Japan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

SPRING 2021

President’s Message
Dear JSAC Members and Friends,
Welcome to the Spring 2021 JSAC newsletter! I hope you enjoy this opportunity to read everyone’s news andstories on a wide range of Japan-related topics.
We last met October 17-18th 2020 online. Thanks so very much to Norio Ota (with assistance from Aya
Fujiwara, Lily Feng and Filipe Medeiros) for doing such an amazing job of organizing JSAC’s first online
conference! Norio showed us how we could have an interesting and fun conference online! (See his overview of
JSAC 2020 below.) Thanks to everyone for your participation!
The uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic makes planning challenging. As the vaccine rollout ramps
up, there is hope that life will return to some form of normal sometime in the summer. If the situation permits,
JSAC hopes to host an in-person conference in Kamloops September 30 – October 3, 2021. (See below forfurther details and the Call for Papers.) Online presentations would also be welcome. A final decision about theconference will be made by August 1st.
Stay safe and well, everyone!
Best wishes,
Carin Holroyd
JSAC President

Japan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

2021 Japan Studies Association of
Canada Annual Conference
Thursday, September 30 –Sunday, October 3“The Impacts of Japan and Canada
Hosting the World: Catalyzing Change
through Cultural, Economic, Political, andSporting Events”
Mts. Peter & Paul, Uji& downtown Kamloops
If you are interested in organizing a panel, roundtable, orworkshop, please send a title and abstract (maximum
250 words as a Word document) to Cara Cadre(ccadre@tru.ca) by May 31, 2021.

(Tom Waldichuk photo)

1. In the email subject line please type “JSAC
PANEL…” and your name
2. Add names and affiliations of participants if
known.
For individual or co-authored papers, please send Cara
Cadre (ccadre@tru.ca) the following by June 30, 2021:
1. In the email subject line please type “JSAC
ABSTRACT” and your name
2. Full name(s) (including co-presenters) as you
would like it (them) to appear in the program
3. Affiliation (including those of co-presenters)
4. Your email address
5. Your abstract (as an attachment in Word,maximum 250 words)
Please send your abstract and the above
information to ccadre@tru.ca
The deadline for abstracts is June 30, 2021
Note: This conference will be offered online if wecannot safely meet due to Covid-19. The JapanFoundation has indicated that JSAC will be getting
funding but we do not yet know how much.
We look forward to seeing you in person this fall in
Kamloops!

Sincerely,
Tom Waldichuk & Cara Cadre (Conference organizers)

Uji Friendship Garden, Kamloops(Tom Waldichuk photo)Japan Studies Association of Canada

Overview of the JSAC 2020 Ad Hoc
Conferenceby Norio Ota
An online conference is do-able andeffective!
JSAC2020 ad hoc online conference was organized andhosted by Norio Ota, Associate Professor of JapaneseStudies (Teaching), York University, on October 17 and18, 2020. Professor Aya Fujiwara, Director, Prince
Takamado Centre for Teaching and Research, Universityof Alberta assisted as a moderator and Ms. Lily Feng,
Schulich School of Business was the administrative
assistant and a moderator and Mr. Filipe Medeiros, York
graduate, was the technology assistant. The conference
attracted 84 registrants from across Canada, Japan andUS.
As the annual conference of Japan Studies Associationof Canada (JSAC), which had been scheduled to be heldat Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, B.C. in July,was postponed until 2021 due to the pandemic, Norio
Ota, secretary-treasurer of JSAC, proposed this online
conference at the executive committee meeting. There
were a few members who expressed some doubts about
an online conference but it was approved. Ota saw thisas an excellent opportunity to prove that an online
conference would be doable and effective and that it
would be a good learning experience for everyone.
Zoom was used to host the conference.
Professor Lily Cho, Associate Dean, Global &Community Engagement, Faculty of Liberal Arts andProfessional Studies delivered a welcome speech on
behalf of York University, together with Professor Carin
Holroyd, President, JSAC, University of Saskatchewan
and Ms. Yuko Shimizu, Executive Director, JapanFoundation Toronto.
For the evening reception, Ms Michiyo Kagami,
Daikagura performer (see photos), participated andshowed her pre-recorded Dai-kagura ‘Japanese juggling’
performance from Japan. Professor Carin Holroyd

Spring 2021 Newsletter

proposed a toast online and the participants enteredbreakout rooms to get to know each other.

