Seminars and Conferences

Sino-Japanese Relations Research Symposium 2009 (II)

Council Chamber, HKU 26-27 May 2009

Call For Papers: The Koreas between Japan and China

The trajectory of Sino-Japanese relations over the past decade has left many concerned scholars and policymakers wondering if there could be any issue of strategic importance that Japan and China can agree upon. These two East Asian giants have disagreed on almost every single issue that has cropped up between them in the past decade – China's nuclear tests in 1995; the Taiwanese independence movement and the Taiwanese straits crisis in 1995/6; the annual disputes over Senkaku/Diaoyutai islands; the demarcation of their sea border; sovereignty and drilling rights in East China Sea from 1999 onwards in addition to a host of issues to do with history, ranging from textbooks to apologies. Given the volatile political nature of Sino-Japanese relations in the past decade, it is difficult to perceive how Sino-Japanese relations can move concretely beyond diplomatic niceties to substantive co-operation on items of significant strategic importance.

There is however emerging consensus in the literature that there exists one issue that China and Japan do not have significant differences over – that is the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. Technically, North and South Korea are still at war. Their 1953 ceasefire has produced an abnormal situation as the uneasy tension belies the facade of peace and tranquility on the Peninsula and the general prosperity in Northeast Asia continues to build up. North Korea has shown that it is increasingly willing to disrupt this fragile peace with its nuclear belligerence throughout the 1990s; it's firing of the Taedopong-1 missile over Japan and its incursions into South Korea. Almost two decades have passed since the Berlin wall collapsed, but all the predictions of the Communist regime of Kim Jung-Il imploding have not materialized, and Kim Daejung's sunshine diplomacy seems to have had little effect. On the other side of the 38th parallel, South Korea has spent a disproportionate amount of resources preparing for the reunification across all scenarios – for a collapse of the regime in North Korea to reunification with a "one country two systems" scenario; from a peaceful political settlement to all out war. At the same time, it has also ambivalently sent aid worth billions of won to North Korea annually.

In practical terms, any security scenario or political solution between the North and the South is never just the business of the two Koreas. Any negotiation, conflict or settlement will involve the great powers in the region – namely the US, China, Japan and Russia. Out of these four powers, China and Japan stand to be most affected by any settlement as the Korean peninsula effectively straddles the strategic location between China and Japan. As such, they are intimately concerned as neither wishes to be dragged into a war started by Korean belligerence, South Korean aspirations or US adventurism. The situation of Korea thus brings the same critical salience to both China and Japan and hence, this is one of the most pressing issues which could upset both their developmental agenda and political aspirations.

The HKU Department of Japanese Studies is proud to present an international symposium to explore the role Japan and China play on the Korean Peninsula, and in turn, how the Koreas affect Japanese and Chinese foreign policy-making. The organisers invite submissions from social scientists working in the field of East Asian International Relations and Security, Chinese, Japanese and US foreign policies and other related disciplines to re-evaluate and re-assess the current assumptions and thinking within the symposium theme. Some of the sub-themes that could be scrutinised are as follows:

1. The Korean War in historical perspective and the legacies of the War in wider East Asian International Relations.

2. China and Japan's major interests and concerns with regards to both South Korea and North Korea before and after the Cold War. How is the brinksmanship exhibited by the North today understood from Beijing's and Tokyo's perspective.

3. The state of China and Japan's current relations with North and South Korea, both at the governmental and "people to people" levels.

4. Japan and China's respective interests and concerns with regards to the potential reunification of Korea. How do their view their own role (especially with regards to the US) in the event of Korean reunification.

5. What are their cost and benefit analysis for each of the different scenarios for reunification, and how do the various countries view these scenarios:
a) Political Settlement by UN and/or Six-Party talks (US, Russia, China, Japan, North Korea and South Korea).
b) The Collapse of the North Korean regime either through the concerted efforts by external powers (US intervening covertly, PRC shutting down their own supplies and crippling their economy) or through internal means (a coup d'état by the Army).
c) Use of Force (by the US most likely).

6. Scenarios of Post reunification Korea and the implications for NE Asia, especially for Japan and China.

The organizers are keen to invite established academics, young scholars and concerned officials working in the field of Sino-Japanese Relations for this two-day symposium. The 2008 Conference (http://www.hku.hk/japanese/sino/2008) was relatively successful, in that the research proceedings of the conference are in the process of being published by a UK-based publisher in English and a China-based publisher in Chinese. The organizers hope to build on this success in 2009 by getting more scholars from the wider community involved, and have the research outcome from the conference published as well, most likely in 2010. The book would be published in English in the first instance, and subsequently translated into Chinese and Japanese.

The organizers have to subject any applications/proposals to an internal peer review process before they can be accepted. Given limited resources, only a small number of proposals will be funded, and scholars are encouraged to source for partial and/or alternate funding to attend this meeting.

