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The Sixth Biennial
International Conferenceof the Israeli Association
for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022
Haifa, Israel

Hosted by:
University of Haifa and Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

The Sixth Biennial International Conferenceof the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

PROGR AM DAY 1
8:45-9:30

Tuesday, 15 November
Venue: University of Haifa

Gathering and registration- Miyake Yoshimi Akita University, Japan

University of Haifa, Eshkol Tower — 29F, Senate Hall

Semantic change and manipulation of
heiwa ‘peace’ in current Japanese

9:30-10:00

Greetings, Opening- Yona Siderer The Hebrew University of Jerusalem,- Michal Daliot-Bul University of Haifa, IAJS Chair

Israel- Irit Averbuch Tel-Aviv University, IAJS President

Kuroda Chika (1884-1968) — Pioneer Woman Chemist- Yoram Evron University of Haifa, The Department of

In Twentieth Century Japan

Asian Studies, Chair
10:00-12:00

Panel 1CRISIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF JAPANESE LAW

15:00-15:30

Coffee break

15:30-17:00

Panel 3AISRAELI-JAPANESE RELATIONS IN A 70-YEAR

Chair: Wered Ben-Sade Bar-Ilan University, Israel

PERSPECTIVE: MULTIPLE HISTORICAL AND
CONTEMPORARY DIMENSIONS — PART 1- Béatrice Jaluzot Lyon Institute for Political Sciences &Chair: Rotem Kowner University of Haifa, Israel

Lyon Institute for East Asian Studies, France onli ne
Crisis as an opportunity for development from a- Yano Teruhisa Independent scholar, Tokyo, Japanhistorical perspective: The choice of a positivist legal

The Establishment of Israeli-Japanese Diplomatic

system following the signature of the Unequal Treaties

Relations in 1952: The Japanese Perspectives- Makoto Messersmith University of Hawaii at Manoa,
USA- Ran Zwigenberg Pennsylvania State University,

onli neUSA onli ne

Insights on the possibility of inclusiveness of women in

Other Holocausts: Memory, Ethnicity, and Omnicide

law studies in Japanbetween Jerusalem and Hiroshima- Luke Nottage University of Sydney, Australia, and- Rotem Kowner University of Haifa, Israel

Yoneda Ken’ichi Kagoshima University, Japan onli ne

Contemporary Israel-Japan Relations:Introducing ICT into Japanese Legal Education:

A Recent Promise that Has Yet to Materialize

The Postgraduate Law School Movement and Covid-19
as Cornerstones- Ying-Hsin Tsai National Taiwan University, Taiwan

17:15-18:45

Panel 3B
ISRAELI-JAPANESE RELATIONS IN A 70-YEAR

onli nePERSPECTIVE: MULTIPLE HISTORICAL AND

The Development of Shareholder Activism following

CONTEMPORARY DIMENSIONS — PART 2

the COVID-19 Pandemic- Kozuka Soichiro Gakushuin University, Japan onli ne
Introducing Sustainability into the Japanese Corporate
Governance

Chair: Rotem Kowner University of Haifa, Israel- Sigal Ben-Rafael Galanti Beit Berl College, Israel
Between Two Democracies: The Divergent Political
Path of Japan and Israel in the Postwar Era

12:00-13:00

Lunch break- Elchanan S. Harel Harel-Hertz Investment House,

13:00-15:00

Panel 2The Economic Dimension of the Israeli-Japanese

THEMES IN JAPANESE HISTORY

Relations: Are the Recent Japanese Investments in

IsraelChair: Yona Siderer The Hebrew University ofJerusalem, Israel- Eugenia Rozenfeld University of Haifa & Tel Aviv
University, Israel
Whose Heroes? The Great Korean Martial Artists ofJapan- Dan Sherer The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Prayer for the Devil: The Religious Life of
Oda Nobunaga

Israel Can Be Considered a Game-Changer?
- Etty Glass Gissis Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art,
IsraelThe Two Opposing Extremes of the Continent:
Artistic Ties between Israel and Japan

The Sixth Biennial International Conferenceof the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

PROGR AM DAY 2
9:00-9:30

Wednesday, 16 November
Venue: University of Haifa

Gathering

14:30-16:30

9:30-10:45

Panel 5
CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY IN JAPAN

University of Haifa, Eshkol Tower — 30F, Observatory

Chair: Irit Averbuch Tel-Aviv University, Israel

Keynote lecture
Susan J. Napier Tufts University, MA, USA- Shira Taube-Dayan University of Haifa, Israel

Totoro Meets Mickey Mouse: Revisiting Japanese Soft

Not too Young to tell Unheard Stories of Disasters:

Power in the Age of Ambiguous Loss

Young People from Non-Evacuated Communities inFukushima Prefecture

Chair & discussant: Michal Daliot-Bul University of
Haifa, Israel- Shiri Lieber-Milo Reichman University, Israel

Panel 4A Eshkol Tower — 30F, Observatory

kawaii (cute) culture in JapanThe cultural and psychological aspects of
11:00-12:30

NATIONAL POLICY MAKING- Elena Baibikov Kobe City University of Foreign Studies,

Chair: Guy Podoler University of Haifa, Israel

Japan- Eyal Ben-Ari Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee,“Good books for children who are responsible for

Israelnext generation”: Japanese children’s literary awards

Japan and the War in Ukraine: A Shift in Foreign andas an instrument of cultural politics

Security Policies- Aaron Hames University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

- Alon Levkowitz Bar-Ilan University, Israel

Aging and Loneliness in Contemporary Japan:

Adapting our defense policy beyond Article 9.

“I leave my door unlocked at night.”- Or Honig Tokyo International University, JapanThe Response of the Japanese Government to the

16:30-17:00

Coffee break

17:00-18:15

Keynote lecture

Covid-19 Epidemic — Was It Much More rational thanit seems at first glance?

Sharon Kinsella The University of Manchester, UK
11:00-12:00

Panel 4B

Eshkol Tower — 29F, Senate Hall

Cute Masculinity: investigating the historical context

JAPANESE ANIMATION

and meanings of virtual shōjo and girl parody by young
men in the 2010s

Chair: Shira Taube-Dayan University of Haifa, Israel

Chair & discussant: Ofra Goldstein-Gidoni Tel-Aviv- Raz Greenberg Tel Aviv University, Israel

University, Israel

Gulliver’s Travels in the Land of the Rising Sun- Nimrod Chiat University of Haifa, Israel
The Food of Love: Scoring the Anime Shakespeare

18:30-19:30

Film screening
Josō (2020)
Sharon Kinsella The University of Manchester, UK, and12:30-13:30

Lunch break

13:30-14:15

Awarding of certificatesAwarding of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation to the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies,acknowledging the Promotion of Japan research in
Israel. The ceremony takes place on the occasion of theassociation’s 10th anniversary, and the 70th anniversaryof the establishment of diplomatic relations between
Israel and Japan.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Teaching Japanese
Language to Noa Oppenheim, The Hebrew University ofJerusalem, IsraelDavid Panos Conditions art studio, UK

The Sixth Biennial International Conferenceof the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Thursday, 17 November

PROGR AM DAY 3
9:00-9:30

Venue: Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

Gathering

14:30-16:30

Panel 7

Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art — Auditorium

FORM AND VISION: RETHINKING AESTHETIC

Keynote lecture

Chair: David Adika Bezalel Academy of Arts andSugeno Kazuo Tokyo University, Japan

Design, Jerusalem, Israel

FRAMEWORKS IN JAPANESE VISUAL CULTURE
9:30-10:45

The Japanese Employment System Today:- Oshrat Dotan Tel Aviv University, Israel

How has it changed and how will it change?

