Funding: The Nippon Foundation Fellows Program at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Paula

money [150-2]Scholarship opportunity for PhD students in all fields of Japanese studies!!

The Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies is pleased to announce a 10-month fellowship program for Ph.D. students in all fields of Japanese studies, generously sponsored by The Nippon Foundation. The Nippon Foundation Fellows Program at the IUC aims to provide the most promising young scholars with the deep linguistic and cultural knowledge needed to become leaders in their fields, and to foster strong collegial bonds and intellectual exchange among them and with their IUC senpai.

In addition to their regular classes The Nippon Foundation Fellows will:
• Meet regularly with each other and the IUC Resident Director to discuss their research interests and experiences in Japan
• Invite an IUC alumni scholar to give a lecture at the IUC
• Conduct research during the second half of the program and present their results in Japanese at The Nippon Foundation Fellows Symposium at the end of the academic year

Tuition: The Nippon Foundation fellows will receive a full tuition scholarship and a modest living stipend to attend the 10-Month Fellowship Program of the IUC in Yokohama.

Eligibility: All applicants must be currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program, have a research focus on Japan, and an intention to pursue a career in academia upon completion of their doctoral degree.

Applications: Available on line.

Deadline: Postmarked by December 13, 2013

Inter-University Center
Stanford University
Freeman Spogli Inst for International Studies
Encina Hall, Room C334 (MC 6055)
Stanford, CA 94305
Tel: 650-725-1490

Email: iucjapan@stanfor.edu
Visit the website at http://stanford.edu/dept/IUC/documents.html

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Funding: East Asian Planning History Prize

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Paula

money [150-2]INTERNATIONAL PLANNING HISTORY SOCIETY (IPHS)

East Asia Planning History Prize

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: IPHS EAPH PRIZE 2014

The International Planning History Society (IPHS) invites applications for the East Asia Planning History Prize. Application documents have to be submitted between October 1st and December 31st 2013.

The aim of this Prize is to encourage young scholars of East Asia to engage in planning history and to publish their work in English. It is also meant to expand IPHS membership in East Asia.

The Prize is awarded for outstanding research in the planning history of East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Japan, the two Koreas, Macau, Mongolia and Taiwan) published in English in the form of a refereed article in an academic journal, in the previous two calendar years before an IPHS Conference (from January 2012 to December 2013), by a native, citizen, and resident of a nation in East Asia under 45 years old as of the deadline date. The Prize winner shall be an IPHS member at the time of awarding the
Prize and should attend the 2014 IPHS Conference (to be held at St. Augustine, Florida, USA, on July 20-23), in order to receive the Prize and to present his/her work at the Conference. The Prize includes a cash award of 250 GBP.

The Official Announcement and Application Form are available from:
http://iphs2014.dcp.ufl.edu/prizes.html

The Committee members are:

–      Professor Shun-ichi J. Watanabe, Tokyo University of Science, Japan (Chair of the Prize committee)
–      Professor Fukuo Akimoto, University of Kyushu, Japan (Vice-Chair)
–      Professor Carola Hein, Bryn Mawr College, USA
–      Professor Andre Sorenson, University of Toronto, Canada
–      Professor Anthony G.O. Yeh, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.

Further information about the Prize may be obtained from Professor Shun-ichi J. Watanabe (shun.watanabe@nifty.com).

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Job Opening: East Asian History, Assistant Professor (tenure-track)

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution:   Ball State University, History
Location:   Indiana, United States
Position:   Assistant Professor, East Asia History

Tenure-track faculty position available August 15, 2014, in the history of East Asia.  Responsibilities:  teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the history of China and Japan and survey courses in Asian history and world history.  Minimum qualifications:  ABD in history (specialty in China or Japan) with degree completed by August 15, 2014; ability to teach pre-modern and modern Chinese and Japanese history and world history survey.  Preferred qualifications:  Ph.D. in history (specialty in China or Japan); teaching experience at college or university level; ability to teach the history of the West in the World; comparative historiography, Korean history; experience and interest in using new digital approaches that help distill historical meaning from texts and artifacts, and in new modes of presenting these in electronic formats.

The Department of History seeks to attract an active, culturally and academically diverse faculty of the highest caliber.  Ball State University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and is strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community.