To Apply
We intend that the proceedings of the Symposium be published. We will therefore require participants to send us the title of their paper, a 200 word abstract and a short bio by the 10th Jan 2009. Please send the documents to hhsamuel@gmail.com with the subject line (The Koreas between China and Japan Conference). The organisers will require a draft "working" paper (not more than 7000 words) by the 15th April 2009 for inclusion into the Symposium pack. Participants will be given time to revise their paper after the conference before the proceedings could be submitted for the peer-reviewed volume. Please direct all academic enquiries to Dr Victor Teo (victorteo@hku.hk), and logistical enquiries to Mr Samuel Wong (hhsamuel@gmail.com)

Sino-Japanese Relations Research Symposium 2009 (I)

Council Chamber, HKU 24-25 May 2008

Call for Papers: The United States between Japan and China

The Sino-Japanese relationship is arguably one of the most important sets of bilateral relationships in the Asia-Pacific region. With the tempestuous Koizumi era relegated to history, Prime Ministers Shinzo Abe and Yasuo Fukuda have not only restored normalcy to Sino-Japanese relations, but have brought bilateral relations to greater heights over the course of the last two years. The prevailing narrative in both Tokyo and Beijing has resumed the positive and upbeat tone that has so characterized the official portrayal of Sino-Japanese relations since 1972. While this is an achievement not to be belittled, the state of the relationship between Japan and China is hardly satisfactory. The fact of the matter is that over the last three decades, there has existed a certain disjuncture between diplomatic discourse and political reality, between the apparent will of the leadership and popular public opinion over the tone and direction of Sino-Japanese relations. One case in point is the recent Joint Statement reached by Japan and China. The spirit of the recent Fukuda-Hu communiqué stipulates that the fundamental basis for the future of Japan-China interactions would be based on the 'all round promotion of strategic and mutually beneficial relations', so that a new strategic and mutually beneficial framework for bilateral relations could be built.

While no doubt noble in intent and far-sighted in its aspirations, such a joint statement begets more questions: can Japan and China truly build a "strategic partnership" based on mutually beneficial interests, especially if Japan is tied to the US structurally in regional security arrangements? What is the role of the United States in the bilateral relationship between Japan and China? How does the US strategic presence in Japan and its commitment to Taiwan's security balance with its desire to engage China in her peaceful rise? In turn, how does this dictate the tone and direction of the US-Japan security alliance, which will no doubt affect Sino-Japanese relations. In particular, given that 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), one may wonder how different or similar were Japanese and US approaches towards Taiwan since 1978? What implications did the TRA have for Sino-Japanese relations over the past three decades? What does the TRA mean for the future development of the Sino-Japanese relations?

The HKU Department of Japanese Studies is proud to present an international symposium to explore the role the United States plays between Japan and China. The organisers invite submissions from social scientists working in the field of East Asian International Relations and Security, Chinese, Japanese and US foreign policies and other related disciplines to re-evaluate and re-assess the role of the United States between China and Japan during and after the Cold War period. While the main attention is focused on political-diplomatic and strategic aspects of Sino-Japanese relations, we also encourage scholars to consider other dimensions that have seen protracted difficulties between China and Japan, in particular if there exist any linkages that the US might have in relation with these themes: memories, history writing and nationalism; democratisation; war crimes, grievances and restitution; capital flows and globalisation; economic development and technonationalism etc.

The organizers are keen to invite established academics, young scholars and concerned officials working in the field of Sino-Japanese Relations for this two-day symposium. The 2008 Symposium (http://www.hku.hk/japanese/sino/2008) was relatively successful, in that the research proceedings of the Symposium are in the process of being published by a UK-based publisher in English and a China-based publisher in Chinese. The organizers hope to build on this success in 2009 by getting more scholars from the wider community involved, and have the research outcome from the Symposium published as well, most likely in 2010. The book would be published in English in the first instance, and subsequently translated into Chinese and Japanese.

The organizers have to subject any applications/proposals to an internal peer review process before they can be accepted. Given that only a small number of proposals will be funded, scholars are encouraged to source for partial and/or alternate funding to attend this meeting.

To Apply
We intend that the proceedings of the Symposium be published. We will therefore require participants to send us the title of their paper, a 200 word abstract and a short bio by the 5th Jan 2009. Please send the documents to hhsamuel@gmail.com with the subject line (The US between China and Japan Symposium).

The organisers will require a draft "working" paper (not more than 7000 words) by the 10th April 2009 for inclusion into the Symposium pack. Participants will be given time to revise their paper after the Symposium before the proceedings could be submitted for the peer-reviewed volume. Please direct all academic enquiries to Dr Victor Teo (victorteo@hku.hk), and logistical enquiries to Mr Samuel Wong (hhsamuel@gmail.com)

Details information: http://www.hku.hk/japanese/sino/200901

Sino-Japanese Relations Symposium

Thirty years ago, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda signed the 1978 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, in hope that they could build upon the 1972 diplomatic normalisation and enhance the relationship between China and Japan after decades of hostilities. The 1978 Treaty was not merely a product of strategic exigencies and political convenience; the spirit behind the Treaty was supposed to provide the very foundation upon which future bilateral relations were to be constructed. Three decades have gone by since the signing of the 1978 Treaty, and in retrospect, one might find it hard to agree that Sino-Japanese relations is marked by peace and friendship. The latter half of the last thirty years has been particularly challenging. From 1995 onwards, hardly a year went by without major diplomatic flare-ups and political friction between China and Japan. Nationalism, realpolitik concerns, conflicting strategic interests and clashing identities have been attributed to be responsible for the difficulties we are witnessing in Sino-Japanese relations today.

History, however may go on to show that 2008 would be a critical and noteworthy year in East Asia, not only because this year marks the 30th anniversary of 1978 Sino-Japanese Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Neither is it because Japan and China have reached a formula by which they can resolve their differences in the historic year which China is hosting the Olympics. Rather the significance of this year could be attributed to the fact that China and Japan seems to have reached an inflection point in their bilateral relationship. The respective visits of Japanese PMs Abe and Fukuda in 2006 and 2007 to China and the anticipated return visit of President Hu later this year; the visit of the Chinese warship Shenzhen to Japan and the relatively low key way in which various disputes are being handled this year all seem to stand in testimony that both the government and the people in Japan and China recognise that something has to be done in order to improve bilateral relations. 2008 could well be the year that for the first time in the post Cold War era, China and Japan are moving to reconcile their differences at the highest level, with popular domestic political support and corresponding diplomatic will. Yet, the all important questions still remain: Which way forward for Japan and China? How do they find lasting peace and friendship ?

