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  • *** NOTE: Speakers are needed for 2026.

    Please contact Patricia Yarrow at: yarrowp@gmail.com

    NEXT INFORMASIA LECTURE

    Informasia #1, January 19, 2026

    Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6338045613

    Paul Martin

    “An Introduction to the Beauty of Japanese Swords”

    Vimeo video: Will be posted January 20, 2026

    Audio: Will be posted January 20, 2026

    Abstract

    An introduction to Japanese swords as art. The sword has been an integral part of Japanese culture since earliest times, included among burial goods along with other sacred items. Swords continue to be devoted to shrines as vessels in which for the patron deities to reside, or for spiritual protection. Although it is fundamentally a weapon, they were the least used item within the warriors arsenal. This talk introduces the sword from its spiritual roots and influence on Japanese culture, its development as a weapon, and its unique aspect as fine art.

    Our Speaker

    Paul Martin is a former curator in the Japanese section at the British Museum, London. He holds an M.A. in Asian Studies (Japan) from the University of Berkeley, California, and has resided in Japan working as a Japanese sword specialist for over twenty years. He is a regular presenter of swords on NHK E-Tele and NHK World. He is also a trustee of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Sword Culture (NBSK), a recognized specialist by the Ministry of Land Infrastructure, Tourism and Transport, and has produced several books and DVDs on Japanese swords.

    Publications

    Japanese Swords and Armor, Paul Martin. Tuttle 2024, (Also in Italian, French, Spanish, (and Taiwanese 2026) Nuinui)

    Hidden Treasures of Samurai Art, Ogawa Morihiro (Trans, Paul Martin) 2023. NHK Shuppan

    Masterpiece Swords, Sacred Treasures and Ritual Implements of Nikko Futarasan-Jinja Shrine, Edited by Ogawa Morihiro (Trans, Paul Martin) 2020, Futarasan Jinja/Sogeisha.

    Exhibition

    Swords of Kyoto (Special Exhibition): Master Craftsmanship from an Elegant Culture. Kyoto National Museum (Trans, Paul Martin and Melissa M Rinne [Kyoto National Museum], 2018, Kyoto National Museum

    NHK

    NHK Shumi Doki! Token Lovers Tankyu, Paul Martin 2023, NHK Shuppan

    NHK Shumi Doki! Token Lovers Nyumon, Paul Martin 2022, NHK Shuppan

    E-mail: thejapanesesword@gmail.com

  • NEWS

    The news is that I am focused this summer 2025 on mastering this Informasia website.

    Right now, I am combing through the current layout and updating it.

    Once everything is order in a few days, I have arranged to contact the fine Support team at Strikingly, Informasia's web host.

    We will discuss the correct template going forward. A reasonable fee is involved.

    The current template is a long page with sections.

    That must change to individual pages. No more endless scrolling!

    Actually, I am excited to have reached this stage after four years.

    Looks like Informasia has a community and continuity!

    August 4, 2025 /Patricia Yarrow

  • BOOKS

    Books by former Informasia lecturers. Updating goal: Display books in order of Informasia presentations, and information on the publication source. In progress as of August 2025/PY

    Charles De Wolf
    Andrew Fitzsimons - February
    Pierre-Emmanuel Bachelet
    Robert Morton

  • ARTICLES

    George Sioris, "The Silk and the Gold: Correcting the Course of Asian Studies", 2024

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GohZo59InVYEU3E5cPgSw4dg1WU5LxmU/view?usp=sharing

    George Sioris, "The Creation of the World, Martyrdom et.al." 2025

    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uzoYGXRpzM5xYEUkhcyKzdrld3EvnCiv/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105775447281122203523&rtpof=true&sd=true

    *Both articles are temporarily stored on Patricia Yarrow's Shared Google Drive.

    There is a way to add the document, which I will attend to soon. August 2025/PY

    *

  • Contact Us

    Would you like to join Informasia's e-mail list? It is easy and there are just a few notices.

    Every month, there are three short Reminders of the approaching lecture of the month, and a longer follow-up Report shortly after the meeting.

    Any comments and questions are most welcome. This website is very much in progress as of August 2025. /Patricia Yarrow

  • Support Informasia by inviting friends to join our Zoom meetings, always on the third Monday of every month.

    Check us out on Facebook for announcements of the next meeting, as an "Event".

    Informasia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/307236340460985

    Other Social Media (SMS) under developement. We do have a bluesky account, which is not active yet.

    More thoughts on this soon.

    Any suggestions, most welcome. Please send them to Patricia Yarrow at yarrowp@gmail.com

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  • ABOUT INFORMASIA

    Informasia launch

    May 2020

    Chaos ruled and all compass points were lost in the onslaught of the newly arrived worldwide COVID pandemic. In April, as all university classes moved to Zoom, Patricia Yarrow was gazing blankly from her Ryogoku (Tokyo) veranda. Bereft of meeting companions, academically informative monthly lectures, and friendly discussions, inspiration struck on that spring day. “We could do this on Zoom!”

    A flurry of messaging later, a core group of eight castaways met (safely on Zoom) on 25 May 2020 to toss ideas around. Alex Byrne dreamed up the name “Informasia”, and the vision began coming into focus. Our Informasia ship cast off with an stalwart crew for shores unknown. Since then, our mailing list has grown from 10 to nearly 400. Our Facebook page counts some 280 friends.

    Informasia community

    Thanks to all the friends and colleagues of Informasia in Japan, Asia, Singapore, Maylasia, Australia, New Zealand, throughout the UK and Europe, and the hardy east coast of the USA, our Zoom community, launched June 2020. It has grown steadily ever since. Presentations in 2022 ranged from deeply academic translations of Korea, Japan, China, to research in progress, alarming lockdowns in Shanghai, to tranquil musings on cherry blossoms and ethereal meditations on life between death, with a helping of the foreign politics between China and Japan. If lectures were flowers, our Informasia bouquet would create quite the splashy ikebana display.

    The Informasia logo comes to us from designer Ritsuko Lynch, upon the recommendation of Alex Byrne. She is based in Santa Monica, California, and can be reached at: https://en.99designs.jp/profiles/2313262

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