Japan Studies Association of Canada

The theme of the conference was ‘Post-COVID-19’ inJapan. The keynote speech entitled ‘Building Beyond thePandemic: Japan and the COVID Recovery’ wasdelivered on Day 2 by Professors Carin Holroyd and
Ken Coates, University of Saskatchewan, which covered
various fields and possible outcomes of the pandemic.
Many excellent papers were presented in various fields
covering fine arts, architecture, geography, politics,
economics, philosophy, security, area studies, language,
foreign relations and popular culture.
Ota considers this opportunity as a litmus test for an
online conference, which successfully convinced many
people that this mode of delivery was not only doable
but also effective. As a matter of fact, the member of theexecutive committee who objected the online conference
idea, publicly admitted that he was wrong and that heenjoyed the conference very much.
During and after the conference Ota received manythanks and congrats on the successful conference.

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Many thanks to Mr. Vladimir Ivankine (Lassonde IT,
York University) for his advice on Zoom.
The conference website:
http://www.jsac.ca/jsac2020/jsac2020_main.html
The Zoom recording of the entire conference is available
on the above website.

JSAC 2020 Klaus Pringsheim Student
Presentation Awards
1st place Maxime Bouthiller, York University($250)
2nd place Tyler Correira, York University ($150)
3rd place – Chris Satoor, York University ($100)

Associate Dean Lily Cho:
‘Bravo on a very successful conference! How wonderfulthat JSAC continued with this important exchange ofideas and intellectual dialogue despite the many
challenges of the current moment.’
Professor Fumiko Ikawa-Smith, Professor Emerita,
Dept. of Anthropology, McGill University:‘Thank you very much for organizing the marvelous
online conference. You dubbed it "ad hoc" conference,but it appeared to be carefully planned and very wellmanaged. Congratulations for the successful outcome!
I am impressed by the number of the registrants,
including the new attendees. That gives the Association
an excellent momentum, while we wait out the pandemic
to run its course. In any case, it was most enjoyable tosee the "old" friends' faces and meet the new ones, andhear about the ongoing research activities in various
directions.
Thank you, everyone, for taking part in this wonderful
get-together. I am looking forward to the next occasion!

Photo by Brian Pendleton

Japan Studies Association of Canada

Centre for Japanese Research (Universityof British Columbia)
EventsTen Years after Fukushima: Commemoration andLessons for the Future:
Commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2011, in March
2021, the University of British Columba and the
University of Tokyo collaboratively hosted a two-part
online panel discussion, Ten Years after Fukushima:
Commemoration and Lessons for the Future. We werejoined by the esteemed panelists – from regulators,
academics to activists – and discussed how the Japanese
government and nuclear energy industry can prepare for“unthinkable” while considering the risks in social,political, economic, ethical, environmental, and health(both physical and mental) dimensions. The event
highlighted the urgent need for more independent
regulators overseeing the nuclear energy sector,
increased transparency, and heightened safety culture.
While roughly 36,000 evacuees are still unable to returnhome and the sense of injustice looms over the public,
the Japanese government is returning to nuclear energy
in an attempt to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The
question of how to institutionalize learning from such
events as Fukushima Daiichi disaster was posed to thepanel.
For the full event recording and the list of panelists,
please visit the UBC Centre for Japanese Research
Website - https://cjr.iar.ubc.ca/fukushima/
Evaluating Abe’s Legacy event- recording and event
details available here - https://cjr.iar.ubc.ca/japans-rolein-the-global-order-at-a-pivotal-time-evaluating-abeslegacy-sugas-early-steps-and-the-post-us-electionslandscape/•Japan and Asia in the Pandemic Era: RCEP
event - recording is on the Munk School
YouTube channel
here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0VU

Spring 2021 Newsletter

NpYyB6k The event details can be found on the
CJR website as well
- https://cjr.iar.ubc.ca/japan-and-asia-in-thepandemic-era-rcep/)Japan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Prince Takamado Japan Centre(University of Alberta)

Centre for International Policy Studies,(University of Ottawa)

PTJC. Webinar Series 2020-2021

Science and Technology in Canada-Japan
Relations: Facing Together the Challenges of
COVID-19 and Beyond