The HKU Department of Japanese Studies is proud to present a symposium to commemorate this critical year in Sino-Japanese relations. This symposium will be held on 10th and 11th June 2008. The purpose of this symposium is to:

- take stock on the achievements and the challenges of Sino-Japanese relations since the signing of the 1978 Treaty of Peace and Co-operation, particularly in the post Cold War era.
- provide an in-depth discussion of the different difficulties within this set of bilateral relationship, for example over territorial dispute, historical legacies, energy competition, theatre missile defence, bilateral relationships with the US, the Taiwan issue, Korean nuclear crisis etc.
- assess bilateral or third party efforts to effect reconciliation between the two nations and the policies and measures instituted to enhance of relations fostering co-operation.

Details information: http://www.hku.hk/japanese/sino/

第8回国際日本語教育・日本研究シンポジウム アジア・オセアニア地域における多文化共生社会と日本語教育・日本研究2008 Call for Paper The Eighth International Symposium on Japanese Language Education and Japanese Studies: Multiculturalism and Japanese Language Education/ Japanese Studies in Asia and Oceania 2008 Department of Japanese Studies School of Modern Languages and Cultures The University of Hong Kong Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong 開催日: 2008年11月8日 （土曜日 ）・ 11月9日 （日曜日） 会場: 香港大学 発表申込み 発表申込用紙 （Call for Papers） にご記入の上、 2008年3月31日までに シンポジウム運営委員会宛に email 添付でご送付ください。 採否は 2008年6月中に ご連絡します。 内容 今回のテーマ 「アジア・オセアニア地域における多文化共生社会と 日本語教育 ・ 日本研究」 の主旨に沿うもの 発表時間 個人発表（発表20分＋質疑応答10分） フォーラム （3～4人の発表者で発表 ・ 質疑応答を含めて90分） ポスターセッション （5分）

使用言語 日本語・英語・中国語 論文集 発表論文は『会議録 （Proceedings）』に 収録し、 審査を経て、 『論文集』を 発表する予定です。 論文執筆に関する詳細は会議後に ご連絡いたします。 参加申し込み（Registration）は2008年6月から開始します お問い合わせ・申し込み先：email:hkusympo@hku.hk Website for The Eighth International Symposium: http://www.hku.hk/hkusympo/

The Cultural Realm of The Way of Tea ‘Peacefulness through a Bowl of Tea’ 茶道的文化 - 從一碗茶說"和" talk by Dr Sen Genshitsu 千玄室 博士 March 20, 2008 (Thur) 5:30pm Rayson Huang Theatre, HKU Programme: 5:30pm: Lecture by Dr. Sen Genshitsu 6:45pm: Chado Demonstration 7:30pm: Japanese Tea Appreciation and Reception

This talk is co-organised by the HKU Foundation and the Department of Japanese Studies, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, in association with the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong. Dr Sen Genshitsu was the Grand Master of the Urasenke Tradition of Tea from 1964 to 2002, when he transferred the position to his eldest son. The Sen family lineage of tea goes back almost 500 years, to the influential 16th century tea master, Sen Rikyu, who elevated the serving of a bowl of tea into an art form. Dr Sen Genshitsu was born in Kyoto in 1923. He has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to the fields of Japanese history and culture, and was awarded the Order of Culture by the Emperor of Japan in 1997. As a young man, Dr Sen Genshitsu served in the airforce division of the Japanese navy during World War II, an experience that was to have a profound impact on him and convinced him of the need to promote peace and mutual respect among nations. Over the past 50 years, he has shared the ideals of the Way of Tea – Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility – with people in over sixty countries around the world, using tea to transcend cultural and linguistic differences, and expressing his goal through the phrase “Peacefulness through a Bowl of Tea”. In 2005, he was officially appointed Japan-UN Goodwill Ambassador by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 千玄室博士從 1964年起到 2002年是裏千家的 “家主” （家元）， 千家的家系上溯 五百年， 乃 十六世紀茶道的 集大成者 千利休。 利休曾向當時大權在握的織田信長和豐臣秀吉獻茶， 將一碗茶提升到藝術的境界。 作為 第 15代的家主， 千玄室博士承襲了 “宗室” 的名號。現時， 裏千家第 16代家主由其長男繼任。 千玄室博士 1923年出生於京都， 畢業於日本同志社大學， 中國南開大學哲學博士， 並擁有 15個名譽博士銜， 他對日本 歷史和文化的貢獻廣為人知， 1997年獲天皇頒授文化勳章以表揚其功績。 千博士 第二次世界大戰期間在日本海軍航空隊受訓， 年青時的這一段經歷讓他深受衝擊， 充分體會到促進 國家之間 和平 共處與互相尊重的重要性， 基於這種思想， 隨後 50年間， 千博士一直努力用茶來打破不同 語言和文化間的壁壘， 並以 「從一碗茶說“和”」一語概括其理念， 向世界上 六十多國廣泛傳播茶道的精粹 「和敬靜寂」。 2005年 9月，日本外務省授予他 聯合國親善大使的稱號。 For more details, please go to http://daaosys.hku.hk/aep/bin/ HKU Foundation & Department of Japanese Studies SMLC To Second Year Students, Summer Internship Programs Orientation Date: March 28, 2008, Friday Time: 4pm to 6pm Place: LE3 The host organizations in 2007 were as follows: Asahi Shimbun Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Hong Kong Japanese School Japan Airlines Mitsui & Co. Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance PREP and SNC (Music distribution service to Watami Japanese restaurants) Techno Center The applicant MUST attend this briefing session, complete the application form indicating his or her preferences, and submit it along with his or her resume to the General Office (KKL Room 706) by Monday April 7on or before 5.00pm. Please visit the Japanese Studies website for more details: http://www.hku.hk/japanese/careerplanning/summerinternship.html

