What’s in thisissue
WelcomeMessage
Eye on JapanTokyo Days –report by
Nadine Willems
Piece of Japan
Upcoming
EventsGeneral Links
Editor: Oliver Moxham, CJS Project CoordinatorCJS Director: Professor Simon Kaner
Header photo by editor

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CJS ニュースレターへようこそ！

Welcome to the fourth 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 analyse the escalating COVID19
cases in Japan, accompanied by a new report from Nadine Willems in Tokyo. Following the mandatory
Easter ‘staycation’, this week’s edition invites you to explore the world through a Japanese lens with ourtheme of travel. You can find a message from CJS Director Professor Simon Kaner on the Sainsbury Institutefor the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures website and hear more from our SISJAC colleagues on theirmonthly e-bulletin.
Eye on Japan: Interpreting the Spike | The Traditional & the Digital

日本の更新

Since our last edition, the situation in Japan has dramatically altered. Infections
passed 10,000 on Saturday, with Tokyo being the worst affected area and doctors
warning the healthcare system may not be able to take the strain. With
ambulances already being turned away from emergency rooms at full capacity,
the announcement of a nationwide state of emergency may seem like too little,
too late. Its inability to force people to stay at home may seem baffling incomparison with the measures of other nations, but it is based in constitutional
protection of civil rights stemming from Meiji-era abuses of power. While theruling LDP party has proposed revising this for stronger emergency powers, it would be controversial, timeconsuming and far too late to address the current crisis. Measures are being brought in, such as drivethrough testing facilities which should allow for better tracking, and therefore control, of the virus. One
wild policy change has seen the government pledge ¥100,000 to everyone in Japan, replacing an earlier
plan to provide ¥300,000 to financially hit households. This covers 127 million people, including foreign
nationals with more than three months residency and homeless, although it has to be wondered how
1quickly a good chunk of these funds will find themselves funnelled through pachinko parlours still operating
nationwide.
More traditional methods of fighting the virus are also being rolled out at Todaiji temple in Nara, where
ceremonies have been undertaken to usher in the end of the virus and more recently a window has been
opened to the face of the Great Buddha statue inside. Resident monk Morimoto Kōjō tweeted that it was
not so tourists could see the Buddha, but so that he could watch over us. For those itching to pray before
the Great Buddha, a free rimōto sanpai, or ‘remote praying’ livestream has been made available for justthat purpose. In other news, the closure of entertainment venues old and new has seen Japan’s traditional
performers taking their talents online, with kabuki plays and noh theatre being streamed via YouTube thisweek. Subtitles will be in Japanese only, but non-Japanese speakers can read an English synopsis and still
enjoy the feast for the eyes.
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

