Fun Link Friday: Spinning tops

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Paula

iconAs many long-time followers know, a colleague and I have been working on a digital archive related to 江戸独楽 (Edo goma), or Edo-style spinning tops. Hand-crafted tops are thought to have a history in Japan dating back to at least the 6th century in Japan, with archaeological evidence found in the Fujiwara palace in Nara that served as the imperial capital between 694 and 710. They became popularized in the 18th century.

A friend recently informed me that Begin Japanology has a great video that gives a brief introduction to Japanese koma 独楽, including many of the regional variations in style and different types that can be made. Be sure to check it out below!

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Job Opening: University of Macau, Professor of Japanese Language and Pedagogy

Posted on April 30, 2015 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution:         University of Macau, The Centre for Japanese Studies of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Location:          Macau
Position:           Full Professor of Japanese Language and Pedagogy

The University of Macau is a leading higher education institution in Macao, with English as its working language. In recent years, the University has made great progress in various areas, with increasing international recognition of its excellence in teaching, research and community service. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2014/2015 ranks the University among the world’s top 300 universities. With the beautiful new campus (20 times larger than the old one) becoming fully operational, the launch of Asia’s largest residential college system, the establishment of new faculties, and the increasing numbers of students and faculty members recruited from around the world, UM possesses great potential and provides exciting new possibilities for growth and development.

The Centre for Japanese Studies of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities invites applications for the position of Professor of Japanese Language and Pedagogy.

The Centre for Japanese Studies is an established and lively scholarly community with a strong international tradition for the teaching of Japanese language. In addition to its undergraduate BA programme in Japanese Studies, the Centre offers an undergraduate Minor in Japanese Studies, as well as possible PhD supervision across the range of the department’s expertise. The Centre has particular strengths in Japanese linguistics and anthropological approaches to Asian studies. In addition to undergraduate language teaching graduate-level teaching and supervision may be expected to develop within Japanese Studies or related areas.

Qualifications

Applicants must hold a PhD in Japanese Studies or in a related area. Applicants should have an excellent record of tertiary teaching and supervision experience and a distinguished record of research and publication at an international level. Academic specialization is open but applicants with research specialization in curriculum design, language assessment or language instructional strategies are especially welcome. Applicants should have native or near-native fluency in Japanese along with extensive experience teaching Japanese as a second/foreign language. A good command of English is also preferred. Applicants with administrative experience are especially welcome.

The selected candidate may assume duty as early as August 2015.

Position and Remuneration

Remuneration and appointment rank offered will be competitive and commensurate with the successful applicant academic qualifications, current position and professional experience. The current local maximum income tax rate is 12%, but is effectively around 5% – 7% after various discretionary exemptions.

Application Procedure

Applicants should visit http://www.umac.mo/vacancy for more details, and apply ONLINE at Jobs@UM(https://isw.umac.mo/recruitment) (Ref. No.: FAH/PJS/09/2015). Review of applications will commence on15 April 2015 and continue until the position is filled. Applicants may consider their applications not successful if they were not invited for an interview within 3 months of application.

Human Resources Office

University of Macau, Av. da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China

Website: https://isw.umac.mo/recruitment;  Email: vacancy@umac.mo

Tel: +853 8822 8577;  Fax: +853 8822 2412

The effective position and salary index are subject to the Personnel Statute of the University of Macau in force. The University of Macau reserves the right not to appoint a candidate. Applicants with less qualification and experience can be offered lower positions under special circumstances.

***Personal data provided by applicants will be kept confidential and used for recruitment purpose only***

** Under the equal condition of qualifications and experience, priority will be given to Macao permanent residents**

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Job Opening: Study Abroad Coordinator, University of New Hampshire

Posted on April 30, 2015 by LM

job opening - 5Via JETWit mailing list.

Institution: University of New Hampshire
Location: Durham, NH
Classification Title: EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR II
Operating Title COLA Study Abroad Coordinator
Closing Date 05-08-2015
Education: BA and experience or MA an experience

Summary of Position This position is responsible for planning, organizing, evaluating, coordinating and managing all administrative aspects of study away programs for the College of Liberal Arts.