Talk by Ms Mitsuyo KAKUTA (角田光代） Title: Being a Writer in Japan 「日本において作家であること」 Date: March 6, 2008 (Thursday) Time: 16:00 to 17:00 Place: The Convocation Room, Main Building, The University of Hong Kong Language: Japanese Abstract: During her talk, Ms. Kakuta will discuss the following questions: What process does one normally follow to become a writer in Japan? How did she become a writer? What made her want to become a writer? What inspires her writing? How has the Japanese novel evolved over the last 20 years? 日本で作家になるにはどのような方法が一般的であるか、 私はどのようにしてなったか、なぜ作家になりたいと思ったのか、 自作について、この二十年ほどの日本での小説の移り変わりなどについて。

About the Speaker: Ms Mitsuyo KAKUTA is the author of over forty books and the winner of numerous literary prizes, including the Noma Literary Prize for New Writers (1996), the Tsubota Joji Prize (1997), the Sankei Children’s Book Award (1999), and the Fujin Koron Literary Prize (2003). Woman on the Other Shore won the Naoki Prize in 2005 and is her first book to appear in English. She is also known for her essays about rock music and manga and her frequent appearances in popular magazines. 角田光代（かくた・みつよ） 1967年神奈川県生まれ。早稲田大学第一文学部卒業。 90年「幸福な遊戯」で 海燕新人文学賞、 96年『まどろむ夜のＵＦＯ』で 野間文芸新人賞、 98年『ぼくはきみのおにいさん』で 坪田譲治文学賞、 03年『空中庭園』で 婦人公論文芸賞、 05年『対岸の彼女』で 直木賞、 06年「ロック母」で 川端康成文学賞、 07年『八日目の蝉』で 中央公論文芸賞を受賞。 その他の著書に、 『東京ゲスト・ハウス』 『人生ベストテン』『ドラママチ』 『薄闇シルエット』など Ms. Kakuta is in Hong Kong to take part in the Man Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2008. Should you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact Ms Lucilla Cheng by email at luci@hkucc.hku.hk

Recruitment Talk: Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ
Management Trainee Program
Recruitment Talk

Date: 15 February 2007 (Friday)
Time: 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Venue: Theatre 2, G/F Meng Wah Complex HKU

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures’ Yoshiko Nakano hosts HKU Arts Talk on RTHK Radio 4

As part of a series of RTHK 4 radio programmes featuring teachers from the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Arts taking turns to talk about music that relates to their life and work, Dr. Yoshiko Nakano will host a two-hour show entitled “Across Languages and Cultures” on Saturday, January 12, 2008, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

In order to reflect the School’s cultural diversity and her own research interests, which include intercultural communication and globalization, Dr. Nakano has chosen music by artists from 11 different countries. In keeping with the theme of transcending cultural boundaries, the programme features an eclectic combination of Japanese, Korean and French pop, a Brazilian guitar piece, and Stevie Wonder’s “Superwoman”. Other tracks selected showcase jazz and classical music compositions along with unusual interpretations of all-time favourites, including a funky ukulele version of George Harrison’s “While my guitar gently weeps”.

“Across Languages and Cultures”
presented by
Dr Yoshiko Nakano (School of Modern Languages and Cultures)
Saturday, January 12, 2008,
10:00am - 12:00pm
RTHK Radio 4 FM 97.6 – 98.9
http://www.rthk.org.hk/channel/radio4/

For an overview of the three other programmes featured in this series, please visit:
http://www.rthk.org.hk/culture/magazine/finemusic200801/finemusic_200801.pdf

Sino-Japanese Relations
30 November 2007

You are cordially invited to a public lecture entitled "Sino-Japanese Relations" which is co-organized by the General Education Unit and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. The lecture will be held on November 30, 2007 (Friday) from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Room 223, Knowles Building (in Putonghua).

We are honoured by the presence of Professor Jiang Lifeng, the Director of Institute of Japanese Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, who comes all the way from Beijing to speak with us. Prof. Jiang is a well-respected scholar who is specialized in Japanese politics and Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations. His major publications include "The Nationalistic Conservatism in Contemporary Japan's Politics", "An Assurance of the Security and Development in Northeast Asia" and "A Clarification on Hirohito's 'Imperial Edict of Taking the Blame on Himself'", etc.

All are welcome.

Sino-Japanese Culture Exchange Forum
28 November 2007

You are cordially invited to a "Sino-Japanese Culture Exchange Forum" which is co-organized by the General Education Unit and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures. The forum will be held on November 28, 2007 (Wednesday) from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Rayson Huang Theatre HKU (in Cantonese).

The forum will feature Ms. Saho Nobuko, a Japanese writer who speaks fluent Cantonese, and Mr. Anthony Ip, a local cultural critic who speaks fluent Japanese. They will share with us the experience of living in Japan and Hong Kong.

All are welcome.

Conference: Decolonisation of the Soul - Hong Kong, China and Japan
5-6 November 2007

Time: 9:00 - 18:00
Venue: Foundation Chamber, Eilot Hall, The University of Hong Kong.

