DIJ MFJ Web-Forum
The number of infections, reproduction numbers, doubling speeds, death rates: national pandemic statistics are updated, compared and discussed daily. The numbers are shocking, but so are the huge national differences. Why are there so few people infected in Japan? Why is the death rate in Germany so low? Why is the situation in France so bad? For sure, countries apply different testing and reporting methods. Simple comparisons are likely to be misleading. Nevertheless, these numbers are relevant as they influence important policy decisions. In our Web-Forum we ask leading experts in the field from France, Germany, and Japan to explain the apparent differences in national data related to the COVID-19 pandemic and what the numbers can really tell us about the situation in the three countries. Details
Speakers:
Ansgar Lohse, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Paul-André Rosental, Sciences Po Paris
Kenji Shibuya, King’s College London
You can access this online event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnOfeA8nbts

This lecture series sets out to explore ‘Gender and Sexuality in East Asia’ from a cultural studies and social science perspective. It is structured as a set of three online lectures to be followed by a DIJ Forum and a film screening and talk with the producer and one protagonist (dates t.b.c.). Topics that will be addressed are: Sexualities and migration, ‘new’ masculinities, ‘new’ life courses for women, gender constructions in film and literature, bodies and postfeminism.
Online Lectures
An Huy Tran, University of Duisburg-Essen/Waseda University: ‘Towards a Transnational Sexual and Masculine Field: Male Vietnamese Migrants in Contemporary Japan’ (9 June)
Sharon Kinsella, The University of Manchester: ‘Cute Masculinity: Investigating the Meaning of Virtual Shōjo and Girl Parody by Young Men in the 2010s’ (25 June)
Ronald Saladin, Trier University: ‘Murata Sayaka’s ‘Convenience Store Woman’ – Discussing Gender Identity and Society in Contemporary Japanese Literature’ (7 July)
Join us to discuss these issues with internationally established scholars! Further information, incl. technical details will be announced here and on Twitter (@dij_tokyo) in due time. Download Poster

Lecture Series ‘Gender and Sexuality in East Asia’ (1/5)
Transnational movements of people across borders have been one of the most prominent forces in shaping sexualities and genders. While migrants’ economic and labour practices have constituted a relatively wide spectrum of both academic and non-academic interests, the sexual and gendered dimensions of migration attract less attention. In particular, sexualities have historically been marginalized, and are still ‘absent as a social factor in mainstream sociological studies of migration’ (Carrillo 2017; Manalansan IV 2006). Moreover, in contrast to female migrants’ sexual and gender identities and behaviours, the sexual and gendered experiences of male movers have not been adequately investigated. Details

Speaker:
An Huy Tran, University of Duisburg-Essen/Waseda University

Access (Zoom Meeting):
https://zoom.us/j/92470344725?pwd=c09oRFFoMnRDVktvY2l5cVplT2x3QT09
Meeting ID: 924 7034 4725
Password: 329921

DIJ DWIH Web-Forum
The perception, assessment, communication and containment of risks is an ongoing challenge for individuals, organizations and societies at large. The present COVID-19 pandemic reveals the profound problems countries confront and the difficult trade-offs they have to make when facing systemic risks combined with a high degree of uncertainty. It also shows remarkable differences in the way national governments, businesses and citizens are prepared for the crisis and are trying to cope with its various dimensions. In our online forum, two leading risk researchers from Japan and Germany will analyze and evaluate the crisis responses in their countries. The discussion will explore the similarities and differences in the national approaches, possible reasons and implications. Details
Speakers:
Ortwin Renn, Director, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies
Norio Okada, Prof. em. Kyoto University, Disaster Prevention Research Institute
You can access this online event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdGa3jF7et0

新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を防ぐため、2月27日に予定している下記イベントを延期させていただくこととなりました。

ご迷惑をおかけいたしますが、ご理解ならびにご了承のほど、何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。

The transformation of the Japanese agricultural sector and the development of rural regions in the course of extensive infrastructure measures during the economic boom led to changes in many areas of rural life. Not only the often mentioned out-migration of younger generations but also the changing economic structures and the conditions for a livelihood in rural settlements were subjected to fundamental change. Among others, this also affected common work and the management of commons (common-pool resources) in the settlements, which had been embedded as a complex local system of cycles for a livelihood fitting the local environment.