Challenging the Function of Vision in

Discussant: Rotem Kowner University of Haifa, Israel

1960s Japanese art

Chair: Wered Ben-Sade Bar-Ilan University, Israel
11:00-12:30- Ory Bartal Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design,Jerusalem, Israel

Panel 6 [in Hebrew]

Mujirushi Ryohin and Critical Consumerism in

LOST AND FOUND IN TRANSLATION – FOREIGNNESS

1980’s JapanIN WRITING AND TRANSLATING JAPAN
Chair: Jacob Raz Tel-Aviv University, Israel- Erez Golani Solomon Bezalel Academy of Arts andDesign, Jerusalem, Israel and Waseda University, Japan- Eitan Bolokan Tel Aviv University, Israel

Eulogy to Nakagin Capsule Tower

The seed of Poetry is in the Heart: Towards a Hebrew- Shalmit Bejarano Tel Aviv University, Israel

Translation of the Kokin Wakashū Kanajo

Between nostalgia and dystopia:- Irit Weinberg Tel Aviv University, Israel“Nature” semantics in Japanese art

Looking for Home in Japanese Multi-Cultural Space:
Art and Letters of Recent Immigrants to Japan

16:30-17:00

Coffee break

17:00-18:15

Keynote lecture- Erez Joskovich Ben Gurion University of the Negev
and Tel Aviv University, Israel
Going Beyond Translation — Writing Japan in Hebrew

Barak Kushner The University of Cambridge, UK

Exhibition Guided Tour

peace apathy (平和ボケ): Where is Japan heading and‘Time Tunnel: Japan and the Jews’

what does this mean for Japanese studies?

A silent country (黙國) perched on the precipice of

12:45-13:15

Etty Glass Gissis Curator, Tikotin Museum of Japanese

Chair & discussant: Dan Sherer The Hebrew University

Art, Israel
13:15-14:30

of Jerusalem, Israel

Extended lunch break

18:15-18:30

Visit ‘Sixteen Tree Stumps: Cryptomeria japonica as
Architecture’, exhibition by students and graduatesof Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Patio, Tikotin
Museum of Japanese Art

Organized by:
Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
Conference steering committee:
Michal Daliot-Bul, Erez Golani Solomon,
Erez Joskovich, Yona Siderer
Generously supported by:
The Japan Foundation
Faculty of Humanities, University of Haifa
The Department of Asian Studies, University of Haifa

Venues:
University of Haifa, Eshkol Tower
199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, Haifa
Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art
HaNassi Blvd 89, Haifa

Epilogue, Closing
Erez Golani Solomon Bezalel Academy of Arts andDesign, Jerusalem. IAJS Head of Academic Committee

ABSTRACTS
Panel 1 DAY ONECRISIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
DEVELOPMENT OF JAPANESE LAW
Chair: Wered Ben-Sade

Luke R. Nottage University of Sydney, Australia, andYoneda Ken’ichi Kagoshima University, Japan

Introducing ICT into Japanese Legal Education:
The Postgraduate Law School Movement and Covid-19 asCornerstones
This report explains the evolution of online legal education in Japan,

Crises create new opportunities for development, particularly whenparticularly in its universities. Three phases can be discerned: before

traditional perceptions and customs (or habits) are questioned andand after the introduction from 2004 of a new postgraduate Law

reexamined. Similarly as “Necessity is the mother of invention” (Plato),

School system to improve and expand core legal professionals, as part ofcrises push us out of our comfort zone while simultaneously lowering

a wider justice system reform program, and a more dramatic expan-

the risks of change, thus motivating us to operate differently in ordersion prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020. The Law School

to solve them or improve our response. This is true both at the micro,

reforms had trickled down somewhat to undergraduate legal educa-

personal level, and at the macro level of society. Understanding thistion, building on and linking to wider nationwide and university-sector

mechanism at the macro level can facilitate us when we encounter

initiatives in Information and Communications Technology. This fortu-

a personal crisis and inspire us to search for the opportunity that isnately positioned Japanese legal education quite well for pandemic-re-

encapsulated within.

lated challenges, although the transitions have not been easy.

Five presentations will examine how crises serve as an opportunity forthe development of Japanese law, both in the past (from the second
half of the 19th century) and now. Some of the most debated challenges that Japan and the world are currently facing, such as inclusiveness of women, legal education, Covid19 impact and sustainability(in the context of corporate governance), will be discussed.

Ying Hsin Tsai College of Law, National Taiwan University

The Development of Shareholder Activism following the
COVID-19 Pandemic
The development of shareholder activism in Japan, thanks to the
COVID-19 pandemic, creates new opportunities. The Japanese com-

Béatrice Jaluzot Lyon Institute for Political Sciences & Lyon Institutefor East Asian Studies

Crisis as an opportunity for development from a historicalperspective: The choice of a positivist legal system following
the signature of the Unequal Treaties

pany law designs assorted ways by which shareholders can participate
in shareholders’ meeting, even if they cannot attend in person (e.g.
proxy, written voting and electronic voting). Due to the pandemic, theshareholders’ meeting could not be held in-person, and instead theseother ways were gradually put to use. In this presentation I will discuss
the practical merits and legal drawbacks surrounding these ways. The

In the second half of the 19th century, Japan experienced the collapse

overall picture that emerges is that while providing a variety of ways forof a thousand-year-old culture based on the Chinese model and theshareholders to participate in the shareholders’ meeting itself can cer-emergence of a society inspired by Western models. The disappear-

tainly enhance the practice of shareholder activism, how to design theseance of the old regime, caused by the imperialist movements of theways in a manner which overcomes the legal issues remains a challenge.

time, gave way to a country that was profoundly renewed in all its fundamental structures. Among them, the country’s legal system was oneof the essential novelties and one of the main achievements of the newleaders. They were thus able to set up institutions that are still largely
those of today. The aim is to present how this legal system is the result

Kozuka Soichiro Faculty of Law, Gakushuin University

Introducing Sustainability into the Japanese Corporate
Governanceof this brutal overthrow of the regime, but also to understand how theJapan’s corporate governance practice is making rapid developments

accelerated transition from which it emerged took place. This rupture

towards engaging with sustainability. Japan has already the largest

gave rise to the powerful and efficient structures we know today.

number of companies in the world, which have announced support
for the TCFD (Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures)

Makoto Messersmith University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA

Insights on the possibility of inclusiveness of
women in law studies of Japanframework. The development towards sustainability will probably
continue, induced by the external global crisis of the need for sustainability, and by the internal pressure of the institutional investors. In thispresentation I will evaluate the current and expected developments.