Name of Participating unit:
School of Modern Languages and Cultures, HKU
Research Group on Decolonisation of the Soul
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research Japan

Talk: Structural Changes in Trade & Economic Relations in the Pan-Pacific - A Japanese Perspective
29 October 2007

The Department of Japanese Studies in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures is proud to present a talk by Mr. Takashi Nishizawa of Nomura Securities Co., Ltd. entitled:

Details of the event are as follows:

Date: October 29, 2007 (Monday)
Time: 4:00pm – 6:00pm
Venue: K230, Knowles Building, HKU

In this talk, Mr. Nishizawa will share his views on the current trends of different Asian economies and the recent drastic change to the structures regulating trade among Asian countries. He will also discuss the impact of the appreciation of the RMB on China’s trade structure and on the world economy as a whole.

About the speaker:
Takashi Nishizawa is a Senior Economist at Nomura Securities Co., Ltd., based at the company’s Financial and Economic Research Center in Tokyo, Japan. He provides research, analysis and projections on medium-term economic trends and structural issues (e.g. population, aging societies, social security) in Japan's and other countries' economies. He also identifies and analyzes themes of interest to investors in Nomura’s year-end report, Medium-term Economic Outlook, and in the Research Series of publications. Themes currently taken up as a member of the Economic Structure Analysis team include the impact of rising oil prices on the global economy and the assessment of appropriate long-term interest rate levels for Japan.

Talk: Marketing Scents and the Anthropology of Smell
27 September 2007

Department of Japanese Studies in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures is proud to present a talk by Professor Brian Moeran entitled: ‘Marketing Scents and the Anthropology of Smell’. The talk is one of a series of workshops organized by the Department of Japanese Studies as part of its postgraduate degree programme.

In this talk, Professor Moeran will examine the situated meanings of smell in the production and consumption of incense in Japan. Arguing that neither anthropology nor marketing – in spite of certain shared methodological and theoretical concerns – has been particularly successful in examining smell itself (as opposed to the socio-cultural aspects thereof), Professor Moeran will show how both incense manufacturers and retailers need to consider factors – like colour coordination, packaging and naming – that are extraneous to smell and incorporate them into their practices in order to create and sustain olfactory taste among contemporary Japanese.

About the speaker:
Brian Moeran is Professor of Culture and Communication at the Department of Intercultural Communication and Management, Copenhagen Business School. A social anthropologist by training, he has written widely on advertising, art and aesthetics, ceramics, fashion magazines and other media forms, primarily in Japan. Among his more recent publications are The Business of Ethnography (2005) and Ethnography at Work (2006, both published by Berg). He is Director of Creative Encounters, a four-year research programme focusing on the socio-economic organization of creative industries and funded by the Danish Strategic Research Council (2007-2011).

Date/Time: 27/09/2007 16:00-18:00
Venue: P5-01, Graduate House, HKU
Language: English

All are welcome to attend.
The workshop will be conducted in English.

Should you have any enquiries, please feel free to contact Cheng Lucilla by email at luci@HKUCC.hku.hk or by phone at 2859-2000.

Monolingual, Bilingual, Trilingual and Self Expression and Language Educationn - the current situations and issues in Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan

Organiser: Japan-Korea-Asia Education Culture Centre, (NPO) Japan, and School of Modern Languages and Cultures, the University of Hong Kong

Participants: Invited from Japan, China, Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, mainly university and high school teachers and students in Japanese studies and Japanese language education.

Venue: University of Hong Kong, Main Building MG07
Time:
5 Aug 2007 (Sun) 9:30-17:00
6 Aug 2007 (Mon) 10:00-17:00
7 Aug 2007 (Tue) 10:00-13:30

The conference is sponsored the Japan Foundation in Japan.

The 1st conference was held in Kobe, Japan, 2nd in Pusan, Korea, 3rd in Shanghai, China. It is meaningful for the 4th Conference to be held in Hong Kong, and we look forward to your support of the event.
Thank you in advance and looking forward to seeing you.

Contact person:
Ms Maggie Leung
Honorary Research Associate, School of Modern Languages and Cultures, HKU
Vice President, the Society of Japanese Language Education, Hong Kong
Executive Member, Japan-Korea-Asia Education Culture Centre, (NPO) Japan
Council Member, the Japan Society of Hong Kong
Tel: 22194068

Research Colloquium
4 July 2007 (Wednesday)

Ms. Zhou Fang, M. Phil. Candidate, HKU
“Once were Japanese: a study of the elder native Taiwanese"

Date: July 4, 2007 (Wednesday)
Time: 15:00 to 16:30
Venue: Room 813, K.K. Leung HKU

Workshop on Japanese Language and Japanese Education
18-20 May 2007

“Workshop on Japanese Language and Japanese Education” organized by the Department of Japanese Studies, School of Modern Languages and Cultures will be taking place on May 18- 20. We have invited distinguished scholars from China to take part in this 3-day workshop. Through this workshop, we aims to strengthen the relationship between the department and its counterparts in the top universities in China as well as acquiring a more thorough understanding of the current situation of how the Japanese language is taught and how Japanese culture and society are studied in China. We also hope to facilitate further co-operation opportunities with our counterparts through this intellectual exchange. Details are as follows:

Date: May 18 - 20, 2007
Time: 9a.m. onwards
Venue: Foundation Chamber, G/F Eilot Hall

Research Colloquium
16 May 2007 (Wednesday)

Mr. Teck Dines, M. Phil. Candidate, HKU
“Working for Japanese companies versus non-Japanese companies: a study of the career paths of university graduates in Hong Kong who majored in Japanese Business"

