Call for Papers: Japan: Pre-modern, Modern and Contemporary. A Return Trip from the East to the West.

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures (Japanese Department) at the “Dimitrie Cantemir” Christian University, with the support of its collaborators from Kobe University, Kyoto University and Kanda University of International Studies, will be organizing the fifth international conference “Japan: Pre-modern, Modern and Contemporary. A Return Trip from the East to the West. Learning in, about and from Japan”, on September 4-6, 2017 in Bucharest, Romania. The conference will be followed on September 7 by student workshops and a visit to the Romanian Museum of Collections.

The topics of the conference include, but are not limited to:

  • Literary studies
  • History and (inter)cultural studies
  • Language studies and linguistics
  • Anthropology
  • Mythology and Folklore
  • Art

Keynote speakers:

Prof. Chikako Masuda (Kansai University)

Prof. Yoshikazu Suzuki (Kobe University)

Guest speaker:

Mr. Alan Scott Pate

A selection of papers will be published in the Annals of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures of “Dimitrie Cantemir” Christian University (IDB indexed journal; last issue available at http://aflls.ucdc.ro/doc/anale1_2016.pdf).

There is no participation fee.

Guidelines for submission

1.      The main language is English, but papers may also be given in Japanese, on condition that the presenter provides PowerPoint slides or detailed handouts in English. (発表言語:英語、または日本語。日本語の場合、英語による資料の配布・スライドの提供が望ましい。)

2.      Individual presentations should be 20 minutes long, and will be followed by 10 minutes of Q&A; proposals should be up to 300 words (日本語による発表要旨の場合:500字程度). Each proposal should include the name, title and affiliation of the presenter.

3.      Panels should have at least three members (three presenters, or two presenters and a discussant), and up to four members (four presenters, or three presenters and a discussant). Panel proposals should include the title of the panel and a general abstract of up to 300 words, plus 250-word abstracts for each paper (日本語による要旨の場合:パネルの全体要旨=500字程度、各自の要旨=350字程度). The name, title, and affiliation of each member should also be included.

4.      Submission deadline is  June 1, 2017. Selection results will be announced at the end of June.

5.      Proposals for virtual presentations via Skype will also be considered. The submission guidelines and procedures are the same as for regular presentations (see above). Please mention in your application that you will be presenting via the internet.

6.      Please send your proposals as Word file or PDF attachments, and any inquiries to: confjapan@gmail.com

We look forward to seeing you in Bucharest!

Contact Info:

Dr. Irina Holca (Kyoto University)

Contact Email:
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Call for Papers: The 14th Conference of Asian Studies in Israel

We are delighted to announce that the 14th Biennial Conference of Asian Studies in Israel (ASI18) will take place at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus Campus, on Wed-Thu, May 23-24, 2018.

We invite proposals on Asian-related topics (Central, South, East and South-East Asia).  Priority will be given to thematic panels (3-4 papers + chair and/or discussant), but individual paper submissions are also welcome. The deadline for submitting proposals for either organized panels or individual papers is November 6, 2017.

The proposal should include the title of the panel or the individual paper together with a short abstract (150-200 words), as well as a short CV (1 page max) of the presenter/s. With the exception of roundtables, panel proposals should also include the title and abstract of each paper. Please indicate in your proposal what equipment, if any, will be required for your panel or lecture. The conference will be bi-lingual (Hebrew/English). Abstracts can be submitted in either English or Hebrew (preferably both).

Proposals for panels/papers, as well as all enquiries, should be submitted by email to the conference mail (asi18huji@gmail.com( with copies to the Frieberg Center (eacenter@mail.huji.ac.il) and to the conference’s convener, Prof. Michal Biran (ercmongol@gmail.com).

Conference guests are welcome to stay at the Beit Maiersdorf Faculty Club, located at the conference venue. Priority will be given to foreign participants. The Frieberg Center for East Asian Studies at the Hebrew University will help in covering the accommodation costs of  foreign participants but will not be able to participate in the cost of travel.