Keeping Busy in Tokyo
My foolish hopes of a swift and definite containment of the coronavirus have been
dealt another blow. On 16 April the government extended the state of emergency
from seven specific areas to the entire country. Japan is far from experiencing thekind of explosive growth in infections and deaths seen in most west European
countries. But with higher infection rates concentrated in the major cities and theGolden Week holiday scheduled to start next week, the rationale is that a national
lockdown will keep people from travelling and spreading the virus geographically.
So here I remain, spending slow days in Tokyo, trying to make sense in my own way of the pandemic’s
constraints and paradoxes. The city felt already sluggish last week, but in my neighbourhood at least,
activity has slowed down further as more businesses have decided to close altogether until 7 May, the dateearmarked for relaxation of the “confinement” measures. Those that remain open take extra precautions.
To ensure social distancing, the manager of my local Okinawan cuisine eatery now only allows people tooccupy alternate seats at the counter. At lunchtime, I notice that compared to previous days the number ofcustomers has dwindled to a handful, certainly making the new rule easy to follow.
But what is there to do then in this giant city when all cultural and sporting venues are closed? When thelocal festivals that regularly enchant each neighbourhood are cancelled? When most restaurants, in acountry known for its exquisite culinary tradition, are shut? When it is strongly discouraged to use one of
the world’s most efficient public transport systems? Prime Minister Abe has not banned walking or jogging– it is after all a soft, less stringent and not legally binding lockdown. When not sitting
at my desk, I have thus been setting out on foot, taking hour-long, exploratory walks
through the urban maze that is Tokyo.
On one sunny day I reach Gōtokuji in an hour and a half. The temple hosts a large
collection of maneki neko, the beckoning cat statues and bearers of good luck,
nowadays icons of Japanese folk culture. Legend has it that in the Edo period at thisvery place the Lord of Hikone was saved from a lightening bolt by a cat luring him justin time away from the tree under which he was standing. When I enter the temple
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grounds, all is silent, but also strangely desolate. I realise that motionless cats far outnumber the visitors,
and I am left with a childish wish: if only one of these cats could wisk the virus away from us all in one
beguiling paw swipe...
At the weekend, I head off on foot toward Shibuya, keen to see if this shopping
mecca and favourite entertainment spot of the Tokyo youth respects theinjunctions to self-restraint. I am in for a slight shock. I expected a slowdown,
but not that the area would be virtually deserted. In the centre, everything isshut. Clearly, the governor of Tokyo has given unbreachable instructions tobusinesses. And there she is, appearing on a wide screen on one of the main
shopping towers. Koike Yuriko has hardened her tone and hammers her point:
the city is on the brink of an explosive growth in infections, and now is the timeto act. Stay at home, cook, and play games!
Has even walking become out of the question? Not quite, fortunately. And it iscertainly not what news reports convey. In suburban areas of Tokyo, such as
Kichijōji, the commercial arcade appears super busy. Footage of the sea front in Kamakura suggests thatpeople are flocking to the resort for a breath of fresh air. By focusing on potentially dense vectors oftransmission such as Shibuya, however, the authorities are sending the symbolic message to a lessobedient youth that congregating in droves for entertainment is definitely off the menu.
For my part, I sheepishly return home and resume my compulsive exploration of coronavirus-related
statistics. A pandemic may be sweeping the world, but paradoxically infection and death rates, together
with face masks, are what makes it real for people like me. The Olympics have been postponed, and in its
place has emerged the grim competition of countries in their fight with the virus. As I write, and according
to the worldometers.info website, Belgium, my native country, arrives first in terms of number of deaths
per million people, with a staggering 513 compared to 255 for the UK and … 2 for Japan. The disparity is big
enough to wonder how reliable such comparisons can be! I turn to toyokeizai.net for a more detailed
statistical breakdown about Japan. Testing has increased, and in the past three days the number of newly
infected people has clearly gone down, standing at 234 on Tuesday, compared to 688 over a week ago.
Although this is encouraging, one key question remains. How seriously will the population comply with therecommendation to stay at home during Golden Week?

The famous Shibuya crossing lies virtually deserted – but for how long?
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Written by Nadine Willems, Lecturer of Japanese History at UEA. All photos taken by theauthor.

Piece of Japan

日本のかけら

Each week, we will bring to you some fresh recommendations from CJS members to
help 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 already stored on the device, so choose wisely!
Books
本のおすすめRecommendations by Hannah Osborne, Lecturer of Japanese Literature at UEA
Mariko/Mariquita by Natsuki Ikezawa (2017)‘Mariko/Mariquita’ is a short story within the Keshiki collection by Ikezawa
Natsuki (translated by Alfred Birnbaum). The narrator of the story is a cultural
anthropologist, Kyojiro, who has been out in the remote Pacific islands
conducting fieldwork. During a brief stay in Guam, while he is organising hisnotes before returning to Japan, he meets the enigmatic Mariko/Mariquita, aJapanese national who has managed to blend seamlessly in to island life. Whiletransporting us to hazy warmer climes, this story asks us to consider to what
extent we are able to transform our identities through the act of travelling.
The Holy Man of Mount Kōya by Izumi Kyōka (1900)
However, for an absolute classic tale of the potential for metamorphosis
through travel, we need to look no further than ‘The Holy Man of Mount Kōya’(‘Kōya hijiri’) by Izumi Kyōka (translated by Charles Shirō Inouye) in Japanese
Gothic Tales. In this story, a monk recounts the strange and disturbing eventsand encounters he experiences during his travel deep into the mountains. It’s
use of travel as a metaphor through which the stability of reality itself is called
into question has meant that the story has been repeatedly reinterpreted in
the years since it was published, and shall doubtless continue to be so.
Available in English and Japanese.