Date: May 16, 2007
Time: 16:00 to 18:00
Venue: K.K. Leung Room 813

Research Colloquium
15 May 2007 (Tuesday)

Ms. Natsuko Fukue, M. Phil. Candidate, HKU
“Young, cute and submissive: Images of Japanese women in Hong Kong Print Media”

Date: May 15, 2007
Time: 16:00 to 18:00
Venue: K.K. Leung Room 724

Research Colloquium
9 May 2007 (Wednesday)

Ms. Lin Jiebin, M. Phil. Candidate, HKU
“Why Japanese women enter entrepreneurship"

Date: May 9, 2007
Time: 16:00 to 18:00
Venue: K.K. Leung Room 813

Research Colloquium
18 April 2007 (Wednesday)

Ms. Shirley Chen, M. Phil. Candidate, HKU
“Christian Girl’s Education in Meiji Japan"

Date: April 18, 2007 (Wednesday)
Time: 16:00 to 18:00
Venue: K.K. Leung Room 813

Research Colloquium
11 April 2007 (Wednesday)

Mr. Samuel Wong, M. Phil. Candidate, HKU
“Japanese TV Drama in Hong Kong"

Date: April 11, 2007 (Wednesday)
Time: 16:00 to 18:00
Venue: K.K. Leung Room 813

Research Colloquium
4 April 2007 (Wednesday)

Date: April 4, 2007 (Wednesday)
Time: 16:00 to 18:00
Venue: K.K. Leung Room 813

THE JAPANESE ECONOMY: TODAY AND TOMORROW

presented by Professor Hiroshi Yoshikawa, an eminent scholar on Japanese economy and policy-making.

Language: English

Professor Yoshikawa is a Research Counsellor and Faculty Fellow of the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI). RIETI is one of the leading think tanks that have come to the forefront of Japan's economic policy making.

He is also a Professor of The University of Tokyo and a member of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy, Cabinet Office, Japan. He has written widely on various Economic issues and has recently published 'Reconstructing Macroeconomics: A Perspective from Statistical Physics and Combinational Stochastic Processes'. He holds a BSc of Economics from the University of Tokyo, and a PhD in Economics from Yale University.

At the seminar, Professor Yoshikawa will share his insights on the current Japanese economy and predict the future.

Looking forward to seeing you at the talk.

Venue: Theatre 6, Meng Wah Complex, HKU
Date: 15 Mar 2007, Thu
Time: 16:30 - 17:30

For further information and registration, please go to the following website: http://www.fbe.hku.hk/Japanese.Economy.2007

RECRUITMENT TALK:: Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Management Trainee Program
7 March 2007 (Wednesday)

Time: 5:00pm - 5:55pm
Venue: Room KK Leung LG 109

Target audience: 2007 graduates in Business, Finance, Economics, Management, Japanese Studies, etc.

Professor Roger Goodman
(Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies, University of Oxford)

“Is Japanese Higher Education Really in Crisis ? ” (in English)

The Japanese Ministry of Education estimates that anything between 15-40% of Japan’s 700 four-year and 400 two-year colleges will no long exist in their current form within 5-10 years due to the demographic decline in the number of eighteen-year olds in the population and the oversupply of places that developed during the early 1990s as the second baby boom passed through the sector. While most of the national universities will continue, in the short run, to be protected by state support (despite theoretically being turned into independent administrative agencies), there has developed a desperate fight for survival among Japan’s private institutions which cater for 80% of the student population. This talk examines - in the context of the history of the development of private higher education in Japan and its main forms of management - why it has been so difficult for those lower-level private universities which are particularly at risk to implement reforms that can meet this demographic challenge.

This paper also explores the effect on the tertiary education system of a developing bifurcation between top universities (which are becoming more competitive to enter) and bottom universities (which offer a so-called ‘free pass’ to anyone wants to enter). While this polarisation will mean many students who aim only to enter lower-level universities will dramatically reduce their investment in studying from junior high school onwards (and hence will become increasingly difficult to teach in a university context), overall universities will be come increasingly accountable to market pressures. This will lead to a dramatic improvement in a number of key areas in Japanese higher education, including recruitment practices, teaching, enrolment management, counseling and student support as well as research and administration.

Date: 21 December 2006 (Thursday)
Time: 16:30 - 18:30
Venue: Room 605, KK Leung HKU

LECTURE:
17 October 2006 (Tuesday)

The Department of Japanese Studies in The School of Modern Languages and Cultures presents Nomura Securities Lecture 'Outlook for the Japanese Economy'

Mr. Takashi NISHIZAWA
Senior Economist, Nomura Securities Co. Ltd, Tokyo Japan
Financial and Economic Research Center
Economic Research Department

Date: 17 October 2006 (Tuesday)
Time: 13:00 to 14:00
Venue: M217 Main Building

Takashi Nishizawa, Senior Economist at Nomura Securities, provides research, analysis and projections on medium-term economic trends and structural issues (e.g. population, aging societies, social security) in Japan's and other countries' economies. He also identifies and analyzes themes of interest to investors in the year-end report, Medium-term Economic Outlook, and in the Research Series of publications. Themes currently taken up as a member of the Economic Structure Analysis team include the impact of rising oil prices on the global economy and assessment of appropriate long-term interest rate levels for Japan.

RESEARCH SEMINAR Co-sponsor: Centre for Anthropological Research, HKU
10 May 2006 (Wednesday)

From imagined ancestors to an imagined community

Speaker: Mr Stanislaw Jan Meyer (Department of Japanese Studies)

This presentation is based on results of my last fieldwork in Okinawa in 2004/05. I discuss changes in the organization of the kinship system in Okinawa that took place in the late 19th and early 20th century and accompanied the process of dissemination of Ryukyuan high culture in Okinawan society. I also discuss how these changes were related to the process of the construction of Okinawan identity.