Sponsored by the Consulate-General of Japan in
Calgary, PTJC has organized a series of webinars,"Ageing Society in the Era of Pandemic:
Approaches in Japan and Canada," in series in
2020-2021. A summary of the presentations andrecorded videos are available here. Please feel free
to use them as educational materials. More webinars
will be organized in 2021-2022!
Upcoming Events:
Replaying Japan Conference
The PTJC will co-host the 9th Replaying Japan:
Japan Game Studies Conference virtually between
9-13 August 2021 with the AI Society Signature
Area, the Kule Institute for Advanced Studies at the
University of Alberta, the Ritsumeikan Center forGame Studies, the University of Delaware, BathSpa University, Seijoh University, University ofLiège, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)
and DiGRA Japan. This year’s conference theme
will be “Artificial Intelligence in Japanese Game
Culture”. Particular attention will be paid to how AI
is represented in Japanese games, the evolution ofgame AIs, and how big data analytics have changed
the game industry. Please join us!

On February 25, 2021, CIPS hosted the webinar“Facing the Pandemic Together: Canada-Japan
Science and Technology Cooperation.” After an
introduction by Ambassador Yasuhisa Kawamura,there was a lively discussion with Howard Alper(uOttawa), Melanie Cullins (National ResearchCouncil), Yuko Harayama (RIKEN), Ichiro
Taniuchi (RIKEN), and Mark Lathrop (McGill
University).
Thanks to Scott Simon for the information www.cips-cepi.ca

Princess Takamado Essay Contest
PTJC will offer two awards to graduate
students ($500 each) who will present their papers
in the JSAC annual conference. For more
information and how to apply for this award, please
visit our website.

Photo by Brian Pendleton: Ryokan onsen
dinner in MiyanoshitaJapan Studies Association of Canada

Exploring Premodern Japan Video
Project
I’m pleased to announce that our public humanities
project, Exploring Premodern Japan, has been
published on YouTube. The following video
lectures are available now on the channel ofExploring Premodern Japan•••

Reading Classic Japanese Literature andAncient East Asia through Records (ki) by
Prof. Yasuo Ono (Chuo University)
Travel Diaries in Medieval Japanese
Literature: Kaidōki by Prof. Keisuke Unno
(National Institute of Japanese Literature)
Wahon and Bibliography Studies in
Premodern Japanese Literature and Culture
by Prof. Takahiro Sasaki (Keio Institute ofOriental Classics)

This video lecture series is aimed at undergraduates ofJapanese Studies and general audiences who areinterested in premodern Japan. The speakers from North
America, Japan, and the UK provide lectures on various
topics in literature, culture, history, religion, performing
arts, and others.
The project is supported by multiple organizations such
as SSHRC, Toshiba International Foundation, andGlobal Japanese Studies Model Unit—Waseda
University Top Global University Project (MEXT).
Project supervisor: Christina Laffin, Associate professor,
UBC. The next videos will be uploaded this summer.
Exploring Premodern Japan Project Team
Department of Asian Studies, University of British
Columbia
Twitter: Exploring Premodern
Japan (@JapanPremodern)(Submitted by Saeko Suzuki)

Spring 2021 Newsletter

JETRO Research Opportunity
This year the Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO) is looking to outsource research about
Canada as part of our role in promoting theutilization of EPA and FTAs by the Japanese
government.
Our two areas of focus are the collection of
information on overseas policies to promoteutilization and the collection of information andresources in anticipation of customs clearance
problems, etc. totaling approximately 30-40 pages.
Specifically, we would like to collect information
on:1) FTAs and EPAs that Canada has entered(including trilateral agreements such as CUSMA,
which does not include Japan)
2) What kind of measures are being taken to
promote utilization (efforts by the federal andprovincial governments, industry associations, local
chambers of commerce, etc.)
3) What problems companies tend to face in thefield of their operations (customs clearance, etc.)
and how to deal with them.
4) Other topics are also acceptable if they contributeto Japan's EPA promotion policy.
If you are interested in tackling this research
project, we ask that you provide a proposal of thesurvey items and a rough estimate of the associatedfees by May 24th.
Our headquarters in Tokyo will review the
proposals, and if the decision is made to implement
the project, the final specifications will be used as
the basis for another round of quotations among
several potential contractors before the contractor isJapan Studies Association of Canada

selected. We plan to conduct the survey from thissummer to the end of the year.
Please note, this research report must be publishedin Japanese. If your company is not able to prepare
the report in that language, please let us know if you
would be available to be interviewed by the author
ultimately hired for this project or to review thefinal manuscript.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate toreach out to us as inquiry@jetro.go.jp.