Please distribute this call for papers among your colleagues and networks. Both Hebrew and Non-Hebrew speakers are most welcome.

On behalf of the organizing committee,

Prof. Michal Biran, Convener, The Frieberg Center for East Asian Studies
Dr. Nissim Otmazgin, Chair of the Department of Asian Studies, HUJI
Dr. Orna Naftali, Department of Asian Studies, HUJI
Dr. Eviatar Shulman, Department of Asian Studies, HUJI
Dr. Jooyeon Rhee, Department of Asian Studies, HUJI

The Department of Asian Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem is the oldest in Israel and is one of the biggest departments in the Faculty of Humanities, home to over 300 students specializing in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian Studies. The department is characterized by its excellence in research and teaching, and it maintains an environment of cooperation between students and faculty in a wide array of extracurricular activities. To read more about the department, visit: http://asia.huji.ac.il/en

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Funding: Jonathan T. Yeh Award for Student Scholarship in Asian and Asian American Folklore

The Transnational Asia/Pacific Section of the American Folklore Society is proud to present the Jonathan T. Yeh Award for Student Scholarship in Asian and Asian American Folklore. The award aims to foster and promote graduate and undergraduate students in the early stages of their careers, encourage advanced scholarly research and publication on Asian and/or Asian American folklore subjects, and support AFS members who want to participate more actively in the Society. The $500 prize winner will be announced at the AFS annual meeting for the best student paper that contributes to Asian and/or Asian American folklore studies through research and analysis.  It is expected that the award recipient will present his/her paper at the AFS annual conference.

The co-conveners of the Transnational Asia/Pacific Section will form the committee, together with three additional members, including Dr. Nora Yeh who sponsors this award, to select the paper. At the time of submission, the applicant must be a registered full-time graduate or undergraduate student. He or she may be enrolled in any discipline in any U.S. or international academic institution. The work must show compelling prospects for the publication of his or her scholarly work and demonstrate a dedication to research and/or teaching folklore studies. All applications must include a one-page cover letter describing the applicant’s background and current activities, indicating why the applicant deserves consideration for this award; a one-page CV; a 10-12 page research paper, double-spaced (approximately 2500 words); and one letter of recommendation from an academic institution or equivalent, sent under separate cover (e-mail attachments are acceptable).

Please send all materials via e-mail to:

Dr. Fariha Khan
Asian American Studies Program, University of Pennsylvania
166 McNeil Bldg., 3718 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA.

Deadline is June 15. The prize will be awarded at the AFS annual meeting.

For more about the award and the section, please see:

http://www.afsnet.org/page/YehAward

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Book Announcement: The Economic and Business History of Occupied Japan

The Economic and Business History of Occupied Japan: New Perspectives

Edited by Thomas French.

Routledge, 2018.

From the publisher’s website:

About the Book

The Occupation era (1945-1952) witnessed major change in Japan and the beginnings of its growth from of the ashes of defeat towards its status as a developmental model for much of the world. The period arguably saw the sowing of the seeds of the post-war flowering of what some term the ‘post-war Japanese economic miracle’. However, some scholars dispute this position and argue that the Occupation’s policies and impacts actually hindered Japan’s recovery. This volume addresses this question and others surrounding the business and economic history of this crucial period.

This chapters presented in The Economic and Business History of Occupied Japan are authored by major scholars of the Occupation from the US, Japan and Europe. The chapters are divided into three sections: Planning, Reform and Recovery, Industries Under Occupation, and Legacies of the Occupation era. Following an introduction and focusing on the historiographical background, the first section, examines Zaibatsu Dissolution and its significance, the role of Japanese businessmen within the Occupation’s reforms, the crucial impact of Japan’s post-war Materials Crisis, and finally, the impact of reform at the local level in Hokkaido. Part two looks at a number of individual industries and their development during the era, including the fishing, automotive and cotton spinning industry. The final section looks at the human impact of the changes of the initial post-war years, including the reintegration of repatriates into the Japanese labour force, and the impact of changing working patterns on society and family life.