Contact: Email (preferred) letter of application, curriculum vitae, three letters of recommendation, writing sample, and student evaluations of teaching to:  mmgage2@bsu.edu or mail to Dr. Kevin Smith, Chairperson, Department of History, Ball State University, Muncie, IN  47306.  All credentials must be submitted by November 25, 2013.  (www.bsu.edu/history)

Website: http://www.bsu.edu

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Book Announcement: Tang China in Multi-polar Asia: A History of Diplomacy and War

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Travis

http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-8941-9780824836443.aspx

by Wang Zhenping

2013, 480 pages
$65.00
ISBN: 978-0-8248-3644-3, Hardcover

Publisher’s blurb:

Using a synthetic narrative approach, this ambitious work uses the lens of multipolarity to analyze Tang China’s (618–907) relations with Turkestan; the Korean states of Koguryŏ, Silla, and Paekche; the state of Parhae in Manchuria; and the Nanzhao and Tibetan kingdoms. Without any one entity able to dominate Asia’s geopolitical landscape, the author argues that relations among these countries were quite fluid and dynamic—an interpretation that departs markedly from the prevalent view of China fixed at the center of a widespread “tribute system.”

To cope with external affairs in a tumultuous world, Tang China employed a dual management system that allowed both central and local officials to conduct foreign affairs. The court authorized Tang local administrators to receive foreign visitors, forward their diplomatic letters to the capital, and manage contact with outsiders whose territories bordered on China. Not limited to handling routine matters, local officials used their knowledge of border situations to influence the court’s foreign policy. Some even took the liberty of acting without the court’s authorization when an emergency occurred, thus adding another layer to multipolarity in the region’s geopolitics.

The book also sheds new light on the ideological foundation of Tang China’s foreign policy. Appropriateness, efficacy, expedience, and mutual self-interest guided the court’s actions abroad. Although officials often used “virtue” and “righteousness” in policy discussions and announcements, these terms were not abstract universal principles but justifications for the pursuit of self-interest by those involved. Detailed philological studies reveal that in the realm of international politics, “virtue” and “righteousness” were in fact viewed as pragmatic and utilitarian in nature.

Comprehensive and authoritative, Tang China in Multi-Polar Asia is a major work on Tang foreign relations that will reconceptualize our understanding of the complexities of diplomacy and war in imperial China.

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Workshop: Theatre Nohgaku

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Paula

Theatre Nohgaku wishes to announce its 2014 Workshop Season. We will again be conducting three workshops in the writing and literary structure of noh, in the music of noh, and in the costumes and costuming of noh. These are open to all interested persons. The dates are as follows:

The Music of Noh: Sound and Silence
Hosted by the University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, TX
March 18-21, 2014
Led by TN’s Artistic Director, Richard Emmert

Writing New Noh: Architectures of Poetry and Time
Hosted by Theatre of Yugen @ NOHspace, San Francisco CA
April 18 – 20, 2014
Led by composer/playwright/TN member, David Crandall

Japanese Textiles and the Art of Sculpting Kimono
To be held in Kyoto and Fukuyama, Japan
June 10-18, 2014

Led by Noh costume specialist Monica Bethe and members of the Oshima Noh Theatre

For further information including costs, please see the Theatre Nohgaku website: http://www.theatrenohgaku.org/ or contact workshops@theatrenohgaku.org.

To see some great photos and read firsthand accounts of past workshops, please look at our blog:

http://theatrenohgaku.wordpress.com/category/workshops/costume-workshop/

Richard Emmert

Professor, Asian Theatre and Music, Musashino University

www.musashino-u.ac.jp

Artistic Director, Theatre Nohgaku www.theatrenohgaku.org

[our blog: http://theatrenohgaku.wordpress.com/

[our youtube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZNSXosN-ko

Director, Noh Training Project-Bloomsburg www.nohtrainingproject.org

Director, Noh Training Project-UK www.nohtrainingprojectuk.org/

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Conference: 6th Asian Translation Tradition Conference 2014 Translating Asia: Migration and Transgression

Posted on November 9, 2013 by Paula

call for papers [150-2]Location:       Philippines

Asia has been the site of the migration of peoples, texts, and cultures since pre-modern times. These flows have came largely from the “mother” civilizations of the Arabic, Indian, and Chinese peoples and, in the modern and the transmaritime periods, from the West. Yet the movements have also come from “within.” Intra-regionally, people and texts have navigated on the borderless seascapes of Asia; and within borders, especially in Southeast Asia, center and periphery have been defined in terms of river and hill cultures. In recent times, flows have been transmedial. The paradox of Asia, as of other regions, is that it is both bordered and borderless. It is, but it is not still. It is a reality in translation.