When we look at the status quo and history of female law professors in

The Japanese nuances in both regulation and practice of corporate

the U.S. and Japan, it shows that unlike the U.S., Japan has not experi-

governance will also be discussed.

enced great improvement regarding inclusiveness of women into law
studies, yet. Although it seems that Japan has made some efforts toencourage more women to enter the field of law, women in law studies
are still facing unique challenges. For instance, in many universities,
female law professors are still less than 20%. In my talk, I will explore
their challenges and discuss how we can encourage more women to be
included in law studies.

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Panel 2 DAY ONE

THEMES IN JAPANESE HISTORY
Chair: Yona Siderer
Eugenia Rozenfeld University of Haifa & Tel Aviv University, Israel

Whose Heroes? The Great Korean Martial Artists of JapanI will also discuss the source that has more than any other shaped ourview of Nobunaga’s religious life: the writings of the Jesuit Luis Frois(1532-1597). However, even his colleagues noted that Frois’s reports
could be problematic, and there are several claims he makes whichcannot be trusted. We will show which of the claims of Frois are suspect
and reexamine how best to use his writings in the context of 16th
century Japanese religion.
Finally, we will look at Nobunaga’s place in the history of Japanese

The world of Japanese martial arts is hard to imagine without suchreligion. While the destruction of Honganji’s military power and theiconic figures as creator of the strongest karate Masutatsu Ōyama

massacre on Mt. Hiei are certainly important, I argue that they are(1923 (1921)-1994), who was called “God Hand” for his victories

not turning points but progressions of trends which had been moving

over bulls with his bare hands, and the father of puroresu (Japanese

forward earlier in the sixteenth century and which would not fully

professional wrestling) Mitsuhiro Momota better known as Rikidōzan

culminate until after Nobunaga’s death.

(1924 (1920)-1963). The memory of both men could have become (andat some point, became) an undisputed metaphor for Japan’s astonishing rise after its humiliating defeat in World War II and the subsequentAmerican occupation if not for one circumstance: they were Korean.
While they normally kept their Korean connections away from public

Miyake Yoshimi Akita University, Japan

Semantic change and manipulation of heiwa ‘peace’ incurrent Japanese

exposure and did little to nothing for Korea, Koreans elevate them toSince the end of the Second World war, the new constitution designates

the status of their ethnic heroes, even though those who left Korea forno military, no weapon in the Chapter 9. With the constitution, Japan

Japan back in colonial times (1910-1945) could be easily labeled as

has redefined itself as a heiwa na kuni, a peaceful nation. This consti-

pro-Japanese collaborators rather than heroes.

tution is called Heiwa Kenpo ‘Peaceful Constitution’, which Japanese

The purpose of this presentation is therefore to look deeper into thisshould protect and nurture. Parks which commemorate the tragedy ofcomplexity of the collective memory of prominent Zainichi Koreans

the US atomic bombs and raids during the Second World War are calledby examining the images of Masutatsu Ōyama and Rikidōzan as

Heiwa Koens ‘Peace Park’s, where everybody should pray for peace,

represented in their 2004 biopics: Fighter in the Wind and Rikidōzan:without claiming what caused the war and who are responsible for the

A Hero Extraordinary. These two biopics represent an attempt towar. In this way, the term heiwa, which was a translation of an English

portray ethnic Korean heroes who in fact contributed much more topeace, became a universal, abstract, and ambivalent term for ‘peace’,

the construction of post-war Japanese identity. Perhaps, the lack ofwhich can be maintained by hoping and praying.

anti-Japanese spirit at least partially allowed for a more nuanced

This paper argues that the current Russo-Ukraine war has transformed

depiction of the colonial era and its heroes as, unlike many other

the Japanese general use of the term heiwa ‘peace’ from an abstract

movies set in this period, these two biopics transcend the nationalist

ideal imagery to cease war process which can be obtained through war,

paradigm of Korean freedom-fighters resisting Japanese oppression

by analyzing the term heiwa (and its cognate wahei). This paper also

and show a more human face of Japan and the Japanese. In this sense,

argues that the ambiguity of the term heiwa has farther extended tosuch representations have a potential to somehow reconcile traumaticyield two contrastive terms, that is, sekkyokuteki heiwa ‘active peace’memories of the colonial past and create a less antagonistic collective

and shokyokuteki heiwa ‘negative peace’. The term heiwa is now

memory of the period and its legacy.

described as a shokyokuteki heiwa, while sekkyokuteki heiwa ‘active
peace’ can be reached by having militaries and weapons. I also argue

Dan Sherer The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Prayer for the Devil: The Religious Life of Oda Nobunaga

that right wing politicians and their supporters claim that they arepraying for heiwa by glorifying Imperial Japan and its military (cf. Takaichi Sanae), giving revisionist description that the past war criminals

Oda Nobunaga (1534-1582) is remembered as one of the three unifiers

had fought for heiwa of the world (cf. August 15 statement, PM Kishida),

who took Japan from its long era of civil wars and into its peacefulwhich current Japanese should follow. By conducting discourse

early-modern order. He is remembered as a brutal killer, as a politicalanalysis, I will describe how this transformation developed and how

and economic revolutionary, and as an enemy of Japan’s religious

those two terms are being manipulated in the Japanese government’s

institutions. Indeed, he is so remembered as an enemy of Japanesecurrent policy making and actions.

religious institutions that many observers have attested to him either arational atheism or a near boundless megalomania, culminating in his
self-deification shortly before his death.
The purpose of this talk is threefold: First to establish that counter tothe image often presented of Nobunaga, he had a religious life. Nobunaga could be not only the enemy of religious institutions but also afriend and a patron. We look both at how Nobunaga included temples
and shrines into his political order and at how he personally interactedwith them.

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Yona Siderer The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel

Kuroda Chika (1884-1968) — Pioneer Woman Chemist In
Twentieth Century Japan
This articles aims to tell the history of the first chemistry graduate
woman, Kuroda Chika, in early twentieth century Japan, in order tomake her name known to scholars and others in Japan and abroad.

Panel 3A and 3B DAY ONEISRAELI-JAPANESE RELATIONS IN A 70-YEARPERSPECTIVE: MULTIPLE HISTORICAL AND
CONTEMPORARY DIMENSIONS, Part 1 and Part 2
Chair: Rotem Kowner University of Haifa, Israel

Born in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the history of theeducation system in Japan is outlined, followed by Kuroda Chika’s life

The 70 th anniversary of the establishment of Israeli-Japanese diplo-

history. It includes her chemistry studies in Japan starting at Tohoku

matic relations this year offers us a marvelous opportunity to examine

University in Sendai in 1913, and chemical research in Oxford, Eng-

the bilateral ties from different angles and dimensions. Conceived inland during 1921-1923. Kuroda Chika’s career as a researcher in The

what seems to be the zenith of the relations ever, the proposed two

Physical and Chemical Research Institute (RIKEN) and a professor at

panels seek to explore their past, present, and future and display their

Ochanomizu University in Tokyo is told. Kuroda’s organic chemistry

breadth and depth.

studies, specifically the identification of the constitution of plants’ dyes
is described. The status of female education and female employment
in the first half of the twentieth century in Japan are considered. The
recognition of Kuroda Chika during her later life, receiving prestigious
prizes and decorations are highlighted.