Acceptable Minimum Qualifications

  • Master’s degree, preferably in education, and two years experience planning, organizing and evaluating international exchange or study abroad programs, or
  • Bachelor’s degree and four years of related experience as indicated.
  • Administrative ability.
  • Human relations and communications skills.

Additional Desirable Qualifications: Equipment/Instruments Familiarity with office equipment including but not limited to computers and multifunction devices.

Duties/ Responsibilities

01
Administration/Advising
-Counsel students regarding application, confirmation, registration, and pre-departure processes for participation in College-managed study away programs
-Perform evaluations of existing programs, provide advice and feedback to COLA Dean’s Office, and plan for future needs to meet with educational goals of the College
-Attend College meetings of Study Away Coordinators, prepare materials for discussion and follow up as needed
-Correspond with students via phone and e-mail from initial inquiry stage through departure, writing and mailing hard-copy documents as needed
-Manage expectations and specific needs of program participants pertaining to special health, housing, or academic accommodations/requests
-Ensure proper academic registration of all students in accordance with University policies and procedures
-Communicate program-related policies and procedures to and respond to inquiries from students, faculty, staff and parents
02
Publicity/Marketing
-Advance student and campus awareness of, and engagement with, programs by:
-Work with COLA Communications Coordinator to develop flyers, posters, brochures and other materials that promote information session attendance and program participation
-Managing and editing program websites
-Manage program social media platforms
03
Recruiting
-Engage with prospective students by planning, scheduling and participating in classroom visits, information tables (on-campus and at other institutions), study abroad fairs, resource fairs, promotional mailings, etc.
04
Budget/Finances
-Work in conjunction with finance personnel and faculty directors to develop program budgets
-Plan and account for program-related financial transactions
-Process program-related reimbursements
05
Supervision
-Advertise and hire for student hourly staff positions
-Supervise, train, structure and assign work to, and determine priorities for student hourly staff
06
Logistics Coordination/Institutional Relations
-Maintain/develop relationships with overseas partner institutions
-Navigate linguistic and cultural complexities in communicating with overseas partner institutions and organizations to arrange and/or schedule student services such as housing, meals, transportation and admissions to events for program-related excursions
07
Data Management
-Update and maintain database of student information and progress from inquired status through returned status
-Manage transition to new any database software as needed
-Produce statistical reports and enrollment data as requested
08
Risk Management
-Coordinate efforts with faculty directors and the Center for International Education to ensure programs develop, maintain and follow emergency plans and risk management protocols
-Communicate program-specific risk management policies and procedures to faculty, staff, students and parents
-Communicate contact information of in-country and emergency contact information of faculty, staff and students to Center for International Education and other campus offices as necessary
09
Policy & Procedure Development
-Oversee creation, maintenance and distribution of pre-departure materials/handbooks, on-campus and on-site director manuals, and work-study training manuals

Full details on University System of New Hampshire. 
Posting Number/Job Order #0902880

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Job Opening: University of Zurich, History Department Two Academic Assistants

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution:      University of Zurich, History Department
Location:          Switzerland
Position:           Doctoral Fellow/Two Academic Assistants (60% PhD-positions)

The Chair for Global History (18th to 20th centuries) invites applications for:

Two Academic Assistants (60% PhD-positions)
History Department, University of Zurich, Switzerland
Deadline for Applications: 10 May 2015

We welcome applications from candidates who possess:

  • Research interests in the history of the Asia-Pacific region from 1700 to the present
  • Outstanding undergraduate and postgraduate training (including completed MA)
  • Working knowledge of an East Asian language and / or another language relevant to the region
  • Excellent research and organizational skills
  • Commitment to develop and teach new, area-based courses within the field of Global History

Successful applicants will join one of Europe’s leading history departments (seventeen chairs), with thriving postgraduate and postdoctoral communities. The position offers attractive working conditions, including dedicated office space for the Chair of Global History, and a competitive salary. After a one-year probation, the position is renewable for the duration of the PhD (up to six years in total). Starting date 1 August 2015(negotiable).