Given this context, the conference focuses on the translation of texts (but also their mistranslations or untranslatability, Rafael 2013), the migrations and diffusions of texts, and the discourses on translation and translational exchange in Asia. It will include “real” translations between discrete cultures and different semiotic systems (as classified by Roman Jacobson in 1959), but its larger rubric is cultural translation, in the sense that Clifford (1986, 1988) used it, encompassing the development of multiple and multilayered identities in the crossing or transgressing of borders in both physical and conceptual spaces.

Aileen Salonga
Department of English and Comparative Literature
University of the Philippines
Diliman
Quezon City Metro Manila Philippines
+632 9263496
Email: asiantranslation6@up.edu.ph
Visit the website at http://asiantranslation6.up.edu.ph/

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Job Opening: International Exchange Coordinator, Toin International Exchange Student (US TIES) Program [Yokohama]

Posted on November 9, 2013 by LM

job opening - 5Position: International Exchange Coordinator
Insitution: Toin International Exchange Student (US TIES) Program
Location: Yokohama, Japan
Starting Date:Spring 2014 (flexible)
Posted 20 Oct. 2013

Overview:

Established in 1964 as a secondary school for boys, Toin Gakuen has grown in thirty-eight short years into a coeducational, conglomerate institution that caters to the educational needs of about 9,000 students from kindergarten to graduate school. The centerpiece of Toin Gakuen, the high school, is nationally renowned for excellence in academics (we consistently send around 300 students to Waseda and Keio, and hundreds to other top universities in Japan) and athletics (Toin has sent its team on numerous occasions to the National High School Baseball Championships at Koshien Stadium, the National High School Rugby Championships at Hanazono and the National Championships in Judo and Kendo). Unlike many other elite Japanese secondary institutions, Toin Gakuen has made international exchange a major priority. We have ties with some of New England’s elite preparatory schools and two of New Zealand’s top high schools. We are committed to strengthening these relationships and hope that you will take an interest in assisting us with this endeavor.

Job Duties:

United States – Toin International Exchange Student (US TIES) Program

Each summer, we bring around 15 international students from five American boarding schools (Andover, Choate, Deerfield, Exeter, St. Paul’s) to study in Japan for four weeks. The IEC will be expected to assist in all aspects of the organization, planning, and administration of the program.

New Zealand – Toin International Exchange Student (NZ TIES) Programme

Each September, we bring around 16 students from two of Wellington’s elite private schools (Scots College, Samuel Marsden Collegiate) to study in Japan for three weeks. The IEC will be expected to assist in all aspects of the organization, planning, and administration of the program. In addition to this, each spring Toin sends the same number of students to the above-mentioned schools for the same length of time. The IEC will be expected to accompany them to New Zealand and participate in the program where necessary.

English Language Related Courses

A significant part of the job will include language-related work. This includes regular oral communication courses for high school students, and prep courses for students who will study in America and New Zealand.

Miscellaneous Duties

Other duties the IEC will perform include interpretation, translation, and proofreading. Toin Gakuen’s international connections stretch around the world, and the coordinator will be expected to assist in the management of those relationships.

Job Requirements:

  • University degree
  • Native English ability
  • Advanced Japanese language ability
  • Ability to function in a Japanese work environment
  • Strong writing skills
  • Desire to work in a school setting
  • Interest in teaching and interacting with young people

Full details on JETWit.com.

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Funding: 20th Century Japan Research Award for 2013-2014

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Paula

money-150-220th Century Japan Research Award for 2013-2014

Location: Maryland, United States

The Nathan and Jeanette Miller Center for Historical Studies and the University of Maryland Libraries invite applications for two $1,500 grants to support research in the librarys Gordon W. Prange Collection and East Asia Collection on topics related to the period of the Allied Occupation of Japan and its aftermath, 1945-1960. Holders of a Ph.D. or an equivalent degree are eligible to apply, as are graduate students who have completed all requirements for the doctorate except the dissertation. The competition is open to scholars in all parts of the world and from any discipline, but historical topics are preferred. University of Maryland faculty, staff, and students may not apply. More information can be found on the Prange Collection website:http://www.lib.umd.edu/prange/research-awards/research-awards
The application deadline is November 15, 2013. The grant must be used by October 31, 2014.