PART 1
Yano Teruhisa Independent scholar, Tokyo, JapanThe Establishment of Israeli-Japanese Diplomatic Relationsin 1952: The Japanese Perspectives
Based on recently disclosed documents in the archives of the Japanese
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this presentation seeks to discuss and analyze the Japanese perspective. If national interests were considered in
1952, the diplomatic relations with the oil-producing countries in the
Middle East should have been resumed first of all as Japan’s priority.
Nevertheless, there were complex reasons why Japan did establish diplomatic relations with Israel. The reasons that motivated the Japaneseside were mainly the feeling of the Japanese people that transcended
their interests. It did not arise from a concern for the power of Jewish
people in the United States.
Ran Zwigenberg Pennsylvania State University, USA

Other Holocausts: Memory, Ethnicity, and Omnicide
between Jerusalem and Hiroshima
In 1982 an international Holocaust conference was held in Israel. The
organizers, touting Holocaust’s universal message, sought to link studies of the Holocaust with the memory of Hiroshima, as well as that of
the Cambodian, Armenian, and other events. The conference was to befollowed by a second conference in Hiroshima, organized by Japaneseand Jewish activists and scholars. The Jerusalem conference, however,ran into a multitude of intellectual and political difficulties, as it was
attacked by the government of Israel, Turkey, the Palestinians andothers. The Hiroshima event and the group that organized it, likewise,
fell victim to political controversy as it was criticized by Chinese-American, Palestinians, and other activists. All sides in the debate tried togain moral high ground by referring to the Holocaust and its legacy.
Such debates, I argue, expose an early moment in the emergence of the
Holocaust as global memory, before it attained hegemony, and when
it existed as one of a multitude of competing memories and narratives.
The contentious nature of both events was a harbinger of an age ofpoliticization of memory where, in both East Asia, and the Cold War
West, war memory was deployed in the service of competing politicalinterests.

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Rotem Kowner University of Haifa, Israel

Etty Glass Gissis Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, Israel

Contemporary Israel-Japan Relations: A Recent Promise thatHas Yet to Materialize

The Two Opposing Extremes of the Continent:
Artistic Ties between Israel and Japan

Despite the initial enthusiasm, the expansion of Israeli-JapaneseThis presentation focuses on the artistic ties between Israel and Japan

relations in the wake of the Gulf War (1990–1) was confined to the eco-

as seen in the works of two artists: Noda Tetsuya and Dani Karavan.

nomic sphere and came to a halt after several years. It was only during

Their works display profound affinity to their own culture, which

the 2010s that the bilateral relations moved forward again, especiallyconstitutes a major facet of their identity, and, at the same time, also

during Abe’s tenure, with frequent mutual visits of officials of the high-to the other culture: Dani Karavan to Japan and Noda Tetsuya to Israel

est rank and the conclusion of several bilateral agreements. Moreover,and Judaism. This presentation discusses the common features thatduring the last few years, Israel has become a target of numerous

link these two artists and those that are specific to each of them while

Japanese investments of an unprecedented scale. This presentation

presenting and analyzing some of their works.

examines the extent of this recent takeoff and whether it indicates atrue watershed in the lukewarm Israeli-Japanese relations.

PART 2
Sigal Ben-Rafael Galanti Beit Berl College, Israel

Between Two Democracies: The Divergent Political Path ofJapan and Israel in the Postwar Era
Israel and Japan are both non-Western democracies with a considerable cultural backgrounds outside the Western sphere. Nonetheless,while Japan has developed as a liberal democracy, eager to maintain the rules of its game, Israel has displayed growing uncertainty
concerning its political foundations. In this presentation, I argue thatthe adoption of strict democratic procedures is the main catalyst forsuccessful democratization. In the current age of new nationalist
populism, when illiberal tendencies are strengthened, the adoption ofstrict democratic procedures is essential. It can make the difference
between stable democratic and autocratic regimes and thus defend
the continuous process of democratization, as seen in Japan but notnecessarily in Israel.
Elchanan S. Harel Harel-Hertz Investment House, Israel

The Economic Dimension of the Israeli-Japanese Relations:
Can the Recent Japanese Investments in Israel Be
Considered a Game-Changer?
Economy and trade have been an inherent aspect of Israeli-Japaneserelations since their establishment. Since the late 1980s, bilateral
economic ties have evolved and expanded substantially in two major
waves. Starting during the tenure of the late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo,
the most remarkable feature of the second wave has been a dramatic
growth in Japanese investments in Israel. This presentation focuseson these investments, analyze their sources and characteristics, anddiscusses their future prospects.

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Keynote lecture DAY TWO

1990s, the rise of the Chinese military and economic threat, and doubts
about the credibility of the military alliance with the United States,

Susan J. Napier Tufts University, MA, USA

despite official declarations by leaders of both sides that the allianceTotoro Meets Mickey Mouse: Revisiting Japanese Soft Powerin the Age of Ambiguous Loss

is as solid as a rock, forced Tokyo to reevaluate its defense policy. In

This lecture explores the contribution that the Japanese animation
studio, Studio Ghibli, has made over the last four decades to contemporary global culture. This contribution is not simply the studio’s artistryin creating immersive, often fantastic, worlds but also the overall
vision that the Studio offers. This is a vision that is cultural, ethical, andspiritual and it stands in contrast to the “American Dream” promotedby Hollywood cinema and by Walt Disney Studios in particular. The
lecture examines how Ghibli’s animistic creation, the woodland spirit
Totoro, offers an alternative approach to interacting with the world
in significant contrast to Disney’s fundamentally androcentric icon,
Mickey Mouse. It also suggests that in recent decades Disney’s own
world view has evolved, reflecting influences from Ghibli Studios andJapanese anime in general. Ultimately, I argue that the complex andnuanced world of Ghibli films is more appropriate to the culture of“ambiguous loss” that we are increasingly experiencing in the twenty-first century world.

the beginning, the changes were incremental and partly “under theradar”, in order to prevent severe criticism from the local public, Southand North Korea, and China, that Japan is aspiring to become again theimperialist Japan of the Second World War.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe promised that he will change Article 9
during his term in office, in order to “Normalize” Japan’s defense
policy (as some of the IR realists wrote about Japan). He intended tochange Japan’s defense policy without being constrained by article 9.
Although he failed to do so, he was able to change Japan’s defense
policy. The changes included expanding missile defense systems andlong-range attack capabilities, which will allow Japan to respondagainst imminent military threats (North Korea) and to project military
power beyond the vicinity of Japan. Prime Minister Abe was able tochange the public discourse as well on security issues. The change inthe defense policy continued even after Prime Minister Abe resignation. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida continues to further change Japan’s
defense policy. This paper will analyze the changes in Japan’s defense
policy during the last three decades. The paper will mainly focus on thechanges during the Abe and the current administrations.

Panel 4A

DAY TWO

NATIONAL POLICY MAKING

Or Honig Tokyo International University, Japan

Chair: Guy Podoler University of Haifa, Israel

The Response of the Japanese Government to the
Covid-19 Epidemic — Was It Much More rational thanit seems at first glance?