Paperback publication of Japan’s Future and a
New Meiji Transformation. This collection,from a Japan Foundation-funded event, is now
available in paperback.
https://www.routledge.com/Japans-Future-and-a-New-MeijiTransformation-International-Reflections/Coates-HaraHolroydSoderberg/p/book/9780367671020?utm_medium=email&utm_source=EmailStudio&utm_campaign=B190709564_3841516

Spring 2021 Newsletter

MEMBER NEWS
Millie Creighton, Associate Professor, Universityof British Columbia
Conference Presentations:
Creighton, Millie. 2021. “Good Works between
Shikoku, Japan and Bagan, Myanmar: ‘Doing’ and‘Undoing’ Peace and War with Transnational
Philanthropic Involvement.” Presented Wednesday,
May 12, 2021 for the Canadian AnthropologicalSociety (CASCA) on-line annual conference,
Guelph, Ontario.
Millie Creighton also spoke as a Member of the
Executive Board of the Canadian AnthropologicalSociety (CASCA) during the organization’s AGM
on Thursday, May 13, 2021 via the online forum
hosted by the University of Guelph.
David Edgington, Emeritus Professor, Universityof British Columbia
Roger Hayter & David. W. Edgington (2021)“Panasonic in China: A Search to Overcome theLiability of Foreignness”, Journal of Asia-Pacific
Business, 22, 58-83.
Rosalie Gunawan, M.A. student, University of
British Columbia
Conference Presentation:
Gunawan, Rosalie. 2021. 雛人形と伝承ー徳島県
勝浦町における地域活性化 (“Handing Down
Dolls and Traditions: Regional Revitalization in
Katsuura, Tokushima) presented in Japanese on
February 3, 2021 for the Inter-University Center forJapanese Language Studies Nippon Foundation
Fellows Program Conference hosted in Tokyo withinternational participation via virtual format.
Abstract: Nestled in the mountains of Tokushima
Prefecture lies the town of Katsuura. With its

Japan Studies Association of Canada

resplendent greenery and an economy that depends
heavily on agriculture, Katsuura has many
characteristics of a typical satoyama (mountaincommunities/home places) settlement. Its rapidly
aging population and declining birthrate are also
typical of many rural Japanese communities—theaverage age in Katsuura is 60 years old and the total
population is half of what it was in 1950. What is
not typical about Katsuura is the way its
townspeople have rallied to revitalize the town
through the establishment of its unique “Big”
Hinamatsuri. Rather than the three, five, or seventiers of standard Hinamatsuri displays, Katsuura’s
festival features a hundred-tiered pyramid that
displays over 30,000 dolls. These dolls have been
donated by locals and people across Japan who
cannot pass them on to future generations, breathing
new life into an old tradition and drawing inthousands of tourists each year to stimulate the local
economy. My work aims to explore Katsuura’s
Hinamatsuri in the context of Japan’s regional
revitalization movement and the museumization ofrural areas.

Figure 1: Image of the Big Hinamatsuri held at the Hina Doll
Museum (人形文化交流館) in Katsuura, Tokushima, Japan. Photoby the author.

Spring 2021 Newsletter【要旨】山に囲まれた勝浦は徳島県に位置する町である。鮮やかな緑と経済を農林水産業に強く依存している町として、勝浦は典型的な里山集落の特徴をもつ。過疎化と少子高齢化に悩んでいるのも、日本によくある田舎の市町村そのものである。町民の平均年齢は 60 歳で、そして総人口は 1950 年当時の半分にまで減少してしまった。しかし勝浦の非典型的なところ
は、町民が町おこしのために協力して取り組み
創立した、独特な「ビッグひな祭り」である。
7、5、あるいは 3 段の雛壇で構成される普通の雛飾りと違って、勝浦の雛祭りでは 100 段のピ
ラミッド型の雛壇に 3 万体もの雛人形が展示されている。これらは、自分が所有する人形を次世代の家族に継承することができなくなった地
元あるいは他の地域の人々から募集されたものである。この展示を通して、勝浦町は古い伝統に新しい生命を吹き込むと同時に、町の経済を刺激する何万人もの観光客を集めている。本研
究では、日本の町おこし運動と地方のミュージ
アム化の視点から勝浦町の雛祭りを探求する。

Figure 2: Roadside hina doll displays (おひな様の奥座敷と坂本おひな街道 )in the Sakamoto
district, Katsuura, Tokushima, Japan. Photo by theauthor.

