Blog Review: Spoon & Tamago

Posted on November 21, 2012 by LM

As someone who works for an art magazine, I try to keep abreast of the latest in Japanese design. One website that I am particularly fond of is Spoon & Tamago.

Ryosuke Fukusada & Rui Pereira. Sapore Dei Mobili. Image via Spoon & Tamago.

Created by husband-wife team Johnny (Tamago) and Tomomi (Spoon), this English-language design blog “attempts to comprehensively cover all aspects of Japanese design from fine art and architecture to product and graphic design.” The contributors do their own research and translations; since they focus on aggregating recent and original content, Spoon & Tamago plays a critical role in design-blog world and is often cited on Design Milk, Moco Loco, and Inhabitat. I first encountered the site when I was researching designer Ryosuke Fukusada and his projects Sapore dei Mobili (with Rui Pereira) and Net Lamp.

Image via Spoon & Tamago. “Winners of the You Fab 2012 design contest.”

Spoon & Tamago covers everything from design contests to cutting-edging architecture to Kyary Pamyu Pamyu‘s videos. Don’t know where to start? For a brief overview of who’s who in Japanese contemporary art and design, the fields covered on the site, or Japanese architecture, check out the Explore page.

http://www.spoon-tamago.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SpoonTamago
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpoonTamago

Posted in blogs, culture, useful links | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Job Opening: Japanese Studies Librarian

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Paula

Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Position: Librarian

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries seek an innovative and energetic Japanese Studies Librarian with broad knowledge and experience in developing and managing library resources to support teaching and research for faculty, undergraduates, and graduate students in Japanese Studies, with preference to candidates who also specialize in Korean Studies.  The position broadly supports the interdisciplinary interests of the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations as well as the Center for East Asian Studies and the James Joo-Jin Kim Program in Korean Studies.

Faculty research and teaching for Japanese Studies includes the humanities and the social sciences with particular strength in Buddhism, pre-modern and modern Japanese literature, history, performing and visual arts, pre-modern Japanese architecture and archaeology, medieval studies, Tokugawa studies, and gender studies. In Korean Studies, Penns areas of strength include history,art history, sociology, and anthropology.

Continue reading →

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Job Opening: Japanese Language, Literature & Culture

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Paula

Institution: University of New Mexico – Albuquerque, Foreign Languages & Literatures
Location:       New Mexico, United States
Position:       Assistant Professor of Japanese

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at the University of New Mexico invites applications for a probationary appointment decision at the rank of Assistant Professor leading to a tenure and promotion in a field of Japanese literature and/or culture, to begin August 1, 2013. The successful candidate will demonstrate a high degree of excellence in teaching and scholarship and exhibit potential to contribute to the intellectual life of the department and the university.

The successful candidate will teach undergraduate courses in Japanese literature and culture, and all levels of Japanese language, and have the opportunity to teach graduate courses and work with students in our Master’s Program in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies. The successful candidate will contribute to the university’s interdisciplinary programs and help develop curriculum for a new major in Japanese.  The successful candidate will be expected to maintain an active research and publication agenda. Salary and benefits are competitive.

Continue reading →

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Funding: Friends of the Princeton University Library Research Grant Program

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Paula

Location: United States; Princeton University

Each year, the Friends of the Princeton University Library offer short-term Library Research Grants to promote scholarly use of the librarys research collections. Up to $3,500 is available per award. Applications will be considered for scholarly use of archives, manuscripts, rare books, and other rare and unique holdings of the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, including Mudd Library; as well as rare books in Marquand Library of Art and Archaeology, and in the East Asian Library (Gest Collection). Special grants are awarded in several areas: the Program in Hellenic Studies supports a limited number of library fellowships in Hellenic studies, and the Cotsen Childrens Library supports research in its collection on aspects of childrens books. The Maxwell Fund supports research on
materials dealing with Portuguese-speaking cultures. The Sid Lapidus ’59 Research Fund for Studies of the Age of Revolution and the Enlightenment in the Atlantic World covers work using materials pertinent to this topic.

For more information, or to apply, please go to http://www.princeton.edu/rbsc/fellowships/f_ships.html

The deadline to apply is January 15, 2013.