This book covers an under-examined period of the economic and business history of Japan and presents numerous new approaches and original contributions to the scholarship of the Occupation era. It will be of interest to scholars of modern Japan, economic history, business history, development studies and post-war US-Japan relations.

Table of Contents

Introduction – Thomas French

Part 1: Planning, Reform, and Recovery

*Japanese Agency and Business Reform in Occupied Japan: The Holding Company Liquidation Commission and Zaibatsu Dissolution – Steven J. Ericson
*Japan’s Postwar Social Metabolic Crisis – Mark Metzler
*The Role of the Frontier: GHQ/SCAP Economic Policies and Hokkaidō – Juha Saunavaara

Part 2: Industries under Occupation

*An Empire Reborn: The Japanese Fishing Industry during the Occupation – William M. Tsutsui
*Fiats and Jeeps: The Occupation, Jeeps, and the Postwar Automotive Industry
*The Japanese Cotton Spinning Industry and Economic Recovery under SCAP – Takahiro Ohata

Part 3: Socioeconomic Changes in the Occupation Era

*The Economic Reintegration of Former Colonial Residents in Postwar Japan – Steven Ivings
*Good Wife, Wise Mother and Americanised Consumer: The Forced Social Democratisation of the Private Sphere in Occupied Japan – Zsombor Rajkai

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Fun Link Friday: Far Outliers

The blog Far Outliers describes itself as “Exploring migrants, exiles, expatriates, and out-of-the-way peoples, places, and times, mostly in the Asia-Pacific region.” Posts on the blog range widely, covering lots of really interesting and, indeed, “far outlying” topics, from a breadfruit revolution in Ghana, and Afghanistan as the “University of Jihad”, to numerous posts on Native American history, Korean history, and Central Asia. There are, of course, numerous posts on Japan as well. I’ve learned so much about interesting different corners of the world from this blog, and you just never know what he’s going to post about next.

In recent weeks, the author of Far Outliers has been typing up and posting sections from notebooks kept by his brother, when the brother was working as a guide at the 1975 Ocean Expo, held in Nago, Okinawa (incidentally, Ocean Expo Park remains a major tourist attraction today, and includes the Churaumi Aquarium, the Oceanic Cultures Museum, an open-air architectural museum of Okinawan architecture, and a small botanical gardens, among other attractions). His posts provide some fun glimpses into the experience of the Expo, and some interesting commentary on Japanese & Okinawan etymologies & linguistics. They include posts on:
*Birds
*Robatayaki
*Taketomi Island + traditional Ryukyuan tattooing
*Sailing and Tattoos
*The Japanese suffix “-buru”, meaning roughly “to pretend [to do/be something]
*shopping for knives

A view of Iejima from Ocean Expo Park. Photo by Travis, 20 Sept 2014.

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Job Opening: Reischauer Policy Research Fellow

Reischauer Policy Research Fellows Program

Program Overview:

Inaugurated in May 2013, the Reischauer Policy Research Fellows Program is a critical element of the Reischauer Center at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC. It is designed to support the Center’s various research initiatives, while also providing recent undergraduate or graduate students with broad practical experience regarding the public and private-sector analysis process. Fellowships are paid and tenable for one academic year beginning in late August 2017 with the potential for renewal for an additional year.

While the Reischauer Center’s website is currently under construction, more information about our activities can be found on our Facebook page (@ReischauerCenter). Please direct any questions about the position or application process to Alexander Evans, Research and Program Coordinator, at aevans46@jhu.edu.

Job Description:

Research Fellows personally assist Dr. Kent Calder, Director of the Reischauer Center, with projects related to the Center’s mission of supporting the study of transpacific and intra-Asian relations. Recent topics include, but are not limited to: the role of cities in global governance; the functioning of Washington’s ‘idea industry’ and government-business relations; policy best practices in U.S.-Japan relations such as healthcare, infrastructure, and agriculture; global energy policy; and comparative Eurasian political economy.

