What’s in thisissue
WelcomeMessage
Eye on JapanTokyo Days –report byNadine Willems
A Piece of JapanUpcoming
EventsGeneral Links
Editor: Oliver Moxham, CJS Project CoordinatorCJS Director: Professor Simon KanerHeader photo by editor

Welcome Message

Contact Us

CJS ニュースレターへようこそ！

Welcome to the third April edition of the CJS e-Newsletter. This week we bring you the latest developments
in Japan both on the ground and online. In this issue, we provide updates on how Japan is responding tothe COVID19 virus, a new report from Nadine Willems in Tokyo, a starter selection of manga by UEA’sresident expert Rayna Denison in ‘A Piece of Japan’ and an announcement of digital research conference
Before & Beyond Typography hosting colleague Eugenia Bogdanova-Kummer. You can find a message fromCJS Director Professor Simon Kaner on the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures
website and hear more from our SISJAC colleagues on their monthly e-bulletin.
Eye on Japan – state of emergency without the urgency

日本の更新

Seven prefectures (Tokyo, Ōsaka, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Hyōgo)
have been granted permission by the Japanese government to enter a state ofemergency, although as mentioned in last week’s issue it falls far short of the
lockdown measures seen across the world. Government public service messages
continue to associate the virus with cold symptoms, only encouraging those withsuch symptoms to stay at home which ignores asymptomatic carriers of COVID19.
Another ineffective measure has been urging, but not forcing, people to stay athome, which saw many return to work on Monday for various reasons including
inability to telework or simply being unable to afford taking time off work. This has caused medical experts
to send out a stark message warning 400,000 could die in Japan without serious government efforts tocontain infections. Inspiring stories are coming out of Japan though, including efforts made by thegovernment to house the homeless during this crisis after the often-used refuge of internet cafes wereclosed by the crisis and initiatives by prefectural governments to hire those put out of work. In a cultural
twist, a 19th century yōkai named Amabie has seen a resurgency on social media after her qualities as a1

guardian against epidemics came to light and veteran polka-dot artist Yayoi Kusama has sent out aninspiring message of defiance against the virus.
Written by the editor
Source material can be found in the ‘News from Japan’ section
Tokyo Days – Report by Nadine Willems

東京の日々

Quiet Days in Tokyo
The cherry trees along the Meguro River are shedding their last blossoms. Thepetals gather into a thin layer on the surface of the water before being carriedaway by the current. And with them, it seems, evaporate the hopes that Japan
would swiftly circumvent the global pandemic mayhem.
My escape to Tokyo has taken a new turn. The city has gone quiet, very quiet, andI now look around in puzzlement as the metropolis reluctantly grinds to an
apparent standstill. The state of emergency declared last week on Tuesday
concerns Tokyo and six densely populated prefectures and should last until 6May. Osaka, Yokohama, and Fukuoka are also amongst the targeted cities.
The rise in coronavirus infections – and especially worries about the non-traceability of the routes ofinfection – motivated the Abe government to act. Even so, because of the need to respect the civil liberties
enshrined in the constitution, the declaration is much less binding than in the UK. It merely gives power tolocal governors to request (yōsei) that citizens refrain from non-urgent and unnecessary outings and thatbusinesses show appropriate restraint.
Officially it is thus not a lock-down, even if the level of compliance is noticeable. The press has reported an
above 70% reduction of activities at the weekend, and the trend has been broadly persisting over theworking week. The city that has always elicited in me images of thriving commercialism and bustlingnightlife has now the allure of a sleepy provincial town. Yōko, the owner of my usual evening hang-out, hasclosed shop until early May. Most restaurants that remain open – perhaps about a third of them – are shutby 8pm, as requested by the governor. The alleys of the local supermarket are almost entirely empty ofpeople when I visit in mid-afternoon – but I notice that a see-through vinyl screen in place as anti-virus
protection now separates the customers from the cash machine attendants. The virus is lurking, if not in
the streets, in the minds of the population.
There is a sense, however, that life – and Tokyo – must go on.
Cherry blossoms viewing may have been a flop this year, as thevirus kept away hordes of income-producing visitors, but there
is room for creativity and perhaps some level of profitability. Allaround my neighbourhood, eateries are undergoing quick
conversions into take-away and delivery joints. From before
noon, waiters stand outside on the pavement next to a pile oflunchboxes and wait for customers. Like everywhere else, thefashion business is taking a hit. But in Daikanyama, one of thetrendy areas of the capital, one shop at least is open. I am let
in, although not before a young attendant checks mytemperature with a non-touch thermometer.
2Some workers keep commuting, because they want or need to, on
what is usually known as one of the most crowded transportation
networks in the world. I am told that these days all windows areopen so as to keep carriages well ventilated. Schools are closed,
but children play in the local park – to them, staying indoors all
day long in a 3 LDK apartment is no enticing proposition. Hopefulrugby athletes, dutifully wearing a mask, pass each other the ball.
Only the central lawn is fenced off to discourage picnics on sunnydays.