Email: pulgrant@princeton.edu
Visit the website at
http:////www.princeton.edu/rbsc/fellowships/f_ships.html

Posted in announcements, funding, graduate school | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fellowship: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Paula

The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship Program provides recent PhD recipients and ABDs (please see program eligibility requirements) with opportunities to conduct research in Japan under the leadership of a host researcher. Fellows are encouraged to advance their own research and at the same time closely collaborate with young Japanese researchers and contribute to Japanese research communities.

Applications are welcome from all social science and humanities disciplines and need not be explicitly related to the study of Japan. Projects must include work with colleagues and resources in Japan and propose a single, continuous stay in Japan from 1 to 12 months (short-term) or 1 to 2 years (long-term).

For more information and to download the application, visit us athttp://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/jsps-fellowship/.

Detailed application instructions, eligibility restrictions and terms of awards are attached to the application forms.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: December 1, 2012

For all inquiries, contact Fernando Rojas at japan@ssrc.org or at 212-377-2700.

Posted in announcements, financial assistance, funding, graduate school | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Asian Art History, Mellon Assistant Professor

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Paula

Institution: Vanderbilt University, History of Art
Location:   Tennessee, United States
Position:   Assistant Professor, Non-Tenure Track Faculty, Professor of Asian Art

The Department of History of Art at Vanderbilt University invites applications for the position of Mellon Assistant Professor of Asian Art (non-tenure-track, 3-year appointment) beginning in the 2013 fall semester. The successful candidate will have a strong research agenda in any area of the history of Asian art.  PhD required; teaching experience preferred.  In addition, in accordance with Mellon Foundation guidelines, applicants must have received the Ph.D. no more than four years from the start of the position. Teaching load 2/2. For more information on our program please visit the department website: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/historyart/.

Applications, including cover letter, CV, writing sample, teaching philosophy (and evidence of effectiveness), and three letters of reference should be submitted to: Mellon Assistant Professor Search Committee Chair, Department of History of Art, Vanderbilt University, Box 0274 GPC, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203. Application deadline: December 3. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.  Women and minority candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Contact: Mellon Assistant Professor Search Committee Chair, Department of History of Art, Vanderbilt University, Box 0274 GPC, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN  37203.

Website: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/historyart/

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Announcement: The Invention of Religion in Japan

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Paula

Throughout its long history, Japan had no concept of what we call “religion.” There was no corresponding Japanese word, nor anything close to its meaning. But when American warships appeared off the coast of Japan in 1853 and forced the Japanese government to sign treaties demanding, among other things, freedom of religion, the country had to contend with this Western idea. In this book, Jason Ānanda Josephson reveals how Japanese officials invented religion in Japan and traces the sweeping intellectual, legal, and cultural changes that followed.

More than a tale of oppression or hegemony, Josephson’s account demonstrates that the process of articulating religion offered the Japanese state a valuable opportunity. In addition to carving out space for belief in Christianity and certain forms of Buddhism, Japanese officials excluded Shinto from the category. Instead, they enshrined it as a national ideology while relegating the popular practices of indigenous shamans and female mediums to the category of “superstitions”–and thus beyond the sphere of tolerance. Josephson argues that the invention of religion in Japan was a politically charged, boundary-drawing exercise that not only extensively reclassified the inherited materials of Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto to lasting effect, but also reshaped, in subtle but significant ways, our own formulation of the concept of religion today. This ambitious and wide-ranging book contributes an important perspective to broader debates on the nature of religion, the secular,
science, and superstition.

* * *

In terms of periodization, while the book’s narrative culminates in the early Taisho period, its main argument begins with the Jesuit-Japanese encounter of 1551 and it dwells at length on the intervening periods.