Eyal Ben-Ari Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Israel

Those who were observing Japan closely during the Covid-19 period

Japan and the War in Ukraine: A Shift in Foreign and
Security Policies

were surprised by many things – the inefficient rollout of the vaccine,Japan’s foreign and security policies have seen a significant, at times
surprising, shift since Russia invaded Ukraine. In the wake of the war,
Japan’s leaders have not only come out with strong condemnations of
Russia’s actions but have joined the advanced democracies in placing
sanctions against many of the country’s companies and prominent
individuals, as well as sending security-related but non-lethal aid
to Ukraine. This report will address the reasons for the stiffening ofJapan’s foreign policy stance and further promotion of a more active
security orientation. It will cover the long-lasting dispute with Russia
over four islands that the Soviet Union occupied after World War
Two, the signals Japan is intent on sending to China and its aggressive
actions in the region, and a continuation of cautious cultivation of ties
with the US. The war in Ukraine should be seen as accelerating many
previous moves..

the decision to keep the economy open and running (with the exception of pubs which were closing down at 8pm), the decision to hold the
Olympics during the pandemic (instead of delaying it further) eventhough the number of Japanese people infected with COVID prior to
the summer of 2020 was increasing there were not enough hospitalbeds in the COVID departments, the decision to have a low number oftests (which made Japan the country with the lowest number of tests
relative to population size in the OECD), and many other interesting
phenomena. One of the most puzzling phenomena has been thedecision by two different Prime Ministers – Shinzo Abe and his successor Yoshihide Suga – to prioritize economic growth over public healthconsiderations. And then when the numbers of Covid patients was highto resign in order to save the LDP party. Some have argued that this
response was due to cultural factors: the conservative cautious natureof decision- making by the old politicians, the fear of suicides like in thelate 1980s if unemployment grew etc. This study argues however thatmuch of the response was logical given the unique conditions of Japan:

Alon Levkowitz Bar-Ilan University, Israel

a more obedient population, an insulated country and one whose cities

Adapting our defense policy beyond Article 9.

are so densely populated that allowing them to go to the office will

Japan’s defense policy has changed over the last three decades. For
many years it was constrained by Article 9, local “pacifist” sentiments,
and regional objections to any drastic changes in Japan’s defense
policy. The rise of the North Korean missile and nuclear threat since thenot matter much since they will meet each other very much in theirresidential areas too.

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Panel 4B

DAY TWO

JAPANESE ANIMATION
Chair: Shira Taube-Dayan University of Haifa, Israel
Raz Greenberg Tel Aviv University, Israel

Gulliver’s Travels in the Land of the Rising Sun

Nimrod Chiat University of Haifa, Israel

The Food of Love: Scoring the Anime Shakespeare
The soundtracks of anime adaptations of Shakespeare are an additional aspect of what is a very high-order adaptation of their source
material (which is, by and large, an œuvre of adaptations in and of itself– but that is a paper in and of itself, and not in the field of Japanesestudies). Passing through so many layers of adaptation means ending

In 1939, the American animation studio owned by brothers Max (1883-

up with what is by necessity a ‘meme pastiche,’ and it is this ‘meme1972) and David (1894-1979) Fleischer released its first feature-length

pastiche’ that the soundtrack composer is required to work with when

animated film, an adaptation of the famous literary satire “Gulliver’s

she or he is commissioned to score a particular adaptation. In thisTravels”. The film was a modest success in the American box-office,respect, my presentation will compare three such ‘meme pastiches’

but was largely dismissed by critics as a pale imitation of Walt Disneyand examine the manner in which each composer (or composers in

Studio’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, released two years

one case) approached her or his scoring project once commissioned

earlier, and to this day it is considered a minor footnote in the history

by the studio and production committee. Specifically, our three (veryof American animation. While the Fleischer brothers’ short films weredifferent, musically speaking) examples shall be the soundtrack to

extremely popular in Japan from the early to the mid-1930s, and in

Zetsuen no Tenpesuto, which primarily incorporates elements fromfact had a strong influence on local military propaganda animatedHamlet and The Tempest, and which was composed by Ōshima

films during the war, these films – along with “Gulliver’s Travels” – wereMichiru (b. 1961); the soundtrack to Romio to Jurietto, which primarily

banned in Japan during the late 1930s and throughout the pacific war.

incorporates elements from its namesake, and which was composed

In the post-war period, however, long after the Fleischer brothers wereby Sakimoto Hitoshi (b. 1969); and the soundtrack to Nisekoi, whichremoved from their own studio (and the studio itself lost most if not all

primarily incorporates elements from Romeo and Juliet, and whichof its prominence in the American animation industry), “Gulliver’s Trav-

was composed by Ishihama Kakeru (b. 1987), Chiba Naoki (b. 1988), andels” had the unexpected honor of becoming the first-ever American

Kikuya Tomoki (b. 1968).

feature-length animated film released in Japanese theatres. Its impact
was immediate, as evident by “Gulliver funtôki” – a short, public-service
announcement film directed by Tokio Kuroda and Shigeyuki Ozawa,“Garibaa no uchû ryokô” – a family animated film directed by Yoshio
Kuroda in 1965 and “Tenkû no shiro Rapyuta” – the 1986 masterpieceadventure film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Each of these films drew
heavy stylistic and narrative influence from the Fleischer brothers’
films, and in each case, this influence reflects the sensibilities ofanother period in Japan’s post-war history. The presentation examines
these cases, and connects them to their historical context and theirplace in the development of Japan’s post-war animation.

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Panel 5 DAY TWOCONTEMPORARY SOCIETY IN JAPAN
Chair: Irit Averbuch Tel-Aviv University, Israel
Shira Taube-Dayan University of Haifa, Israel

Not too Young to tell Unheard Stories of Disasters:
Young People from Non-Evacuated Communities inFukushima Prefectureof youngsters are embracing the Japanese culture, hence establishing
the cornerstones of the impressive growth in consumption of Japanese- and kawaii-related merchandise. As the world of kawaii cutenessbecomes more internationally accessible and affordable for non-Japanese young and mature consumers, the kawaii-cute merchandise
aesthetic continues to spread globally from Japan to other countries,
with numerous international corporations such as Victoria’s Secret,
MINI, Motorola, Volkswagen, and others that embrace and use kawaiicute as a fundamental element of their design aesthetic.
From Hello kitty and Pokémon to Tamagotchi and fun-kawaii products

Young people worldwide are becoming more aware of environmental

for the office, in this presentation, an introduction will take place uponhazards such as climate change and technological threats and ask how

contemporary kawaii aesthetic, its vast usage in Japan and global

our world should handle these challenges for the sake of their future.

industries and its psychological characteristics. With a display of both

However, until recently, disaster research has rarely focused directly on

the visual and behavioral aspects of the trend, an acknowledgement

children and young people as important sources of knowledge, bring-

will be made on the kawaii’s vast impact in Japan and its positive

ing out their points of view to learn from their experiences of disasters.

behavior attributes.

The term epistemic justice refers to people’s rights to be respectedin their capacities as knowers. The present paper argues for theright of epistemic justice for young people with childhood disaster
experiences, so that they should be regarded as knowers regarding
the implications of the disaster on their lives and on the lives of theircommunities.