Japan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Scott Harrison, Program Manager, Asia PacificFoundation of Canada

Evan Koike, PhD. Student, University of British
Columbia

Invited lecture: “Indigenous Canada / Japan” for a
Pan-Pacific Indigenous Studies program offeredthrough the Centre for Ainu and Indigenous Studies
at Hokkaido University, 22 March 2021

Kolpashnikova, Kamila and Evan Koike. 2021.
“Educational Attainment and Housework
Participation Among Japanese, Taiwanese, andAmerican Women Across Adult Life
Transitions.” Asian Population Studies. DOI:
10.1080/17441730.2021.1920147 This article canbe found at:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1744
1730.2021.1920147

I hosted Hokkaido University’s Dr. Mai
ISHIHARA to give a talk at Simon Fraser
University’s David Lam Centre on “Invisible
Indigenous Descendants in Hokkaido, Japan,”where she also introduced her new bookAutoethnography of ‘Silence’: The Story of the
Pain of Silent Ainu and Their Care (Sapporo:
Hokkaido University Press, Dec. 2020 [inJapanese]). 25 March 2021
The recording is now available for viewing
on David Lam Centre’s YouTube channel(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2gq0e3Cqog)

Carin Holroyd, Professor, University of
Saskatchewan
Book: Carin Holroyd, Introducing East Asia:
History, Politics, Economy and Society, Abingdon:
Routledge 2021.

Koike, Evan. 2021. “Challenging Japan’s Low BirthRate: How Japanese NonProfit Organizations
Focused on Fathering are Affecting Men’s
Performances of Masculinity.” CULTURE vol. 15,
no.
This article can be found at:https://cascacultureblog.wordpress.com/2021/05/06/
salisbury-report-challenging-japans-low-birthratehow-japanese-nonprofit-organizations-focused-onfathering-are-affecting-mens-performances-ofmasculinity/
Shigenori Matsui, Professor, Peter A. Allard
School of Law, University of British Columbia
Book: Hyougen no jiyu ni mamoru kachi wa aruka[Freedom of Expression: Is It Worth Protecting?](Tokyo, Yuhikaku 2020), 389pp
Book chapters:
Judicial Review of Restrictions on Constitutional
Rights in Japan: Highly Ad Hoc, Contextualized,
and Deferential, in Proportionality in Asian (ed. by
Po Jen Yap, Cambridge, Cambridge U. Press 2020),
pp140-168
Freedom of Expression in Japan: The Constitutional
Framework of Protection, in Hate Speech in Japan:
The Possibility of a Non-Regulatory Approach (eds.

Japan Studies Association of Canada

by Shinji Higaki & Yuji Nasu, Cambridge,
Cambridge U. Press 2020), pp35-57
Stephen Nagy, Senior Associate Professor,
International Christian University
Publications:Nagy, S.R. 2021. “Canada Asia–Pacific Relations:
Transforming into a Middle Power Indo-Pacific
Stakeholder.” in The Palgrave Handbook of
Canada in International Affairs. Chapter
29. Paul Geelovsky and Robert W. Murray.(Eds.).
Palgrave, U.K. DOI. 10.1007/978-3-030-677701_29
Nagy, S.R. 2021. “Indo-Pacific Resilience,
Prosperity and Stability: Canada’s Capabilities-led
Approach to Strategic Free and Open IndoPacificEngagement,” in Canadian andJapanese FOIP Visions. Policy Perspectives,
Canadian Global Affairs Institute. March 3rd, 2021.
ISBN: 978-3-030-67770-1(https://www.cgai.ca/2021_indo_pacific_series#Tra
nslated)Nagy, S. R. 2021. “Sino-Japanese Reactive
Diplomacy as seen through the Interplay of the Beltand Road Initiative (BRI) and the Free and Open
Indo-Pacific Vision (FOIP).” China Report: 1–15.
DOI: 10.1177/0009445520984735.
Nagy, S. R. 2020. “Quad-Plus? Carving out
Canada’s Middle Power Role.” Journal of IndoPacific Affairs. Special Issue. Quad Plus: Formversus Substance, vol. 3, no. 5: 179–195. ISSN
2576-5361 (Print); ISSN 2576-537X (Online).
Nagy, S. R. 2020. “Pivoting Towards Neo-MiddlePower Diplomacy: Securing Agency in an Era ofGreat Power Rivalry.” Policy Perspectives,
Canadian Global Affairs Institute. (November 26).
ISBN: 978-1-77397-158-2