Applicants are not expected to speak German already, but are expected to learn it during the period of their PhD studies. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in person or via Skype.

Please direct academic enquiries to Prof. Dr. Martin Dusinberre (martin.dusinberre@hist.uzh.ch)
Please direct procedural enquiries, and completed applications, to Nadja Schorno (sekdusinberre@hist.uzh.ch), +41 (0)44 634 38 68

Applicants should email Nadja Schorno the following documents as a single PDF file:

  • Covering Letter (in English)
  • Curriculum Vitae (in English)
  • Certificates of Higher Education (BA and MA academic transcripts or equivalents)
  • A 500-word summary of proposed PhD topic (in English)
  • A 3,000-5,000 word writing sample (in English)

Applicants should also separately arrange for two academic referees to email confidential references to Nadja Schorno by 10 May 2015.

Contact:

Nadja Schorno
sekdusinberre@hist.uzh.ch
Universität Zürich
Historisches Seminar
Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4
CH-8006 Zurich

Website:http://www.hist.uzh.ch/ueberuns/jobs/Academic_assistants_Dusinberre.pdf

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Job Openings: Short-term positions at Kyushu University

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Paula

job opening - 5The International Master’s Program (IMAP) in Japanese Humanities, Kyushu University, would like to let members of the list and their colleagues know about short-term positions during the 2016-2017 academic year at Kyushu University, Graduate School of Humanities and School of Letters. Please address any questions to both Ellen Van Goethem and Cynthea Bogel. We look forward to hearing from members.

Position:

Short-term visiting faculty positions are available at Kyushu University in a pre-modern humanities research field dealing with Japan, broadly defined. We are seeking applications from mid-level and senior facultywho will be free to teach at Kyushu University for three months to one year during the period April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017.

The successful applicants would be based in the IMAP in Japanese Humanities (please refer to the program brochure available for download at http://www2.lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/impjh/).

Limitations: Japanese nationals and persons over the age of 65 on April 1, 2016 are ineligible.

Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The first deadline is May 10 (Japan time) and again on the 10th of every month until funds are exhausted. Please note that funds have been allocated to the entire Faculty of Humanities and that our colleagues in other departments may also announce positions in their fields.

Duties: Up to one graduate seminar and up to one undergraduate course per semester (the latter may be a version of the former) and participation in student advising and IMAP activities. Kyushu University has a two-term academic year with 15 weeks of courses; seminars and undergraduate classes last 90 minutes and meet once a week. Co-teaching and other options such as intensive courses are utilized.

Start date: April 1, 2016 or later, until March 31, 2017.

We are accepting applications for periods between three months and one year. Three- or four-month visits should be April through June or July, September or October through November or December, or December through February. There are no classes from early February to mid April and early August to early October.

Language of instruction: English. High level of Japanese and a second language strongly preferred.

Salary: Competitive.

Supplements: Round-trip airfare; partial support for housing costs; and local commuting costs.

Required documents: (1) A CV with your name, date of birth, citizenship, contact details, education, positions, publications, major lectures and other research achievements, and languages. (2) A separate sheet with the titles of two proposed undergraduate and graduate courses each. (3) A separate sheet with your preferred period(s) of visit, ranked.

Please include Japanese characters for your primary research topics and approximate translations of course titles (or equivalent content-driven title).

Feel free to circulate this email or request a PDF of the content.

All inquiries will be kept confidential.

The application should be sent to both:

Ellen Van Goethem
Associate Professor, Kyushu University
vgoethem@lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp

Cynthea J. Bogel
Professor, Kyushu University
cjbogel@lit.kyushu-u.ac.jp

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Funding: Monbukagakusho (Japanese Government) Research Studies Scholarship

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Paula

money-150-2Greetings from the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit.

The Monbukagakusho (Japanese Government) Research Studies Scholarship application is now available. The Research Studies Scholarship offers university graduates the opportunity to conduct research in Japan. Studies for this scholarship are conducted at the graduate level and can be used to attain one’s Master’s degree, a PhD or to conduct research work. The scholarship reward includes round-trip airfare, university tuition and fees, and a stipend for monthly living and is generally for a 1.5 to 2 year time period.