Elena Baibikov Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, Japan“Good books for children who are responsible for next
generation”: Japanese children’s literary awards as an
instrument of cultural politics

More specifically, this paper brings out a study of the life stories of

The practice of literary prizing emerged, accompanying the shift to theyoung women and man who grew up in Fukushima Prefecture in the

new capitalist mode of literary production in late-Meiji Japan. Nowa-

years following the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. The paperdays, contributing effectively to the reinforcement of the economy ofpoints out how childhood impressions of the disaster can reveal

literary value literary prizes have significant impact on the dissemi-

new aspects of mental, social, and political coping with the nuclear

nation, reception, and preservation of literary texts (Mack 2010). The

accident among non-evacuated communities. The findings of this study

economically reinforced and disseminated values, however, are notreveal that the young people of Fukushima could tell the stories of cop-limited to the literary ones. In the case of children’s literary awards,

ing with the crisis and its aftermath, and moreover, had the power tothe discourses of literary value frequently mask the transmission of

make a change within their communities. The conclusions of the paper

societal ones (Hateley 2019). These awards, thus, can be said to serve

address the implications of disasters in Japan through a contextual

as a powerful tool of cultural politics, being instrumental in highlight-

lens and refer to various aspects of environmental justice relating to

ing and promoting culture’s norms and expectations, that winningchildren and young people after disasters.

titles are aligned with. This presentation opens with a brief overview ofmajor existing children’s literary awards in Japan, and continues with a

Shiri Lieber-Milo Reichman University, Israel

The cultural and psychological aspects ofkawaii (cute) culture in JapanThe cute world of kawaii subculture has been part of Japanese culture
for more than forty years, having become one of the most influential
phenomena, and having established a strong presence that significantly impacts almost every segment of Japanese society.

juxtaposition of the winning titles of selected prizes in different years
to invite a discussion on children’s literary awards as an instrument of
exercising cultural power and on agendas informing those exercises.
Aaron Hames University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Aging and Loneliness in Contemporary Japan:“I leave my door unlocked at night.”

Recognizing that kawaii images stimulate positively affirming and car-

This paper explores how elderly in Japan experience loneliness anding awareness and feelings, many Japanese corporations have invested

seek its remedy. Cultural ideals couch the latter years of life in relationin the creation of commercially successful cute merchandise based on

to the family and the role of the grandparent. In this frame, the pres-the kawaii aesthetic characteristics of smallness, bright colors, andence of kin suggests social integration, while its absence may signal

softness.

isolation and lead to loneliness. “Lonely death” (kodokushi) looms as a

Recently, thanks to globalization, this world of cuteness has extended

potential conclusion. However, demographic shifts have underminedbeyond Japan to other Asian and Western countries. This proliferation

the family’s place in elderly life: households are increasingly nuclearof kawaii brands and products that Yano (2013) coined “pink globaliza-

and kin networks have shrunk. A growing proportion of the elderlytion” is manifest in the export of cute icons, images and merchandise

reside in solitude or with an aged spouse. The emergence of precarious

from Japan to other parts of the industrial world.

working conditions adds further strain on diminished families that must

For more than two decades, there has been a widespread growth ofbalance elderly support with the need for income. Drawing on two

interest from Asian and Western countries, where increasing numbers

years of research in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, this paper considers

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

the relationship between aging and loneliness under these social

Film screening DAY TWO

conditions. In a series of ethnographic portraits, I examine the plights
and social relationships of a variety of elderly individuals with different

Sharon Kinsella The University of Manchester, UK, andhousehold arrangements, caregiving burdens, socioeconomic statuses,

David Panos Conditions art studio, UK

and degrees of physical mobility. Whereas demographic shifts and eco-Josō (2020)

nomic downturns broadly structure elderly life, I argue that lonelinessoccurs in diverse contexts and the condition is not reducible to a weakened household. For some elderly—often women—solitary residence
is preferred and allows for vibrant social life. In addition, a major factor
shaping loneliness is the extraordinary longevity of Japan’s populace.
Amidst slow declines, some elderly effectively outlive the social role ofgrandparent as well as their accustomed neighborhoods. To assuage
loneliness, many elderly seek social connection with elderly peers,
professional caregivers, and strangers. Even when family is present
and engaged, I contend that social fulfillment for the elderly frequently
stems from cultivating non-kin relationships.

Joso is a film collaboration combining ethnographic documentation
and art film to explore the nature of male reaction and sentimenton the cusp of change in Japan. Filmic flow through Tokyo, Saitama
and Fukushima captures signs and context of the hyperbolic and yet
ambiguously gendered presence within the contemporary urban
environment. Urban Japan in the mid-2010s is seen in its own style ofmotion under the enthusiastic and benign gazes of enormous teenage
girl faces screened and posted throughout the city.
As the film unfolds deeper layers begin to emerge. There are signs thatthe girl is the new model commuter and employee: flexible, disciplined
and cute. Under the implicit directions of the gendered city young men
are witnessed engaged in complex active reactions: cross-dressing,de-masculinizing, idolizing and parodying.

Keynote lecture DAY TWO

Close interaction and conversation with young men involved withspecific recent male subcultures - otoko no ko and himote - appear,

Sharon Kinsella The University of Manchester, UK

and through their gestures and words the audience is drawn into theCute Masculinity: investigating the historical context andmeanings of virtual shōjo and girl parody by young men in
the 2010s

language and emotion of young men in the contemporary period.

Around 2010, cute male characters, drawn visually identical to bishōjo(beautiful girl) characters, moved beyond erotic computer games(eroge-) and into cosplay and cute cross-dress fashion subculture, on
campuses and online. By the middle of the 2010s, M2F cute and girlish
boys were also a tangible theme in advertising and major media production. The well-trained bodies and willing faces of young girls lining
screens and interfaces in the city, became infiltrated by male talents
and pop idols in cute cross-dress. This period of time correspondswith the long recessionary drift and dissociation of the universalized
twentieth-century heterosexual family and production focus.
This lecture provides visual and historical information describing thegermination of otoko no ko and rise to prominence of other forms of
M2F cross-dress in the 2000s and explores how far elements of thisshow a continuity with and a response to, the figure of the sexualized
gyaru and later schoolgirl demanding autonomy, which dominatednews, culture, and gender politics, in the 1980s and 1990s. Images
and reported activities of biologically-female schoolgirls and gyaru
became progressively more censored and actively policed throughanti-porn law and youth protection law from the end nineties, while the2000s saw a gradual increase in cross-dress cute male characters andavatars emerging in adult male subculture.

Light usage of archival material and cultural references, such as
Yamaguchi Momoe’s final song to love preceding her bridal retirementin 1980; Ultraman; and shoreline re-building and stagnant waters inFukushima; all hint at a the peculiar devastation and exhaustion of the2010s, which forms the emotional context of self-invention.

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Keynote lecture

DAY THREE

Sugeno Kazuo The University of Tokyo

Eitan Bolokan Tel Aviv University, Israel

The seed of Poetry is in the Heart: Towards a Hebrew
Translation of the Kokin Wakashū Kanajo

The Japanese Employment System Today: How has itchanged and how will it change?

