2015 / Critical Tohoku Studies Workshop at UCAL, Jan. 23

 

Critical Tōhoku Studies Workshop

Haines Hall Room 352

January 23, 2015, 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

The region of Tōhoku has been economically, culturally, and politically marginalized within Japan for centuries.

In view of Akasaka Norio’s recent call for a ‘Tōhoku Studies’ and increased scholarly attention to the region since the 2011 earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disasters, this workshop asks, what is Tōhoku?

What commonalities and diversity are there across this region?

How should we understand the region’s economy, culture, identities, and politics?

This workshop will also address the role of Tōhoku in (inter)national structures, with the goal of offering a fresh perspective to help us better understand, critique, or escape the idea of the nation.

 

9:30am            Introductions

10:00               Opening remarks: Mariko Tamanoi

10:15               Presentation by Ellen Schattschneider (Brandeis University), followed by discussion

10:45                Response: Alexander Thmoson

12:15pm          (Lunch for registered participants)

1:00                 Presentation by John Traphagan (University of Texas – Austin), followed by discussion

1:30                Response by Ryoko Nishijima

3:00                Pre-recorded Commentary by Harutsugu Yamaura (山浦玄嗣「ケセン語新約聖書」著者) Yamaura interview transcrip  Presentation by Edwin Everhart.

3:20                 Break

4:00                 Presentation by Satsuki Takahashi (George Mason University), followed by discussion

6:00                 Closing remarks: Edwin Everhart

Organized by Mariko Tamanoi and Edwin Everhart.

Sponsored by the Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies and hosted by the UCLA Department of Anthropology.