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Recommendations by Tracy Hearn, SISJAC Communications Assistant
As a frequent visitor, but never a resident, my many travels in Tokyo mostly took the form of shortfrenetic bursts of activity, where as an outsider, I dashed around the metropolis in a simultaneousstate of disorientation and delight. The visual explorations of the city I have chosen below, offer
much of the same effect, allowing me, and you, to experience Tokyo without leaving the house.
Tokyo Chroma (2015) by Hira Rei
I love this photographic journal of the city, powered by anime, graphic design andkawaii. Intensely rich, kaleidoscopic, and consonant with the sensory overload
and contradictions of modern Japanese culture; spend a day or two in Tokyo, andyou’ll be seeing these images before you sleep. A few of my favourite images areframed and waiting for their spot on the wall.
Limited copies available on biblio.co.uk
Tokyo on Foot (2009) by Florent Chavouet
Whenever I miss my Tokyo adventures, I dip into the Tokyo on Foot, a prizewinning illustrative tour by a ridiculously talented graphic artist. Florent
Chavouet’s Tokyo comes to life with clever caricatures, sketches, collage,
anecdotes and stunning renderings of the city’s buildings and landscapes. An
acute observer of everyday life, his subjects are the salary men and women,
policemen, hipsters, students, tourists, and various other urban types, displaying
all manner of dress and hairstyles. It’s a warm, humorous and recognisableaccount of Japanese culture as experienced by an outsider.
Available in English e-book and French paperback on Amazon.
Manga & Anime
漫画とアニメのおすすめ
Recommendations by Rayna Denison, Senior Lecturer in Japanese Film at UEA
There are lots of sports manga and anime that travel around Japan and beyond.
These can be a great way to see the world through Japanese eyes. For example,
The Prince of Tennis [EN/JP] even has a feature film set at Wimbledon in London,and Yuri on Ice! [EN/JP] features a cast of characters and locations from all over
the world.
Similarly, the detective manga and anime, Cased Closed (Meitantei Konan) [EN/JP] has been runningfor so long that its characters have done enormous amounts of travelling between crime-ridden
locations all over Japan and in Asia and beyond.
Probably the most famous fantasy-journey in manga and anime though can be found in mega-hit
One Piece [EN/JP]. In the one a team of pirates led by Monkey D Luffy search a fantastical world forthe “one piece” treasure.

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Recommendations by editor
Kino’s Journey (2000 – present) by Shigusawa Keiichi
キノの旅 作者：時雨沢恵一
Kino’s Journey follows the journey of traveller Kino and her talking BroughSuperior motorcycle Hermes. She moves from town to town, staying for
only three days and two nights to learn the customs of each land she
passes through before moving on to the next, debating their morals andpractices with Hermes. In between towns, she lives a life of selfsubsistence, hunting and camping in the beautiful wilds of the world she
inhabits, reconciling the challenging behaviours of the people she meets with the philosophy that“the world isn’t beautiful, therefore it is.” Join Kino as she explores the harshness and compassionof her fellow man on her travels.
The manga is available in English and Japanese e-books on Amazon.
The anime is also availablie in English and Japanese on Amazon.
Film
映画のおすすめRecommendations by the editor
The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) by Kim Jee-woon좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈
Korean with English subtitles
15+