Japan is one of the countries in the world where the spread of the coronavirus has so far been remarkably
well contained and fatalities kept to a minimum. Yet, its population mostly complies with the crippling
restrictions imposed on daily life. As I walk the city, watching spring explode along the Meguro River, Iwonder how long this spirit of gaman (dignified endurance) will hold.

Written by Nadine Willems, Lecturer of Japanese History at UEA. All photos taken by theauthor.

A Piece of Japan

日本のかけら

Each week, we will bring to you some fresh recommendations from CJS members tohelp bring a piece of Japan to you at home through film, books, anime, manga andmore. This week we bring a bumper manga starter pack for all of you curious about
the genre and eager to get started over the lockdown. If you have any suggestions forthemes or other recommendations, send us an email at cjs@uea.ac.uk.
Editor’s note: English e-books and Japanese e-books on Amazon can largely only bepurchased on amazon.co.uk and amazon.co.jp respectively, meaning that English andJapanese ebooks cannot be purchased on one account. You can read in bothlanguages on your computer, but it is necessary to have two accounts. Furthermore,
if you wish to read on a Kindle you must log in with either an English or Japanese account. Switchingaccounts on a Kindle will delete any content alrea stored on the device, so choose wisely!
MangaRecommended by Rayna Denison, Senior Lecturer in Japanese Film at UEA
Stuck in the house and looking for things to do? Here are some suggestions for mangareading that will be popular with the whole family!

3Astroboy by Osamu Tezuka
鉄腕アトム 作者：手塚治虫
Ages 8 and up
The classic starting point for manga readers. Astroboy by “God of Manga”
Osamu Tezuka follows the Pinocchio-meets-robots story of Dr Tenma, whoattempts to create a replacement after the death of his son, Tobio. What
he creates is Astroboy, a superhero-like robot who works diligently to solve
humanity’s problems. The manga started in the 1950s and helped topopularise both manga and anime in the postwar period.
Astro Boy is available in English and Japanese e-books on Amazon.
Princess Knight by Osamu Tezuka
リボンの騎士 作者：手塚治虫
Ages 8 and up
A second Osamu Tezuka classic, this time one of the starting points forgirls’ manga. It follows the adventures of the cross-dressing princess,Sapphire, who is raised as a boy so that she can inherit her father’s throne.
This leads to lots of romantic confusion, quests, fights against evil witches
and the interventions of a magical cherub.
Available in English and Japanese e-books on Amazon.
Showa: A History of Japan by Shigeru Mizuki
昭和史 作者：水木しげる
Ages 15 and up
Looking for something educational? Shigeru Mizuki is one of the mostsignificant manga authors working in biography and non-fiction, as well as
being the creator of the famed Graveyard Kitaro manga. A soldier in WWII
who lost his right arm, Mizuki then relearned to draw in the postwar period
and created thought-provoking records of Japanese history and folklore.
Available in English paperback and Japanese e-book on Amazon.
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki
風の谷のナウシカ 作者：宮崎駿
Ages 12-15 and up
Drawn by famed animator, Hayao Miyazaki, this is the epic tale of thePrincess Nausicaa, who lives in a land on the brink of environmental
disaster and war. The manga is worth reading for any Miyazaki fansbecause it is full of lush details, great storytelling and has a different ending
to the film version.
Available in English and Japanese paperback only4

My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi
僕のヒーローアカデミア 作者：浩平堀越Ages 10 and up
One of the hottest anime right now, and a breakout hit for author-artist
Kōhei Horikoshi, this manga is a great choice for any children (or adults)
who love Marvel movies. The story follows Izuki Midoriya, who is born intoa world where everyone has superhero “quirks”. Except for him. When hemeets his favourite superhero, All Might, Midoriya learns a secret thatallows him to embark on a quest to become Earth’s greatest hero. Full of
positive messages, exciting fight scenes and some absolutely bonkers
characters designs.
Available in English and Japanese e-books on Amazon.
FilmRecommended by the editor
After Life by Hirokazu Kore-eda
ワンダフルライフ 作者：是枝裕和
After Life is a wonderfully tender, if not bureaucratic, imagining of whatlies beyond our mortal lives. A small mid-20th century social-service-style
office serves as a waystation for the souls of the recently deceased, wherether are processed before entering their personal heaven – a single happy
memory re-experienced for eternity. Every Monday, a new group ofrecently deceased people check in, and the “social workers” in the lodge
explain the situation. Once the souls have chosen their happiest memories, workers design andreplicate each person’s chosen memory, which is staged and filmed. At the end of the week, therecently deceased watch the films of their recreated happiest memories in a screening room. As
soon as each person sees his or her own memory, he or she vanishes to whatever state of existencelies beyond and takes only that single memory with them. A beautiful example of how deep andabstract concepts of memory and the afterlife can be powerfully portrayed through minimal props
and superb writing and acting.
Available to rent online on the British Film Institute’s BFIPlayer – free 14 day trial available!