Reid Gustafson
Graduate Assistant
UMD, Nathan and Jeanette Miller Center for Historical Studies
2115 Francis Scott Key Hall, College Park, MD, 20742
millercenter@umd.edu
http://history.umd.edu/historicalstudies
Phone 301-405-4299, Fax 301-314-9399
Email: millercenter@umd.edu
Visit the website at http://www.lib.umd.edu/prange/research-awards/research-awards

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Fun Link Friday: Misao and Fukumaru

Posted on November 8, 2013 by LM

Via itsmikolmota via Demilked.

Misao and Fukumara

Today’s fun link is the galleries of photographer Miyoko Ihara’s Misao and Fukumaru series.

Miyoko Ihara graduated from the Nippon Photography Institute in 2002. Around that time, she began photographing her grandmother, Misao, in order to document her life. One day, Ihara’s grandmother found an odd-eyed kitten in the shed. She named the cat Fukumaru, and since then the two have been inseparable. This touching and beautiful photo book captures the everyday life of elderly Misao and her steadfast feline companion, following them as together they work in the fields, admire spring blossoms, or nap in the sun. Both friends are hard of hearing, so it is endearing to witness the strength of their connection, enacted through sight and physical presence. Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

These are gorgeous photos of farm life in Japan, and–Excuse me, I can’t hear you over the sound of my heart melting.

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Job Opening: Japanese Studies, Assistant Professor (tenure-track)

Posted on November 7, 2013 by Paula

job opening - 5Institution: Florida International University, Asian Studies Program with Department of History or Department of Politics and International Relations
Location:   Florida, United States
Position:   Assistant Professor, Japanese Studies

Florida International University is a comprehensive university offering 340 majors in 188 degree programs in 23 colleges and schools, with innovative bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs across all disciplines including medicine, public health, law, journalism, hospitality, and architecture. FIU is Carnegie-designated as both a research university with high research activity and a community-engaged university. Located in the heart of the dynamic south Florida urban region, our multiple campuses serve over 50,000 students, placing FIU among the ten largest universities in the nation. Our annual research expenditures in excess of $100 million and our deep commitment to engagement have made FIU the go-to solutions center for issues ranging from local to global. FIU leads the nation in granting bachelor’s degrees, including in the STEM fields, to minority students and is first in awarding STEM masters degrees to Hispanics. Our students, faculty, and staff reflect Miami’s diverse population, earning FIU the designation of Hispanic-Serving Institution. At FIU, we are proud to be Worlds Ahead! For more information about FIU, visit fiu.edu.

The Asian Studies Program at Florida International University invites applications for a tenure-track position in Japanese history or international relations at the rank of Assistant Professor, beginningAugust 15, 2014, with the Department of History or Department of Politics and International Relations serving as the tenure-home. Japanese Studies is one of the fastest growing programs in the School of International and Public Affairs at FIU, and is a major in the Asian Studies B.A. degree as well as a graduate track. We seek candidates with a strong commitment to teaching and research in area studies of Japan. The successful candidate will have a research focus on nineteenth or twentieth centuries (including late Edo and/or Meiji period) with broader teaching interests in social and political affairs covering East Asia and more generally in transnational or contemporary global perspectives. Ph.D. in hand and proficiency in Japanese sources are required. Working with digital resources or archives is a plus. A record of publication and excellence in undergraduate and graduate teaching as well as an ability to teach courses dealing with broader East Asia are also valued. FIU is an urban Research-Extensive institution with substantial research expectations of its faculty.

Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply to Job Opening ID (70021405) at jobsearch.fiu.edu and attach a cover letter detailing their research agenda, and teaching philosophy, curriculum vitae, sample syllabi, recent (2 years) teaching evaluations, a writing sample (not to exceed 30 pages), and the names of three persons sending letters of recommendation.  Applicants should have three letters of reference sent by mail or email to Dr. Steven Heine, Professor and Director of Asian Studies and Chair of Japanese Search, Asian Studies Program, Florida International University, SIPA 505, 11200 S.W. 8th Street, Miami, Florida 33199 or to heines@fiu.edu. To receive full consideration, applications and required materials should be received by January 1, 2014. Review will continue until position is filled.

FIU is a member of the State University System of Florida and is an Equal Opportunity, Equal Access Affirmative Action Employer.

Contact: Dr. Steven Heine, Professor and Director of Asian Studies and Chair of Japanese Search, Asian Studies Program
Florida International University
11200 S.W. 8th Street – SIPA 505
Miami, Florida 33199

Website: jobsearch.fiu.edu

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