Further information and application materials can be found at: http://www.detroit.us.emb-japan.go.jp/pdf/en/pr/2016%20MEXT%20Research.pdf. The application will be due to the Consulate General of Japan in Detroit on Wednesday, June 10th and applicants must be available to come to our Consulate onWednesday, June 24th for testing and interviews.

This is a wonderful opportunity and we would greatly appreciate it if you could distribute this flyer to any students who you think might be interested in taking part in this scholarship program.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,

Rhea Young

Education & Public Affairs Coordinator

JET Program & MEXT Scholarship Coordinator

Consulate General of Japan

400 Renaissance Center, Suite 1600

Detroit, MI 48243

(313)567-0120 Ext. 228

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Book Announcement: Japanese Singers of Tales: Ten Centuries of Performed Narrative

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Paula

Japanese SingersJapanese Singers of Tales: Ten Centuries of Performed Narrative

Alison McQueen Tokita, Kyoto City University of Arts, Japan

Alison Tokita presents a series of case studies that demonstrate the persistence of Japanese sung narratives in a multiplicity of genres over ten centuries, including the way they flourished and declined, together with factors contributing to development and change in narrative performance.

Performed narratives are examples of a shared cultural heritage, which in the past have given people a sense of belonging to a community. Narratives that were continually re-told and recycled in different versions and formats over a long period of time served to build people’s sense of a common identity over space (the geographical extent of ‘Japan’) and time (the enduring power of many specific narratives such as The Tale of the Heike). Much scholarly attention has focused on Japanese pre-modern literature and drama, but the tradition of oral narrative has barely been touched.

Tokita argues that it is possible to identify a continuous tradition of performed narrative in Japan from the tenth to the twentieth centuries. The elements of variation and change relate to the move away from oral narrative to text-based performance, and from a simple narrative situation with one performer to complex theatrical narratives with dancers, singers and other musicians. The resulting complexity led to the pre-eminence of the musical aspects in some cases, and of dramatic or dance aspects in others. Tokita includes substantial musical analysis and exploration of theoretical issues, as well as documentation of important performance traditions, all of which are extant.Contents: Preface; Singing the story: continuity and change in Japanese performed narratives; Musical Buddhist preaching: kōshiki shōmyō; Heike narrative: the musical recitation of The Tale of the Heike; Dance and narrative: kōwaka and nō; Jōruri and the puppet theatre; Sung narratives and kabuki dance: bungo-kei jōruri; Sung narratives and kabuki dance: nagauta and ōzatsuma-bushi; Epilogue; References; Index.About the Author: Alison Tokita is Professor and Director of the Research Centre for Japanese Traditional Music at the Kyoto City University of Arts, and adjunct Associate Professor in Japanese Studies at Monash University. She has published widely on Japanese narrative music, and is currently working on naniwa-bushi. In recent years she has researched the role of the piano in East Asian musical modernity. She is co-editor of The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music (2008), Complicated Currents: Media Flows, Soft Power and East Asia, and Outside Asia: Japanese and Australian Identities and Encounters in Flux.

See the website at: http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9780754653790

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Book Announcement: Pacific Strife

Posted on April 26, 2015 by Travis

Inter-regional histories are all the rage these days, and Pacific Strife: The Great Powers and their Political and Economic Rivalries in Asia and the Western Pacific, 1870-1914, by Kees van Dijk (Amsterdam University Press, 2015) is certainly that.

Most historians, I’d wager, (and us Japan/East Asia specialists all the more so) have at least passing familiarity with the 19th century rivalries between the Western powers for influence in East Asia, the Sino- and Russo-Japanese Wars, and so forth; but the history of the Pacific is far less widely discussed. Judging from the Table of Contents of Pacific Strife, van Dijk, emeritus professor of Indonesian Islam at Leiden University, appears to integrate these more familiar narratives into a broader discussion of tensions/competition for influence and power in the Pacific, showing the links and parallels between Western imperialist expansion into various areas, ranging from the Pacific Islands to East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia, with lengthy chapters on Fiji, Samoa, and New Guinea, the Hawaiian Kingdom, Central Asia, Tibet, Thailand, and Malaysia, in addition to those on US-Japanese tensions, the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese Wars, and so forth.