作者：김지운

An unusual East Asian take on the Clint Eastwood epic, The Good, the Bad,the Weird sees a cultural crossover the likes of which have never been seen.
Set in 1939 on the eve of the Asia-Pacific War, the film takes the tropes of‘spaghetti westerns’ and applies them to the lawless desert wilderness ofJapanese-occupied Manchuria. Three outlaws, the Good, the Bad and the
Weird (Song Kang-ho of Parasite fame), scramble against each other to findthe secret treasure of a legendary map, hounded by Manchurian bandits and the Japanese imperial
army who want the treasure for their own designs. A wild, white-knuckle ‘kimchi western’ which
manages to thrill in a distinctly Korean style while bringing an often overlooked historical space tothe big screen.
Available on DVD on Amazon.
Recommendations by CJS Director Professor Simon Kaner
Thermæ Romæ (2012) directed by Hideki Takeuchi
テルマエ・ロマエ 作者：竹内秀樹
If you enjoy ‘Plebs’ and are missing what are for me one of the highlights ofany trip to Japan, namely the ‘onsen’, then ‘Thermae Romae’ is the travel (inthis case time travel) movie for you. Join Roman architect Lucius Modestus(Hiroshi Abe) as he takes the plunge (if that sets your teeth on edge then you
6may need a pun-enjoyment enhancing supplement) into the world of hot springs between ancient
Rome and modern Japan. Based on Yamazaki Mari’s manga of the same name.
You may need to prepare quantities of good sake to get you through it, but highlights include
encounters with another of Japan’s modern-day wonders, the heated-seat-bidet-included
depositories we have all come to know and love (a potential theme for a future CJS seminar), andmistaking that rarest material of our lockdown nightmares, toilet roll, with important historical
documents. Well, the renowned letters from Vindolanda on Hadrian’s Wall were found partly in theremains of loos – great preservation conditions, not just here but in Japan too.
Our first Sasakawa Lecturer at UEA, Ulrich Heinze, brought this film to my attention, and wrote on
time-travel manga in Japan Forum. For me, it is all good material for my long planned research
project on the Archaeology of Hot Springs.
Available to watch on YouTube in Japanese with English subtitles.
Upcoming Events & Opportunites

催し物

Before & Beyond Typography
April 24/25
www.bbtypo.com
Eugenia Bogdanova-Kummer, Lecturer in Japanese Arts, Culture, and Heritageat the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, will bepresenting 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.
Conference Overview
What becomes of our understanding of “-graphics” when we dislodge the prefix “typo-” from its
long-dominant position and place it alongside those of “chiro-,” “xylo-,” “litho-,” “mimeo-,” “xero-,”"seri-," and other methods and technologies that have shaped the early modern and modern eras inprofound ways? This conference will track the dynamic interplay between technological change andnon-typographic printing in those parts of the world where typographic printing was considered illsuited 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 the present.
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

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JSPS London Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers(Short Term)
Application Deadline: Monday 8th June, 2020
Fellowships must start between: 1st November 2020 to 31st March 2021.
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) is the leading research funding agency in Japan,
established by the Japanese Government for the purpose of contributing to the advancement ofscience. Our Pre/Postdoctoral Fellowship for Foreign Researchers (Short Term) provides theopportunity for researchers based outside of Japan to conduct collaborative research activities withleading research groups at Japanese Universities and Research Institutions for visits of between 1 to
12 months. Eligible applicants need to be either within 2 years of finishing their PhD at the time of
applying to start their fellowship in Japan or have obtained their PhD at a university outside of Japan
within the last 6 years (on or after 2nd April 2014). Eligible research fields are not limited.
Please visit the JSPS London website here for further information.
Fellow's experiences from former JSPS Fellows who have taken part in this programme can be foundhere.
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 the
Asahi Shimbun homepage (Japanese only): https://www.asahi.com/
BBC: Japan doctors warn of health system ‘break down’ as cases surge
Reuters explains here the constitutional ramifications on Japan’s state of emergency:‘Lockdown’, Japan-style: Pressure to conform, not penalties for non-compliance
For information on the new government pledge of ¥100,000 to all:How to get the ¥100,000 coronavirus payout from the Japanese government
The Asahi Shimbun reports on ceremonies at Tōdaiji:
Monks to pray for end of deadly coronavirus at Nara ceremony
For some livestream praying before the Great Buddha at Tōdaiji, see this live (if not somewhat inanimate)broadcast on Niconico Livestream (Japanese only)
For a guide by Japan Times to online traditional Japanese theatre:
Traditional Japanese entertainment joins the digital age
For a Japanese government public service video on coronavirus (Japanese only):
3 つの密を避けよう！
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 at
Kitakyushu 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.
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Left: CJS Director Professor Simon Kaner
Right: Editor and CJS Project Coordinator Oliver Moxham
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