A study of Japanese popular music in Hong Kong: 1980-2000

Speaker: Mr. Hui Chi Ho, M.Phil. Candidate, HKU

RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM SEMINAR
26 April 2006 (Wednesday)

Japanese-Chinese Translation Problems in Comics: The Case of Crayon Shinchan

Speaker: Miss Young Hiu Tung, M.Phil. Candidate, HKU

RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM SEMINAR
19 April 2006 (Wednesday)

The Pro-Japan Sentiments in Taiwan, Reasons and Implications

Speaker: Ms Zhou Fang, M.Phil. Candidate, HKU

RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM SEMINAR
29 March 2006 (Wednesday)

Young, Cute and Submissive: Construction of Japanese Women in Hong Kong  

Speaker: Ms Natsuko Fukue, M.Phil. Candidate, HKU

Company and Personal Character: A private language school in Japan and its internationalizing mission

Speaker: Mr Andrew MacNaughton (3rd year PhD student, Department of Japanese Studies, The University of Hong Kong)

This presentation follows on the completion of 15-months of ethnographic fieldwork at a Hokkaido company in the Japanese English education industry (Eikaiwa).  The larger project of thesis research proposes to analyse the issues of transparency and morality in business ethics in order to draw out their significance to intercultural work clashes at the company.  Today’s seminar will provide an overview of the research period with specific results relating to the company’s ideology.  The president’s vision for the company will be discussed as it concerns the contribution of “better people” to Japanese and international societies.  This is accomplished by the distinctive motivational purpose served by the company’s conference organisation business to the students of its English education division.

Organized by the Centre of Asian Studies and Department of Japanese Studies

Japan and China: Working towards a Mature Relationship

Speech by: Mr. Takanori Kitamura, Consul-General of Japan at Hong Kong

The Consul-General of Japan, Mr Takanori KITAMURA, joined the Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1972.  He has served on several postings at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, culminating in his appointment as Minister there from 1998 to 2000.  He has also served at Japan's embassies in the United States, the Philippines and Greece, and at the United Nations. Back in Tokyo, he served as Director of the Research and Programming Division, and Deputy Chief of Protocol. From 2000 to 2002, he was Managing Director of the Planning and Evaluation Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and he was Senior Research Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs between 2002 and 2004.  Since March 2004, he has been Consul-General at the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong.

Photo Gallery
http://www.hku.hk/japanese/department/kitamura.html

Transformation and challenges of Japanese Studies and Japanese Language Education in the Asia-Pacific Region

Deadline for applications: 29 April 2006. Details and Registration

Anaphors & Metaphors in Japanese and English: Implications on translation

Speaker: Ms Ho Hoa Yan, Esther, M.Phil. Candidate, HKU

日中関係の構造的理解のために――靖国神社参拝問題を事例として (Understanding the Structure of China-Japan Relations:A Multi-Angle Approach to the Yasukuni Shrine Dispute)

Speaker: Ms Xu Xianfen (PhD Candidate, Graduate School of Political Science at Waseda University)

Ms. Xu Xianfen is currently a PhD candidate and a Research Assistant of the COE-CAS (Center of Excellence for Contemporary Asian Studies, Japanese government-funded project) in the Graduate School of Political Science at Waseda University. Her research interests include Postwar Japan’s Foreign Policy, China-Japan Relations, China-Japan-U.S. Relations, and the Asian International Order, and she is now conducting research on the topic “the structure of China-Japan relations in the 1970s-1990s”. She graduated from the Institute of Japan Studies, Nankai University (Tianjin, China) in 1999, and received her first Ph.D in History with a dissertation titled "Japan’s Decision-making in Foreign Policy: Case Study of U.S.-Japan Economic Conflicts". From April 2006, she will be a Research Associate in the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University.

From Breast-binding to Strange Costumes: the Changing Meanings of 'Fengsu' (social customs) in 1920s and 1930s Canton

Speaker: Ms Angelina Chin (PhD candidate, University of California at Santa Cruz)

In the 1920s, the government in Canton set up campaigns against old fengsu (fuzoku / social customs), including practices that distorted women's natural bodies and restricted their freedom.  Among these campaigns, the abolition of breast-binding raised the most public attention.  At the same time, writings in popular publications during that period show that attractiveness and beautification replaced health, simplicity and naturalness as new ideals of femininity for women. By the end of the 1920s, the rise of public display of sexual intimacy and sensationalized tabloid literature created a moral dilemma for the governing regime. The Canton government and some middle-class elites started yet another set of campaigns to protect good "social customs" from deteriorating by banning extravagant clothing and seductive behavior.  Through reinstating fengsu and re- disciplining women's bodies, the authorities attempted to establish new social standards of proper gender norms.  This paper examines how the term fengsu was interpreted and localized in Canton, and explores how a broader investigation of fengsu / fuzoku may shed new light on the transnational intellectual and cultural links between China and Japan.

Roundtable Discussion & Teach-in

"Japan, China and Asia: Where Do We Go From Here?" is a two-day forum in which experts from Japan, China, Hong Kong and the U.K. will address and analyse the historical and current situation between Japan and its Asian neighbours. The focus of the discussion will be on how to move forward in a constructive way from the anti-Japanese sentiments that are still strong in China, Korea and Hong Kong and the Japanese reactions to such feelings. The experts will furthermore start a discussion about Japan's repeated apologies for the war and why they are not accepted; and on the issue of whether Japan will change its "Peace Constitution" and what reactions that may provoke.