By examining the grassland management of Aso (Kumamoto Pref.), I will first outline the natural conditions and then proceed to show how this transformation took place in the livestock farming sector and what problems the local population involved is currently exposed to. The lecture closes with an outlook on possible solutions, which I am currently exploring during a three-year field stay on behalf of the Japanese Ministry of Environment researching “Regionally cycling and symbiotic area” (地域循環共生圏) in order to initiate a discussion within this working group about other possible forms of sustainable development in rural Japan.

Speaker:
Johannes Wilhelm, Kumamoto University (Kumamoto)

新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を防ぐため、2月27日に予定している下記イベントを延期させていただくこととなりました。

ご迷惑をおかけいたしますが、ご理解ならびにご了承のほど、何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。

Kabuki actors learn their skills from their fathers. Ikebana students pay their master for lessons. In contrast, artistic lineage in rakugo is not hereditary, and performers do not acquire their stories and acting skills in acting schools or from their fathers. Newcomers to the rakugo profession start their apprenticeship with a shishō, a master, without paying any compensation. For the rest of both of their lives the shishō is responsible for his deshi’s (disciple) education and accountable for his off-stage behaviour. In return, the shishō expects his deshi’s unquestioning loyalty, obedience and subordination.

The presentation provides a perspective on access to knowledge, knowledge acquisition, learning processes and structures inside Tokyo’s yose theatres, as well as social relations among the stakeholders of the rakugo world. Sarah Stark’s research is based on an analysis of printed interviews, autobiographies as well as one-on-one interviews with Tokyo rakugoka.

Speaker:
Sarah Stark, Ghent University

新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を防ぐため、2月27日に予定している下記イベントを延期させていただくこととなりました。

ご迷惑をおかけいたしますが、ご理解ならびにご了承のほど、何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。

日本とドイツ両国において年々高齢化率が上昇傾向にあり、その支援策について様々な議論がなされています。上昇している高齢者の数に伴う社会要望にも拘らず、彼らの社会参画とソーシャル・インクルジョンには様々なハードルがあります。核家族化や独り暮らし高齢者数の増加、都市環境においてコミュニティー参加者の減少傾向などがその例に挙げられます。コミュニティー参加並びにソーシャル・インクルジョンはアクティブ・エイジングにおいて非常に重要な存在でしょう。コミュニティー活動への高齢者の積極的な参加を促進することは、高齢者自身のみならず、コミュニティーそして社会において非常に良い効果が期待できます。このような現状の中、デジタル化とインターネットなどへのアクセスビリティーは高齢者にとって社会との接点を持てる機会を与えると思われます。ですが、このようなメリットを高齢者に十分に受け取ってもらうためには、革新的技術が社会において普及し、高齢者が積極的にそれらを利用することが求められます。そのために、高齢者のデジタル・リテラシー向上支援策は非常に重要かつ必要な政策になってきています。このような背景のもと、本シンポジウムは情報化社会においてアクティブ・エイジングが持っているハードルやポテンシャルを議論することにその目的を置いています。特に、日本やドイツのようにすでに高齢化が進んでいる国で、情報通信技術が、高齢者の社会参加において情報通信技術の恩恵を確実に受けられることに焦点をあてていきます

使用言語：日本語・ドイツ語　同時通訳予定

This presentation will offer an overview of Japanese popular musical theater focusing on its systematic and strategic adaptation for the growing and changing needs of its diversifying audience groups. In the past decades, Japanese popular musical theater has drastically transformed, expanding its presence in the domestic entertainment industry by ticket distribution adaptive to new communication systems for better accessibility and consumability.

Speaker:
Rina Tanaka, Meiji University