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Informasia #1, January 15, 2024

Charles De Wolf

"Genji Monogatari and La Divina Commedia: A Tale of Two Monuments, Compared and Contrasted"

Vimeo video: https://vimeo.com/903242812?share=copy

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Abstract

Charles De Wolf ()

Great literary works come both toembody the specific cultures in which they appear and, in varying degrees, to
have a broad impact beyond their immediate temporal, geographic, and linguistic
boundaries. One thinks of the Bhagavad Gita, the four classic Chinese novels,
including Xīyóujì (Journey to the West), of Molière, Cervantes, Shakespeare,
Goethe, and Tolstoy...The list goes on...In this talk, I shall discuss both the
impact, national and international, of the works of Murasaki Shikubu and Dante
Alighiera, and contrast their perhaps surprising similarities with their not so
surprising differences.
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Informasia #2, February 19, 2024

Lance Gatling
“Meiji Japan 101: What I wish I'dknown before - a brief introduction”

Vimeo video:https://vimeo.com/914576599?share=copy

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Lance Gatling ()

How did the Meiji government develop modern Japan?

Topics to explore: Opening Japan, New government, Education, Military, Imperial Army and Navy, Hokkaido, Social engineering.

Industrialization: targetedtechnologies, company challenges, factory girls, Bunmei kaika, Warfare
Diplomacy. Scorecard: how'd we do? Lance Gatling's website:
https://kanochronicles.com/

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Informasia #3, March 18, 2024

Darren Swanson

“Scottish Sojourners in Meiji Japan: A. C. Sim and James Murdoch”

Vimeo video: https://vimeo.com/924597424?share=copy

We had 31 participants from around the planet.
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Darren Swanson ()

Darren Swanson will focus on two influential Scots who made their mark on Japan.
The first, Alexander Cameron Sim(1840), a druggist andpart-time athlete was instrumental in nurturing modern sporting activities in the port of Kobe through his stewardship of the Kobe
Regatta & Athletic Club. Sim was also active as a humanitarian volunteer during times of natural disaster, whose efforts earned him the respect of the Japanese people, including the then Emperor. The second, James Murdoch, was a Scottish journalistand Orientalist scholar considered to be the first to attempt to write a complete history of Japan in English.

Dr. Swanson's research focuses on the foreign experience in Japan, particularly in the treaty port of Kobe during the Meiji era (1868-1912). More recently, his attention has shifted to Scottish
sojourners and long-term residents of Japan, and their impact on the development of modern Japan. In recognition of his efforts in celebrating the longstanding connection between Scotland and Japan, he received the Scottish Samurai award in 2019.

Murdoch worked for many years inJapan before becoming the University of Sydney, and Australia’s, first Chair of Japanese Studies in 1917. Darren Swanson's profile at Central Queensland
University in Sydney, Australia:

https://staff-profiles.cqu.edu.au/home/view/23056

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Informasia #7, July 15, 2024

Robert Morton

“Josiah Conder (1852-1920): Fatherof Modern Japanese Architecture ”

Vimeo video to Robert Morton's talk + Q&A

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Robert Morton ()

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Informasia #8, August 18, 2024

Patrick W. Galbraith

“Ethnographic Observations of Otaku Sociality, 2004-2024"

Vimeo video: https://vimeo.com/1000360075

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Patrick Galbraith ()

Galbraith has conducted ethnographic research of the easy-to-dismiss otaku/geek fictional world for twenty years. Let's dig in! Grab your favourite "moe" pillow and join Informasia on
Zoom. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6338045613

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Informasia #9, September 16, 2024

David Burleigh

"Bernard Leach, Japan and Myself − A book and a recollection−"

Vimeo video: https://vimeo.com/1010023636

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David Burleigh ()

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Informasia #10, October 21, 2024

John Tofflemire

“Nakasendo Road: Getting in Touchwith Japanese History”

Vimeo video: https://vimeo.com/1021878184?share=copy

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Abstract

Yabe Residence, Okegawa Juku
• Constructed in 1905 by Yabe Gosaburo
• Building is a mixed warehouse/residence
• Yabe Gosaburo was the 6th generationfamily head. Familywas a grain and safflower wholesaler.
Details soon. Tofflemire will be describing his long walks,especially during the Covid Tokyo lockdown, of the shitomachi areas in Tokyo and nearby. Dig out your walking shoes and stay tuned!

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Informasia #11, November 18, 2024

Michael Watson

“The long Japanese afterlife of afamous pilgrim to India: Xuanzang akaGenjō Sanzō Hōshi 玄奘三蔵法師 (612-664)”

Vimeo video: https://vimeo.com/1031356082

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Michael Watson ()

Michael Watson discussed how his interest in nō theatre, thevisual arts, and transcultural reception led him to explore the figure of a Chinese monk whose pilgrimage inspired many later legends both in China and Japan. The talk introduced his translation of a nō play about the pilgrim’s
encounter with supernatural beings on the “Flowing Sands” north of the Pamir mountains.
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Informasia #12, December 16, 2024

Bettina Gramlich-Oka

“Creative Tools for Social NetworkAnalysis and Prosopography”

Vimeo video: https://vimeo.com/1039632371?share=copy

Audio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L9CnHFxSEi77GVLqel6A4DKx7mvEA4Zn/view?usp=sharing

Abstract

Bettina Gramlich-Oka ()

Bettina Gramlich-Oka is a Professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Sophia University, since 2009, and is originally from Germany.

The open access database, Japan Biographical Database(JBDB), was conceptualized over a decade ago. One of the primary objectives of the database is to facilitate historical research in innovative ways.

The database’s tools facilitate network analysis andprosopography [a study that identifies and relates a group of persons or characters within a particular historical or literary context], enabling the posing of new questions and the pursuit of visualizing the answers. The presentation will provide an overview of the JBDB.

The Japan Biographical Database (JBDB) is a bilingual,open-access database aimed at collecting information on historical figures and their biographical data related to Japan. As of October 2024, about 15,000 historical figureshave been added, with a focus on the Tokugawa and Meiji eras.

JBDB website: https://jbdb.jp/#/
Note that in order to enter and edit data, you will need to obtain a user account and log in.

I nominate Charles De Wolf to submit the connections from the Tale of Genji, and Michael Watson for the Tale of the Heiki. :-)

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