From the publisher’s webpage for the book:

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, colonial powers clashed over much of Central and East Asia: Great Britain and Germany fought over New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, Fiji, and Samoa; France and Great Britain competed over control of continental Southwest Asia; and the United States annexed the Philippines and Hawaii. Meanwhile, the possible disintegration of China and Japan’s growing nationalism added new dimensions to the rivalries.

Surveying these and other international developments in the Pacific basin during the three decades preceding World War I, Kees van Dijk traces the emergence of superpowers during the colonial race and analyzes their conduct as they struggled for territory. Extensive in scope, Pacific Strife is a fascinating look at a volatile moment in history.

A 20-page sample, including the Table of Contents, Foreword, and an opening content section, can be found via the publisher’s webpage, here.

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Call for Papers: Association of Japanese Literary Studies

Posted on April 25, 2015 by Paula

call-for-papers-150-21Call for paper/panels
24th Annual Meeting of the Association of Japanese Literary Studies, UIUC
October 9-10, 2015

Location: Illinois, United States

The University of Illinois will host the 24th Conference of the Association for Japanese Literary Studies at the Urbana Champaign Campus on October 8th to 10th, 2015.  The theme of this year’s conference will be, “The Senses and Sensory Experience in Japanese Literature and Culture.”  We encourage participants to submit either full panel proposals or individual paper proposals on topics related to this theme.  Graduate students are especially welcome. Presentations may be delivered in either English or Japanese.

Possible topics could include:  the five senses in pre-modern Japanese narrative; sound and visuality in poetry and performing arts; the senses in religious and spiritual practices; sensory deprivation (including blindness and deafness); the visual and haptic in Japanese culture; mixed media in traditional and modern arts; synesthesia; the sensory experience and the modern city; senses and avant-garde literature; and Japanese aesthetics and the senses.

The deadline for submission of paper and panel proposals will be June 30, 2015.  Paper proposals should be no longer than 250 words; panel proposals should also include a 300-word description of the panel.

Proposals may be submitted at our website: http://ajls.eaps.illinois.edu

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Resource: Digital Image Collections on Japan’s Constitution

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Paula

The University of Michigan Digital Library Production Service (DLPS) has two interesting digital image resources from their Alfred Hussey Collection that are open to the public for education and research.

The first is the Alfred Hussey Collection: Japan’s Constitution Slides:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/h/hussey1ic

As the site states:

hussey1ic_Brower2_018_487_361_full_0This set of slides commemorates the enactment of Japan’s constitution. The slides are in Japanese and include drawings, colored cartoons, and images of the scales of justice with citizens. They were part of the effort to popularize the constitution. The slides show the educational purpose of the Committee for the Popularization of the Constitution (Kenpō Fukyū Kai) and explained what the new constitution accomplished as it was an entirely new concept to Japanese citizens accustomed to the absolute authority of an emperor.

The second is the Alfred Hussey Collection: Japan’s Constitution Photo Album:
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/h/hussey2ic

 

hussey2ic_Brower3_010_612_511_full_0This album commemorates the enactment of Japan’s constitution and is in English rather than Japanese. It was produced by The Society for the Popularization for the Constitution. The Kenpō Fukyū Kai was founded on December 1, 1946, as a result of pressure from occupation officials to “thoroughly popularize the spirit of the new Constitution through activities to raise awareness of it so as to touch every aspect of the lives of the citizens.” The society continued to carry out its tasks for a year or so after the 1947 promulgation of the constitution.

Both the slides and album were a gift from Alfred Hussey, an attorney and an American officer during World War II who assisted with writing a draft for the new Japanese constitution. If you’re interested in Japan’s modern history, politics, society, art, or are just curious, be sure to check these out! The images are considered public domain and can be used freely.

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