The Kokin Wakashū (古今和歌集, “Collection of Japanese Poems ofIn the 1970s and the 1980s the Japanese employment system has

beginning of the tenth century. It contains thousands of thematically

become known for the following four elements: (1) Long-term employ-classified thirty-one-syllable Japanese poems (tanka, 短歌). The collec-

ment, (2) An internal labor market, (3) A seniority-based wage system,tion contributed profoundly and long-lastingly to the formation andand (4) Union management relations under enterprise unionism. In

aesthetics of Japanese poetry up to the modern period.

this presentation I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of thisIn this lecture, I shall examine the “Japanese introduction” (kanajo, 仮名

system and the government attempts to improve it during the 1980s.

序) to the collection, which was written by the nobleman, poet, and edi-

Next, I will analyze if and how has it changed due to the difficulties andtor of the collection Ki no Tsuryuki. The kanajo is known as one of thereforms in the recent three decades. Finally, I will attempt to estimate

most profound bases of the theory of Japanese poetics (karon, 歌論),

how the practice of Japanese employment may change in the coming

and became a pivotal treatise that poets and writers have memorized,

few decades, in light of (1) the increasing calls for a total reform of theinterpreted, and quoted from throughout the generations.

system, (2) the example of the western external-labor-market based

In this talk, I shall present a draft of the Hebrew translation of theemployment system, and (3) the demographical, industrial and techno-

kanajo, concentrating on its opening paragraphs. I shall discuss key

logical changes that Japan is going through.

challenges and dilemmas and will offer my interpretation of theAncient and Modern Times”) was published by imperial decree at theimportance of the text’s opening statements to the theory of JapanesePoetry.
Panel 6 DAY THREE

LOST AND FOUND IN TRANSLATION –FOREIGNNESS IN WRITING AND TRANSLATINGJAPAN

Irit Weinberg Tel Aviv University, Israel

Chair: Jacob Raz Tel-Aviv University, Israel

When talking about literature and art created by exophonic or mul-

In the age of machine translation, there is a growing emphasis on“border-crossing,” “fluidity,” “movement,” and “hybridity.” However, theaccurate mediation from the “source” to the “target text.” However,celebration of such writers – when they are not ethnically Japanese – isdifferent aspects of the translator’s personal and cultural identity areoften predicated on their very foreignness. Once perceived as outsideoften overlooked. This panel aims to shift the focus from mediation

the “normal” (futsū), these artists are burdened with either representa-

to mediator and explore the liminal place of the translator, whotion of their ethnic group or with the expectation to subvert (or uphold)stands on the borderline of two different codes. Specifically, we seek

the cultural and/or literary canon. Because of their minority status,

to examine interpretive difficulties and possibilities that arise fromthey are both centered as representatives of their group, and by theencountering cultural otherness in translating from and to Japanese.

same token, they are also marginalized. Being expected to traverse

Among the questions to be discussed are: Should the translation beborders reinforces one’s position at the boundary rather than at thesubordinate to the source? How is cultural foreignness reflected incenter. This paper will discuss the works and essays of Korea-born

translation? Is it possible to transcend it, and should this even be the

hip-hop artist Moment Joon and Taiwan-born Akutagawa Prize winnergoal?

Li Kotomi, who chose Japan and the Japanese language as their home

Thus, the paperes in this panel offer different perspectives onand strive to forge their identity on their own terms, struggling against

translation and cultural identity. Eitan Bolokan’s paper introduces

labels imposed on them by society. Though their approaches and medi-

vital challenges and dilemmas in translating the Kokin Wakashū – a

ums differ, both embed themselves within Japan, populated by mul-ten-century poetry anthology – into Hebrew. Irit Weinberg discusses

ti-ethnic, multilingual, and otherwise diverse people. Li and Moment

the works and essays of two immigrant artists who chose Japan andJoon insist on self-identification, rejection of imposed definitions,

the Japanese language as their home—exploring their struggle toand self-fashioning within a network that includes various minorities,

forge their identity against labels imposed on them by society. Erez

refashioning the Japanese landscape to place them firmly within its

Joskovich’s paper explores the option of going beyond translation

borders. This wide web that goes beyond any particular ethnic groupby writing Haibun (Haiku dairy) in Hebrew. Arguing this practice canis challenging the perceived “normal” Japanese (person and language)

mediate the experience of cultural alienation both to oneself and theas well as the links between nationality, language and culture. Rather

target readers. With the help of our respectable discussant Jacob Raz,

than being “in-between” or uncomfortably “in the middle,” they place

we hope to engage in a dialogue that will shed new light on different

themselves as unique human beings within a network of overlapping

aspects of foreignness in writing and translating Japan.

positionalities.

Looking for Home in Japanese Multi-Cultural Space:
Art and Letters of Recent Immigrants to Japantilingual writers and artists, there is a tendency to use words such as

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Erez Joskovich Ben Gurion University of the Negev

question the durability of that ethos, and the ethos that seems to be

and Tel Aviv University, Israeloffered currently as an alternative.

Going Beyond Translation — Writing Japan in Hebrew

In the closing paper, Bejarano is also trying to rethink terms andIn this paper, I will share some of my experiences and insights fromengaging with Japan and the Japanese language. Mainly, the article
will reflect on the possibility of translation and the translato’s place. In
the first part, I examine my engagement with texts of various genres,from Buddhist texts written in Sino-Japanese (kanbun) to modern
Japanese literature viz-a-viz multiple translation theories fromJacques Derrida to Roland Barthes. I will argue against the attempt
to eliminate the translator, which is futile and eventually impairs thetranslation quality. In the second part of the paper, I explore the optionof going beyond translation by discussing my recently published book
Denshijisho (2022). Here, I will examine the difficulties and possibilityof writing Haibun (Haiku dairy) in Hebrew, demonstrating inter ilia how
it can mediate the experience of cultural alienation both to oneself anddesigns that may be wrongly associated with “going back to local
essence and materials” but in fact stem from contemporary discourse about social ideals in times of grim reality changes. In her
paper, she applies techniques of semantic-fields analysis in order toreread exhibition blurbs and look at artworks’ display at the Tokyo
area. Consequently, she also suggests that objects that might besuperficially described in terms such as “natural” or unrefined (thatin the orientalist gaze might have been termed “wabi”) are in fact
the result of the art discourse’s deeper sense of societal and politicalchanges. Her argument joins the conclusion of this panel that postwar
visual phenomena in Japan should be interpreted in close relation toaesthetic and social discourses that are taking place in the Japanese
media.

the target readers.
Oshrat Dotan Tel Aviv University, Israel

Challenging the Function of Vision in 1960s Japanese art
Panel 7 DAY THREE

Towards the mid-1960s, many Japanese artists challenged the function

FORM AND VISION: RETHINKING AESTHETIC
FRAMEWORKS IN JAPANESE VISUAL CULTURE

of vision and questioned the supposedly objective and uninvolved con-

Chair: David Adika Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem,

and illusion and mesmerize the viewers, others used simple objects

Israelventions of viewing art that underlay modern art. Some artists madeuse of technology and objects such as mirrors to heighten change
to evoke optical illusions and visual tricks to show the gap between
vision and existence. This paper examines the latter tendency throughThis panel offers four original interpretations of documented visual

the work of Takamatsu Jirō, the Shizuoka-based group Genshoku (幻phenomena produced in Japan from the postwar period to the触), and artists associated with the Mono-ha (もの派) phenomenon. Not

post-Fukushima era. All papers focus on visual objects as their main

merely concerning the definitions of art alone, the works mark thefield of investigation, and connect them to a broader social andartists’ attempts to relate to the concrete world around them—thepolitical discourse.

actual reality that exists beyond the abstractness of images, objects

Dotan’s research focuses on challenges made by postwar artists toand words. The works will also be discussed in relation to a discourse

conventions of seeing and viewing art. It takes as its central axis theof “seeing” that developed among artists and art critics such as Ishiko

work of Takamatsu Jirō, the art group Genshoku, and artists associ-Junzō and Nakahara Yūsuke.

ated with the Mono-ha phenomenon, whose explorations of vision
reveal critical stances toward art and society, and the artists’ own
attempts to relate to the changing postwar realities. Her paper offersa reading of writings by artists and renowned art critics of the time as

Ory Bartal Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem, Israel

Mujirushi Ryohin and Critical Consumerism in 1980’s Japan

both responding and inspiring the work.