Guest Speakers
Professor Kiichi Fujiwara, University of Tokyo (Japan)
Dr Wang Yizhou, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (China)
Dr Caroline Rose, Leeds University (U.K.)
Mr Frank Ching, South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)

Roundtable Discussion
Venue: Wang Gungwu Theatre, Graduate House
Teach-in
By invitation only
Venue: Graduate House

Inheritance and Development - Some Perspectives on the Sino-Japanese Relationship

Speaker: Ms Ziyu Huang (PhD Candidate, Department of Sociology, Kyoto University)

In the past few decades, the Sino-Japanese relationship has been cyclical, with periods of relative cordiality interspersed with episodes of contention. The latter hit a high note when successive large-sca le a nti-Japan demonstrations occurred in Chin ese metropolises this year. Many unsolved problems that remain between the two countries , s uch as energy exploration and the changing roles played by China and Japan in the international arena , ha ve become significant in Asian economic affairs. Although many academic studies have already been conducted on these topics, their emphasis is usually confined to the dimension of current diplomatic and militar y strateg ies. In contrast, this study is an academic attempt to evaluate these issues from the historical and cultural perspective.

The Japanese Self-Defense Forces in Iraq: Cultural Scripts, Death and Sacrifice

Speaker: Professor Eyal Ben-Ari (Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

Death entails one of the most decisive question marks that imbue our lives: Any death is cognitively, emotionally and socially disruptive and thus always carries potential elements of disorder, crisis, and anxiety. Thus as social scientific scholarship suggest, deaths can provide rewarding entry points for addressing basic questions about social organization and social life because it is during such occasions that many of the social fissures, ties and relations, and cultural assumptions about order emerge. This article represents an analysis of how military death is handled by the contemporary Japanese Self-Defense Forces (SDF). Concretely, it is an investigation of the ways in which “anticipating” – expecting, forecasting and considering – death in ongoing and future military scenarios may help us in understanding the character and dynamics of the SDF. My argument is that the case of the Japanese SDF is a unique one through which to explore the management of death as it is related to what may be called the "future" orientation towards demise.

Japan's Future and the Role of Capital Markets

Speaker: Mr. Koichi Ikegami (Nomura Group)

Synopsis:
Mr Ikegami will discuss historic changes taking place in Japan, such as the falling birthrate and the aging population, and the transformation of the Japanese financial system.  He will also examine how these changes can contribute to economic developments in Japan and the world, asking how good use can be made of risk-taking money, and how Japan can safeguard its future in the face of economic and demographic challenges.

About the speaker:
Mr. Koichi Ikegami is currently the Managing Director of Nomura Group Headquarters Corporate Communications Department and Publicity Department. A graduate of Hitotsubashi University, he joined Nomura Group, the largest investment bank and securities firm in Japan in 1979, and received a Diploma in Economics from University College London in 1982. Prior to his current responsibilities, he had held various positions within Nomura, including Managing Director of Investor Relations Department and Managing Director of Investment Banking Department. He is a regular speaker on issues relating to Japan's investment market and economy.

Stories of the Body: Media Reports of the 1964 Olympic Games

Speaker: Dr Rio Otomo (University of Melbourne)

Synopsis:
Shunya Yoshimi and others see the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games as the culmination of Japan's modernisation project. They trace ideological continuities between the 1964 games and earlier plans for the1940 games which were subsequently called off due to the approaching war. In this sense the effect of the war was an interruption rather than a shift of paradigm. Sharing this position, I focus on the particular discourse of the body which was produced through various media reports during the 1964 games. The narratives of individual athletes were told in such a way that they would draw forth in the viewers a sense of national unity and of pride in an autonomous nation. These narratives accompanied spectacles of athletes' bodies which were not only the embodiment of one's will power – self-discipline and self-control – but also that of the systematic operation of power on the private body. The moment the whole nation became glued to their newly acquired TV screens, a so-called "spectator society" was born. The games created much needed folk heroes whose private bodies were displaced and used in the process. I examine three cases; the women's volleyball team that won gold; the leader of the male gymnastic team who performed in spite of injury; a marathon bronze medallist who killed himself, leaving a letter of apology behind.

About the speaker:
Dr Rio Otomo teaches in the Melbourne Institute of Asian Languages and Societies at the University of Melbourne, and will start postdoctoral research at the University of Tokyo in November 2005, on the topic 'shifting notions of masculinity in modern Japanese literature from Yukio Mishima to Haruki Murakami'.  She has written on topics such as homosexuality, nationalism and modernity through the textual analysis of modern Japanese novels.  Her thesis on Mishima's texts draws on French psychoanalysis and Foucauldian critiques of the modern subject.

"Anaphors and Metaphors in Japanese and English"

Speaker: Dr. Yoshiko Nakano (Assistant Professor, HKU)

"Femininity as an Advantage: Japanese Women and Career Development"

Speaker: Ms Jessica Lam (Tokyo University and HKU)

RESEARCH COLLOQUIUM SPRING 2005
13 April 2005 (Wednesday)

"Half or Double? The self-perceived identities of half-Japanese"

"For Healing or Romance?: Japanese Expats in a Hostess Club in Hong Kong"

Organized by the Department of Japanese Studies
in cooperation with the Centre for Anthropological Research, The University of Hong Kong

"Desires and Dilemmas: An Ethnographic Study of Female Infidelity in Modern Japan"

Speaker: Ms Swee Lin Ho (Sophia University)