Fellows also provide logistical support for seminars, luncheons, and conferences offered by the Reischauer Center. They are able to interact with senior researchers affiliated with the Center as part of our Visiting Scholars Program, who typically join us for one academic year from various government agencies in Japan. Furthermore, Fellows are welcome to participate in events in the larger Johns Hopkins SAIS community and are frequently able to attend courses in the Japan Studies department.

Ideal Qualifications and Skills:

    • Bachelor’s degree or higher in Political Science, International Relations, Economics, History, East Asian Studies, or a related field
      Interest in the regional issues of East Asia
    •  Exceptional research, writing, and editing skills
    • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and familiarly with online academic databases
    • Ability to work both independently and in a team setting
    • Fluency in relevant languages such as Japanese, Korean, or Chinese

How to Apply:

Send a resume, cover letter, and a 1,000 word writing sample to the Reischauer Center at reischauer@jhu.edu. Previously submitted papers or memos are acceptable, as well as excerpts of longer works.

Interested applicants should apply as soon as possible since applications will be considered on a rolling basis for three positions with final decisions made no later than July 14, 2017.

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Call for Papers: Nation, Gender and History, Asian Cinemas in Perspective

Nation, Gender and History: Asian Cinemas in Perspective
International conference
Vilnius University, Centre of Oriental Studies, 7-9 September 2017

Asian Arts Centre and The Centre of Oriental Studies of Vilnius University (Lithuania) invite scholars, film professionals and enthusiasts to Nation, Gender and History, an international conference on the cinemas of Asia.

The deadline for abstracts is 30 April 2017.

The idea of a national culture has played a fundamental role in the definition, historiography and evaluation of Asian cultural practices for at least two centuries, and cinema is no exception. In today’s world, however, ideas of the nation appear as increasingly problematic. The same can be said of gender, the pertinence of which in individuals’ understanding of themselves and their history has, over the last decades, been challenged from many fronts. And yet both ideas of nation and gender continue to mark discourses about identities and countries, including and perhaps especially in situations of conflict. 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of the independence and partition of India and Pakistan. The conference takes this opportunity to raise the question: can we still argue for the centrality of national cinemas? What role do notions of gender play in our appreciation of a nation’s cinema? And how do the interconnections between gender and nation in cinema help us understand the present historical moment?

The first aim of this conference is to create a dialogic space in which to revisit the ways in which, today and in the past, nation, gender and history interact(ed) and shape(d) one another in the cinemas of Asia. The term ‘Asia’ is used here as a short-hand to point to the cinema made in wide range of very diverse countries, rather than as a fixed, singular or homogenous entity – an invitation to look beyond the globalised canon of much film theory. Our second aim is thus also to explore points of convergences and trans-cultural forms and practices across this region. Has cinema ever been ‘national’ in Asia? What role does it play today, or did it play in the past, in constructing pan-Asian subjectivities? How does gender – the staple of nationalist discourses – function in specific trans-national or regional cinemas?

While we are interested in papers on the cinema of every Asian country, we particularly welcome papers on the all too often overlooked and still poorly researched cinemas of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, as well as on regional language formations such as Pashto, Sindhi, or Bhojpuri cinemas. We especially welcome papers on popular, low-budget genres (exploitation, B-grade, horror, sci-fi, and erotic films).

Below is a list of themes the conference will endeavor to address. It is not an exhaustive list and is intended as a guide, not as a set of limitations. We welcome suggestions and proposals on related topics.

– the representation of sexuality and/or its repression; cinematic images of a sexual nature, their censorship and their exploitation; the filmic displacement of representations of sexual desire;

–  gender and film genres. We are particularly interested in papers examining gender in exploitation, B-grade, horror, sci-fi, low budget film productions;

–  gendered allegories of the nation, including mythological representations;

–  technical and/or narrative aspects of gender representations; male and female gazes; cinematography, editing, sound and gender;

–  national and trans-national aspects of stardom, production and/or distribution; transnational connections; diaspora cinema;

–  gender and the film industry, including directors, distributors and exhibitors.

