Events and Activities
Till Weingärtner discusses film stardom in postwar Japan in DIJ talk
Takamine Hideko (1924-2010) is one of Japan’s major film stars of the 20th century. She is remembered for her appearance in seminal works in the Japanese film canon, but also as an essayist. Often celebrated for her collaboration with major film directors such as Kinoshita Keisuke or Naruse Mikio, Takamine’s own career makes an interesting case study for understanding what film stars in post-war Japan represented for their audiences. Takamine had appeared in propaganda films during the wartime period and later appeared in roles presenting and interrogating new ideas of gender and the role of women in post-war Japan. Following the Star Studies approach, this talk will examine seminal films and key events in Takamine’s biography in relation to post-war Japanese society. It will explore what Takamine represented to her contemporary audience and why she still continues to be a popular film star today. Details and registration here
Till Weingärtner, University College Cork (Ireland)
DIJ steps up research cooperation in Western Japan
On October 5 and 6, a delegation from the DIJ visited the German Consulate General in Osaka and the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) in Kyoto to intensify the DIJ’s research cooperation activities in the Kansai region. Ahead of the EXPO 2025 in Osaka, the DIJ is planning to start cooperation projects with the German diplomatic representation in Western Japan next year. At the Nichibunken, DIJ director Franz Waldenberger and Nichibunken’s Director-General Inoue Shōichi signed a memorandum of understanding which extends the current cooperation between both institutes. The DIJ’s membership in the Consortium for Global Japanese Studies, which is administered by the Nichibunken, was also upgraded from observing to full member. The signing event was followed by the Nichibunken Evening Seminar where six DIJ researchers gave presentations on their research projects and exchanged with Nichibunken researchers on the current state and future of Japanese Studies.
Japanese-German conference on social inclusion of elderly citizens
Social inclusion represents one of the fundamental challenges faced by ageing societies like Japan and Germany. Social inclusion can improve the health conditions of the elderly and also offers seniors the opportunity to actively contribute to society through taking up work or through civic engagement. In many cases neighbourhoods and local communities offer opportunities for social interaction and civic engagement, and they often organize voluntary support schemes for elderly citizens in need of care. The Japanese-German conference Inclusion of elderly citizens in German and Japanese Communities: civic engagement and the COVID pandemic discusses how German and Japanese communities achieve the social inclusion of elderly citizens and the role of civic engagement by and for elderly citizens. It will also address the impact of the pandemic on the living conditions of elderly citizens in Germany and Japan. The conference takes place on Chuo University’s Korakuen Campus on November 10, 2022.
New book publication on Japan in transition
DIJ director Franz Waldenberger and deputy director Barbara Holthus have each contributed one chapter to the German-language publication Japan. Ein Land im Umbruch (“Japan. A country in transition”), recently published by Bebra Verlag Berlin. The book’s 17 chapters look at Japan’s past, present, and future to explain the country’s struggle with the challenges of an ageing society, geopolitical conflicts, and the consequences of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Franz’ chapter “Armer Staat, reiches Land. Japans Staatsverschuldung” (Poor state, rich country. Japan’s national debt) explains why Japan’s record debts is a solution rather than problem. Barbara’s chapter “Covid-Olympia 2020/2021. Japans Wunsch nach Neuerfindung” (Covid Olympics 2020/2021. Japan’s desire for reinvention) studies in how far the Tokyo Olympics have contributed to more sustainability, diversity, and inclusion in Japanese society. The book is co-edited by DIJ alumna Verena Blechinger-Talcott (FU Berlin), David Chiavacci (Zurich), and Wolfgang Schwentker (Osaka). Details here
International Workshop The Intimate in and beyond Pandemic Times
Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, it is clear that the virus and its political, economic, and public health implications have led to profound, if uneven, effects on human society. The restrictions imposed by political and public health responses to COVID have curbed social interactions, limited physical movement, and challenged the functions and experiences of the home as a space of comfort and site of intimacy. On November 5, the DIJ will host the international workshop The Intimate in and beyond Pandemic Times: Family, Personal Relationships and Singlehood to discuss multi-dimensional effects of the pandemic and its global and local influences on the intimate. Its speakers will introduce results of a large-scale survey conducted in January 2021 and address stay-at-home policies, teleworking, domestic violence, personal space, cohabitation among same-sex couples, and (solo)sociality. The workshop is organised by DIJ social scientist Nora Kottmann, Akiko Yoshida (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Wisconsin and Scholar in Residence, DIJ Tokyo), and Laura Dales (University of Western Australia). Registration and details here
Joint book exhibition on Ryukyu and Okinawa
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Okinawa’s return to the mainland on 15 May 1972. In the special exhibition ‘Ryukyu/Okinawa: 50 years since the reversion of Okinawa’, the libraries of the International House of Japan, the Maison franco-japonaise, and the DIJ exhibit research books and articles on the history and culture of Ryukyu and Okinawa written in English, German, and French. The exhibition at the DIJ is open to the public from 4 October to 30 November. For more information on opening times and entry regulations, please contact our library. Details here
DIJ Newsletter Autumn 2022
The autumn issue of our DIJ Newsletter provides up-to-date insights into our research and publication activities, recent and upcoming events, news from the institute, a new article in our Catchword series (kokusō), updates on our outreach activities, and DIJ alumni news. We hope you will enjoy exploring this new edition of the DIJ Newsletter. If you haven’t done so yet, you can subscribe to receive our Newsletters directly to your inbox. The full issues and subscription form are available here.
New Working Paper studies East and Southeast Asian perspectives on Russia’s war on Ukraine
How have societies in East and Southeast Asia reacted to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? This open access collection of essays provides preliminary answers from Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and ASEAN. Focusing on press and social media, they reveal that the responses to the war are heterogeneous and may not always agree with the foreign policy stances by the respective governments. The essays are published as Working Paper No. 135 in the East Asian Studies series (Institute of East Asian Studies, University of Duisburg-Essen), edited by DIJ’s David M. Malitz and Surachanee Sriyai (Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok). David’s own paper (“Strong Public Support for the Japanese Responses to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine”) outlines the Japanese government’s economic sanctions, delivery of equipment to Ukraine, and acceptance of Ukrainian refugees. Against the background of the strained Japanese-Russian relations, it explains why the public in Japan has been supportive of Ukraine and of these responses by the government.
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Contemporary Japan
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