Mujirushi Ryohin is a lifestyle brand entrenched in Japanese consumer

In the second paper, Bartal’s study offers an interpretation of theculture, which in 2012 was dubbed by the Japanese lifestyle magazine

theoretical and social aspects behind visual phenomena that may

Brutus Casa a “lifestyle operating system.” However, the company’s

seem merely minimalist at first gaze. His paper focuses on thefirst incarnation was as a very modest yet critical food and household

simply-designed products of Mujirushi (no-signature) brand in relation

product line in Seiyu Stores supermarkets. Wishing to offer consumers

to the 1980’s rising discourse on anti-consumerism. Bartal explains the

inexpensive yet quality products, the company adopted a new initiative

theory of “super normal” coined by designer Fukasawa Naoto throughbased on ecological values. The basic, plain, and timeless products,

the analysis of products and advertising campaigns, and links it to newwhich do not change with the seasons or from year to year, stress theglobal awareness of late capitalism.

‘use value’ and functionality as an alternative to the logic of changing

In the third paper, Golani Solomon farewells the currently most

fashion – one of the pillars of late consumer culture, in which products

famous building in Japan - Nakagin Capsule Tower. He revisits Nak-

are made with a built-in obsolescence and use identified style andagin, revisits the site, the people and the ideas, and examines a wave

branding to create a consumer identity. In contrast, Mujirushi Ryohin’sof renewed interest in the building that rose along with it’s recent

product were designed in an anonymous and simple aesthetics thatchoreographed, careful destruction. He offers a critique to a building

was originated in a critical theory called “Super Normal”. Super Normalthat carried, for half a century, traces of an idealized Modernist ethos,theory creates by Mujirushi Ryohin’s product designer – Fukasawa

The Sixth Biennial International Conference of the Israeli Association for Japanese Studies
15-17 November 2022

Naoto, challenges the contemporary consumer culture where design

Yet when analyzing semantic fields associated with “Nature” that arehas become a sales promoter and is therefore often flashy or osten-used by the Japanese art world as it is reflected in the comprehensive

tatious. Super Normal products, on the other hand, show the essence

website tokyoartbeat.com, I find that in the last decade the nostalgicof things. They lack specific style, identity or originality. Therefore,gaze has turned into a more globalized perspective. At the same time

although Mujirushi Ryohin product line was part of the consump-

Nature is no longer perceived as a pure essence devoid of humantion culture, their simple style products can be seen as part of thesociety and political intervention. I suggest that the trauma caused by

Anti-Branding, No-Logo and anti-consumerism political movements

the March ’11 disasters and the global climatic changes reshape thethat emerged in Europe and the U.S. in the 1980s in response to “theperception of Nature in Japan, and consequently the production of artssociety of spectacle” of late capitalism. The lecture will present theand their display.

new simple style that emerged in the 1980’s in Japan via Mujirushi
Ryohin’s products and advertising campaigns, the way this new simple
style was different from Japanese traditional minimalism, and how thisnew simple style was imbued with ideological and protest consciousness.
Erez Golani Solomon Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem,
Israel and Waseda University, Japan

Eulogy to Nakagin Capsule Tower

Keynote lecture

DAY THREE

Barak Kushner The University of Cambridge, UK

A silent country（黙國）perched on the precipice of peace
apathy（平和ボケ）: where is Japan heading and what does
this mean for Japanese studies?
In early July 2022 Japan’s longest serving prime minister was gunned
down in broad daylight. Japanese media services rushed to announce

Nakagin Capsule Tower was an unusual apartment building. Nakagin,

the murder but hesitated in using the term “assassination” and avoided

as the building is commonly referred to, was designed at the beginning

naming the religious organization implicated in the event. Mirroringof the 1970s by the then young and persuasive Japanese architect

perhaps a recent national tendency toward silence, news organiza-

Kisho Kurokawa [1934-2007] and built at the southern tip of Ginza.

tions were relatively muted in their analyses of this tragedy. At theIt was then and still is today an important construction project thatsame time, a variety of opinion polls suggest that while Abe’s death iscarries considerable cultural and historical value. The building wasmourned, the majority of the public do not support a “national funeral”

the defining spirit of Japanese post-Second World War architectural

although there was never a debate about this in the parliament. In andavant-garde, and the clearest built manifestation of its thoughts. It

around Japan this summer signs implored consumers and travelers

embodied a precise and audacious reaction, in architectural terms, toalike to “refrain from conversation,” ostensibly to avoid spreadinga multilayered and charged context. The construction of Nakagin was

Covid but the impact is much larger.

completed on April 5, 1972.

What is the significance of all of this silence? Is it a way to avoid digging

The destruction of Nakagin begun earlier this year, in April, exactly 50

into the larger issues at stake for Japan – and there are many. Japanese

years after its completion. Although this was expected, the destruction

conservatives are pushing to alter the constitution with no real public

attracted much media, public, professional, and academic attention

appeal to do so. Many in Japan’s leading political party want to main-and encouraged a wave of new attempts to understand the building,tain a standing military, but can it be staffed with a rapidly dwindlingto apply meaning to it. Nakagin, obviously, continues to fascinate. The

population? Is an aging population attempting to hold on to someconference paper will reassess the value of Nakagin in the light of thisglorious national past, or is Japan trying to forge a new way forward?

renewed attention. It will not add a position to an argument about

This talk will weave a narrative to touch on current and historicalwhether we are better off with or without Nakagin, not console nor

points that investigate the various crises Japan faces and how thiscelebrate, but rather examine the complex dynamics that constructedaffects the state of the field and our engagement as scholars andit in 1972 and destructed it in 2022.

students of East Asia.

Shalmit Bejarano Tel Aviv University, Israel

Between nostalgia and dystopia: “Nature” semantics inJapanese art
Nature (自然) is a commonly-used term in traditional-arts discourse. It
arches from seasonal terms in poetry, extends to the verdant fields ofrural Yamato, and into the usage of unrefined materials. In the modern
era these usages were reconstructed to evoke sweet nostalgia towards
imagined harmony of times immemorial and pure Japaneseness. In the
21st century, however, these images of Nature are harnessed to discuss
consumer experiences of invented traditions such as organic foods andeco-tourism.