“The Invention of Religion in Japan is truly revolutionary. Original, well researched, and engrossing, it overturns basic assumptions in the study of Japanese thought, religion, science, and history…. This book will absolutely reshape the field.”–Sarah Thal, University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Jason ­Ananda Josephson astutely analyzes how Japanese definitions of religion sought to contain Christian missionary agendas and to position Japan advantageously vis-à-vis Western nations while at the same time radically reconfiguring inherited traditions and articulating new ideological norms for Japanese citizens. His broad erudition allows him to place the case of Japan in transnational perspective and to offer persuasive theoretical insights into the mutually constitutive nature of religion, superstition, and the secular. This study is illuminating reading for anyone interested, not only in modern Japan, but in the complex interconnections of religion, modernity, and the politics of nation states.”
– – Jacqueline Stone, Princeton University

http://www.amazon.com/Invention-Religion-Japan-Ananda-Josephson/dp/0226412342

Posted in announcements, culture | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Premodern Japanese Art History or Architectural History

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Paula

Institution:   University of British Columbia, Art History, Visual Art & Theory
Location:   British Columbia, Canada
Position:   Assistant Professor (tenure-track) , Premodern Japanese Art History or Architectural History

The Department of Art History, Visual Art, and Theory at the University of British Columbia invites applications for a tenure-track appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor in the field of Premodern Japanese Art History or Architectural History.

The candidate must have a PhD (or expect to successfully defend before July 1, 2013). The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate the potential for excellence in research and in undergraduate and graduate teaching. He or she will be expected to maintain an active program of research, publication, teaching, graduate supervision, and service, and to demonstrate serious engagement with contemporary issues and debates within the discipline, and involvement with innovative research approaches. Familiarity with the historical span of Japanese and East Asian art, including the modern era, would be an asset for undergraduate teaching.

UBC, one of the largest and most distinguished universities in Canada, has excellent resources for scholarly research and artistic practice. The Art History program partners with the strong studio art and the Critical and Curatorial Studies programs (www.ahva.ubc.ca). This position in art history also presents an opportunity to engage with an interdisciplinary group of scholars within the larger academic community, including the Department of Asian Studies, the Asian Library, and Institute of Asian Research, as well as the Museum of Anthropology and the Morris and Helen Belkin Gallery.

Applicants must submit in hard copy the following: A letter of application will include a detailed curriculum vitae; statement of research and teaching philosophies; a sample dissertation chapter or scholarly paper; evidence of teaching potential and effectiveness; and three confidential letters of reference sent under separate cover. The anticipated start date of employment is July 1, 2013. Applications should be addressed to:  Professor Scott Watson, Chair, Art History Search Committee, Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory, University of British Columbia, 403-6333 Memorial Road, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z2, Canada.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity and diversity within its community. All qualified persons are encouraged to apply. We especially welcome applications from members of visible minority groups, women, Aboriginal persons, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, and others with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities. Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. This position is subject to final budgetary approval.  Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Deadline: Applications and all supporting materials must be received by Friday December 14, 2012, 4:00pm PST.

Contact: Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory
University of British Columbia
403-6333 Memorial Road
Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z2, Canada
(604) 822-5650
ahva.head@ubc.ca

Website: http://ahva.ubc.ca/

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fun Link Friday: Interview with Frederik L. Schodt

Posted on November 16, 2012 by LM

Along with Helen McCarthy, Frederik L. Schodt was one of the first authors I read when I began researching anime and manga over a decade ago. The author of Dreamland Japan and Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics, Schodt is also responsible for the first English translation of The Rose of Versailles (『ベルサイユのばら』）, the anime version of which is finally getting an official US release in Dec. 2012.

Today’s fun link is a two-part recent interview that my JetWIT colleague Justin Teldadi conducted with Schodt on the occasion of the publication of his new book Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese Troupe. I really enjoyed catching up with Schodt’s current work as well as taking a nice trip down memory lane.

A personal note and a question for our readers: Since his books and partial translation were my first exposure to RoV, Schodt essentially set in motion my professional and personal work in gender studies and pop culture. If you had to name one person’s work as the impetus for your own academic career in Japan studies, whose would it be?

Posted in fun links | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Job Opening: Office Manager, Japan Society of Northern California

Posted on November 15, 2012 by LM

Institution: The Japan Society of Northern California
Location: San Francisco, CA
Education: 2-year degree

The Japan Society of Northern California is a public affairs 501(c) 3 non-profit with a mission to strengthen cooperation and understanding between the peoples of the United States and Japan through programs that expand knowledge, increase personal interaction and facilitate discussion of important issues.

The Office Manager will assist the President and the Board of Directors to achieve this mission by providing administrative and logistical support to facilitate smooth office and financial management. The Office Manager reports directly to the President.

Responsibilities:

Continue reading →

Posted in announcements, job openings, jobs | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment