begins November 2nd and will continue until the position is filled. Candidate should submit the following materials: letter of application, curriculum vita, statement on teaching, research and academic leadership, and three letters of recommendation.

Please apply here apply.interfolio.com/31491

Employment is contingent on successful completion of a background check. For more information about the college, please visit the Bates website:www.bates.edu.

Contact:           See description

Website:          http://www.bates.edu

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Fun Link Friday: Photos of Meiji Japan

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Paula

Recently grape posted an article featuring thirty photos from the Meiji period taken by photographer Kozaburo Tamamura (1856-1923) that were auctioned off in Britian in 2013. Ranging from wooden bridges and young women in their daily lives to shopping streets and wintery river scenes, they capture an old Japan that we usually only read about in literature or imagine from prints.

bridge

Check out the rest of the photographs at the original article here! They’re all fantastic.

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Job Opening: Digital Content Coordinator, Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA

Posted on September 25, 2015 by LM

job opening - 5Employer: Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA
Location: Washington, DC
Application deadline: September 30, 2015
Education: BA

Job description
Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA is an independent American non-profit, non-partisan institution devoted to research, analysis, and better understanding of the U.S.-Japan relationship. Research programs focus on security, diplomacy, economics, business, trade, technology, and other matters of common concern. Education programs facilitate people-to-people exchange and dialogue on these issues with American and Japanese policymakers, influential citizens, and the broader public.

Sasakawa USA seeks a Digital Content Coordinator to raise awareness of the U.S.-Japan relationship in digital communications, including managing Sasakawa USA’s website and social media initiatives. The Digital Content Coordinator will work under the Congressional and Media Relations Manager.

Requirements:

  • Outstanding writing, editing, copy editing, and verbal communication skills (English language)
  • Proficient in WordPress, Adobe Creative Suite, SEO, blogging platforms, and social media posts
  • Familiarity with and interest in U.S.-Japan relations
  • Ability to work independently with a high level of professionalism
  • Detail-oriented with strong organizational and project management skills
  • Ability to meet deadlines consistently
  • Bachelor’s degree in relevant discipline (journalism, communications, public relations, English, etc.)
  • 1-2 years of experience in Digital Content writing, public relations, communications, journalism, or related field
  • Must reside in greater Washington, DC area or be willing to relocate at own expense
  • Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship

Preferred Skills:

  • Proficiency with HTML, CSS, and PHP
  • Proven experience managing a blog and creating real-time content
  • Experience working with Constant Contact
  • Experience working on U.S.-Japan relations
  • Japanese language skills

Responsibilities:

  • Proactively research; fact-check; create; write; edit; copy edit for grammar, spelling, etc., and optimize content for digital platforms, including websites, social media, and mass mailings
  • Develop unique content through interviews with staff, event speakers, and collaborators
  • Manage and develop Sasakawa USA’s digital editorial calendar
  • Maintain and update Sasakawa USA’s content guide for writing style, tone, and consistency
  • Devise unique, creative ideas for new features and content to enhance Sasakawa USA’s messaging
  • Use SEO best practices to optimize content and stay up-to-date with best practices in writing for the web, web usability, and business/​industry trends
  • Provide monthly reports on analytics for all platforms, along with recommendations for improvement
  • Work closely with the Congressional and Media Relations Manager to ensure a consistent message across all channels and in developing branded products

Full details on Idealist.org.

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