Upcoming Events

催し物

Before & Beyond Typography
April 24/25
www.bbtypo.com
Eugenia Bogdanova-Kummer, Lecturer in Japanese Arts, Culture, and Heritage at theSainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, will be presenting at
Stanford University’s Before & Beyond Typography conference which has moved
online due to recent events. She will be presenting on “Japanese Printed Calligraphy
and Postwar Avant-Garde”. The event is free and open to all.
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Conference Overview
What becomes of our understanding of “-graphics” when we dislodge the prefix “typo-” from its longdominant position and place it alongside those of “chiro-,” “xylo-,” “litho-,” “mimeo-,” “xero-,” "seri-," andother methods and technologies that have shaped the early modern and modern eras in profound ways?
This conference will track the dynamic interplay between technological change and non-typographic
printing in those parts of the world where typographic printing was considered ill-suited to local writing
systems and script cultures, including South Asia, East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Conference
speakers will examine the vitality of non-typographic publishing networks from the early modern era to thepresent.
REGISTER HERE
The conference is free, open to the public, and does not require registration. However, we highly
recommend pre-registration. Benefits of pre-registration are:- early access to full conference schedule- early access to potential hands-on workshops- additional information about the speakers and event

News from Japan

日本に関する記事

For a running number of reported COVID19 infections, victims and recoveries in Japan, see theAsahi Shimbun homepage (Japanese only): https://www.asahi.com/
BBC: Coronavirus: Japan rushes to house thousands of homeless people
For a Japanese government public service video on coronavirus (Japanese only):
3 つの密を避けよう！
NHK reports on the warning by medical experts:
Experts warn 400,000 coronavirus deaths in Japan
Japan Times reports on government requests to stay at home and the lack of public response:
Japan urges 70% commuter cut in emergency zones and asks nation to avoid nightlife
Many in Japan head for work despite Abe’s call to stay home in pandemic
The New Yorker writes on the resurgency of Amabie:
From Japan, a Mascot for the PandemicThe Guardian relays Yayoi Kusama’s message to COVID19:
Yayoi Kusama's message to Covid-19: 'Disappear from this earth'
For Japanese speakers, here are two articles in English from the Japan Times laying out vocabulary coming
out of the crisis:
The Japanese words used to encourage self-restraint

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Cancellations, postponements, suspensions — words that define the times
Click here for a comprehensive online document on Japanese universities adopting distance learning.
For more information on Japanese universities see this twitter thread by Rochelle Kopp, professor atKitakyushu University, for resources.
一般な情報

General Links
Embassy of Japan: http://www.uk.emb-japan.go.jp/
Japan Foundation: http://www.jpf.org.uk/
JSPS: http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/
British Association for Japanese Studies: http://www.bajs.org.uk/
Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation: http://www.dajf.org.uk/
Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation: http://www.gbsf.org.uk/
Japan Society: http://www.japansociety.org.uk/
EU-Japan Centre: http://www.eu-japan.eu/
Canon Foundation: www.canonfoundation.org
Applications for JET Programme: http://www.jetprogramme.org/
Japanese Language Proficiency Exam: http://www.jlpt.jp/e/index.html
UEA Japan Society: ueajapansociety@gmail.com
Taiko Centre East: http://www.taikocentre.org.uk/
Career Forums: http://www.careerforum.net/event/?lang=E

連絡情報

Contact Us
If you have any contributions for the next issue of the e-newsletter,
please send them to us by Wednesday to make the next issue.

The CJS office is located in the Sainsbury Centre for the Visual Arts (the mezzanine floor), although theoffice is temporarily closed as per university guidelines. You can always email us at cjs@uea.ac.uk.
To keep up with goings-on at CJS, follow us on social media:
www.facebook.com/CJSUea/
www.twitter.com/CJS_UeaOr visit our website: www.uea.ac.uk/cjs

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Left: CJS Director Professor Simon Kaner
Right: CJS Project Coordinator Oliver Moxham
If you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please email cjs@uea.ac.uk

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