Abstracts / proposals should be in English and of no more than 350 words, including a 50 word author biography.  Time for each paper: 20 minutes.

The conference registration fee is EUR 40 to be paid upon arrival and covers:

  • conference folder and badge
  • refreshments during scheduled breaks
  • receptions

The deadline for abstracts is 30 April 2017.

Send your abstract / proposal to the conference organisers at nagehi2017@gmail.com

In your email, please specify academic or professional affiliation.

More information at the conference website: https://nagehi2017.wordpress.com/

Contact Info:

The conference is organized by Dr Deimantas Valanciunas (Vilnius University) and Dr Valentina Vitali (University of East London). For all conference related queries you can contact the organizers by the conference email nagehi2017@gmail.com or by writing directly to Dr. Deimantas Valanciunas at deimantasval@gmail.com.

Contact Email:
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Job Opening: Lecturer in Japanese Studies, University of Leeds

Lecturer in Japanese Studies, University of Leeds

Faculty/Service: Faculty of Arts, Humanities & Cultures
Category: Academic
Grade: Grade 7 to Grade 8
Salary: £34,956 to £46,924 p.a.

Post available from 1 August 2017

Are you an academic with proven abilities to carry out teaching and research in Japanese Studies? Do you have an excellent research record and a potential for establishing an international reputation? Are you passionate about delivering an exceptional student experience in a research-intensive Russell Group University?

As Lecturer in Japanese Studies, you will carry out research and teaching that complements our existing research strengths and teaching interests in the Japanese section of East Asian Studies. On the teaching side, you will be able to teach at all levels of our Single and Joint Honours undergraduate programmes in Japanese Studies. You will also supervise research students and contribute to the Japanese-English specialised translation strands on our MA in Applied Translation Studies (MAATS) and to other relevant MA programmes within the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies.

You will have some relevant teaching experience and a PhD in Japanese Studies, ideally with a specialism in the Religion, Anthropology or History of Japan. You will also pursue a research agenda that builds on your achievements to date and that contributes to the unit’s reputation for high quality and innovative research, and contribute to the effective management of the School, Faculty, and wider University.

Further details:

https://jobs.leeds.ac.uk/Upload/vacancies/files/7942/AHCLC1019 Lecturerer in Japanese Studies.pdf

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Irena Hayter, Programme Manager, Japanese Studies, Email: i.hayter@leeds.ac.uk

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Book Announcement: Ritualized Writing: Buddhist Practice and Scriptural Cultures in Ancient Japan

Ritualized Writing: Buddhist Practice and Scriptural Cultures in Ancient Japan

Kuroda Studies in East Asian Buddhism
University of Hawaii Press, 2017
Author: Bryan D. Lowe

Ritualized Writing takes readers into the fascinating world of Japanese Buddhist manuscript cultures. Using archival sources that have received scant attention in English, primarily documents from an eighth-century Japanese scriptorium and colophons from sutra manuscripts, Bryan D. Lowe uncovers the ways in which the transcription of Buddhist scripture was a highly ritualized endeavor. He takes a ground-level approach by emphasizing the activities and beliefs of a wide range of individuals, including scribes, provincial patrons, and royals, to reassess the meaning of scripture and reevaluate scholarly narratives of Japanese Buddhist history.

Copying scripture is a central Buddhist practice and one that thrived in East Asia. Despite this, there are no other books dedicated to the topic. This work demonstrates that patrons and scribes treated sutras differently from other modes of writing. Scribes purified their bodies prior to transcription. Patrons held dedicatory ceremonies on days of abstinence, when prayers were pronounced and sutras were recited. Transcribing sutras helped scribes and patrons alike realize this- and other-worldly ambitions and cultivate themselves in accord with Buddhist norms. Sutra copying thus functioned as a form of ritualized writing, a strategic practice that set apart scripture as uniquely efficacious and venerable.

Lowe employs this notion of ritualized writing to challenge historical narratives about ancient Japan (late seventh through early ninth centuries), a period when sutra copying flourished. He contends that Buddhist practice fulfilled a variety of social, political, and spiritual roles beyond ideological justification. Moreover, he demonstrates the inadequacy of state-folk dichotomies for understanding the social groups, institutions, and individual beliefs and practices of ancient Japanese Buddhism, highlighting instead common organizations across social class and using models that reveal shared concerns among believers from diverse social backgrounds.

Ritualized Writing makes broader contributions to the study of ritual and scripture by introducing the notion of scriptural cultures, an analytic tool that denotes a series of dynamic relationships and practices involving texts that have been strategically set apart or ritualized. Scripture, Lowe concludes, is at once a category created by humans and a body of texts that transforms individuals and social organizations who come into contact with it.

“Bryan Lowe offers a richly textured account of early Japanese Buddhist manuscript cultures and their associated ritual practices. Through careful analysis of scriptural colophons as well as materials from the Shōsōin archive, Lowe demonstrates the importance of ritualized writing for rulers, aristocrats, scribes, and ‘good friends’ of the Buddhist Dharma across the Japanese islands. In so doing, he provides a compelling new account of contemporaneous understandings of merit, kingship, deities, religious identity, and a host of other issues that resonated within Japanese religious culture for centuries.” (Michael Como, Columbia University)

“Bryan Lowe’s ground-breaking book is extraordinary for its insights into an era and topic that have long been ignored in the West: the Nara Period and the copying of scriptures. Lowe uses an interdisciplinary approach that includes political, economic, ritual, and ethical aspects in an exemplary fashion. His examination of the Indian, Central Asian, and Sinitic backgrounds of the subject extends his discussion to almost all of Buddhist Asia.” (Paul Groner, professor emeritus, University of Virginia)

Here is the link to the UH Press page: http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/p-9740-9780824859404.aspx

Kindle editions at a significantly reduced price are also available via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ritualized-Writing-Buddhist-Practice-Scriptural-ebook/dp/B01IR7BNA8/ref=sr_tnr_p_1_158289011_1_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1491577307&sr=8-1&keywords=ritualized+writing

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Workshop: 2017 Early Modern Japan Summer Workshop: Reading Kuzushiji

The Center for East Asian Studies Committee on Japanese Studies at the University of Chicago is pleased to announce the 2017 Early Modern Japan Summer Workshop: Reading Kuzushiji. The workshop will meet from June 12th to June 17th.   This year’s workshop will feature two tracks. Professor Ken’ichiro Aratake of Tohoku University’s Northeast Asia Center will instruct the intermediate group in the reading of manuscript materials from the Tokugawa and early Meiji period, while Dr. Nobuko Toyosawa (former UofC postdoctoral fellow, now Fellow at the Czech Republic’s Oriental Institute) will lead a two-day introductory workshop focusing on print materials.  Participants in Dr. Toyosawa’s group will be prepared to join the intermediate group from day 3 of the workshop.  The workshop will conclude with a symposium on Saturday, June 17th that features presentations by participants on their research projects.

The workshop is open to faculty, graduate students, librarians, and curators.  Please note that the workshop will be conducted in Japanese and participants should have a working knowledge of classical grammar and some familiarity with hentaigana.  There is a $100 program fee that covers copy costs and lunch each day.

Modest funds are available to assist faculty and graduate students coming from institutions unable to offer support.

Applications can be submitted online at https://japanatchicago.wufoo.com/forms/reading-kuzushiji-summer-2017/

Modest funds are available to assist faculty and graduate students coming from institutions unable to offer support.

Additional inquiries can be directed to the workshop organizer, Professor Susan Burns (slburns@uchicago.edu).  The application deadline is May 1, 2017.

Participants are responsible for making their own housing arrangements.  In the past, participants have used airbnb and marketplace.uchicago.edu to identify inexpensive lodging options.  In addition, housing is available in guest houses in Hyde Park with a listing available here.

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