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Nagy, S.R. 2020. “Cowboy Diplomacy Meets Wolf
Warrior Diplomacy: All Politics are Local,” Policy
Perspectives, Canadian Global Affairs
Institute. October 2020. ISBN: 978-1-77397-154-4
Nagy, S. R., and J. Berkshire Miller. 2020. “WhyCanada Must Embrace a Free and Open IndoPacific.” Policy Brief. Japan Institute forInternational Affairs (JIIA). (October 29th, 2020)
Nagy, S. R. 2020. “Accommodation versus
Alliance: Japan’s Prospective Grand Strategy in the
Sino-US Competition.” Frameworks from Asia’s
Northern Tier on the Post-Pandemic Sino-US
Rivalry. Asan Forum, vol.8, no. 5: 1–
18.
ISSN 2288-5757 (October).
Conference Papers, Invited Lectures andWorkshops:
2020 April 29 to present: Co-organizer of PostCOVID Webinar Series at Canadian Embassy
Tokyo2021 “Indo-Pacific Resilience, Prosperity andStability: Canada’s Capabilities-led Approach toStrategic Free and Open Indo-Pacific Engagement,”
Canadian and Japanese FOIP Visions: Purpose,
Form, and Practice. Canadian Global Affairs
Institute. March 3rd, 2021. (Funded by CGAI grantof 17,500 CAN $) (Planned and organized by
NAGY)“The Biden Administration and U.S. Global
Strategy- Perspectives on the U.S. and the IndoPacific”, University of Warsaw. January 22, 2021.
(Invited)“Indo Pacific Political & Security Outlook.”
INSPIRAFY Media. January 15th, 2021. (Invited)“Neo-Middle Power Diplomacy” in the Age ofPower Transition.” Diplomatic Roundtable. Japan
Forum International Relations Forum (JFIR).
December
21st, 2020. (Invited)Japan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Authored editorials, commentary:
Nagy, S.R. 2021. "RESOLVED: Japan Should
Increase Pressure to Support Democracy in Hong
Kong," in Debating Japan Vol. 4 Issue 1. Center for
Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). February
25th, 2021. (https://www.csis.org/analysis/resolvedjapan-should-increase-pressure-support-democracyhong-kong)
Nagy, S.R. 2021. "Japan’s Indo-Pacific vision is atemplate for Canada," in The Japan Times. February
25th,
2021.
(https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/02/25/c
ommentary/japan-commentary/covid-19-indopacific-china-canada-foip/)
Nagy, S.R. and M. Cogan. 2021. "PacNet #8 –Rebooting the UN-US Partnership: Global Goals
Require Indo-Pacific Focus," PacNet, Pacific
Forum.
February,
8th,
2021.
(https://pacforum.org/publication/pacnet-8rebooting-the-un-us-partnership-global-goalsrequire-indo-pacific-focus)
Nagy, S.R. 2021 "How will Biden deal with China?
Japan-China ties," in The Japan Times. January 23rd,
2021.
Nagy, S.R. and Brad Glosserman, "Canada-US
Relations after Trump: Back to Normal and a Little
Bit More," in Pac NET 65, Pacific Forum, December
5th, 2020.
Nagy, S.R. 2020. "Japan-Australia Defense Treaty:
US Allies Adapting to New Geopolitics of the IndoPacific," in Situation Report, Geopolitical Monitor.
November 22nd, 2020.
Nagy, S.R. 2020. "Post-election realities for Japanand allies of the U.S.," in The Japan Times.
November 6th, 2020
Nagy, S.R. 2020. "How to build a better 'Quad'," in
The Japan Times. October 9th, 2020.

Norio Ota, Associate Professor (Teaching), York
University“Sakuta Shoichi The Light of Asia” co-authored withBill Sewell in Translating the Occupation (eds) by J.
Hewell and C.A. Smith and N. Smith, UBC Press
2021 pp.39-49.
Brian Pendleton (Professor Emeritus, AsianStudies, Langara College)
From nomikai to zoomikai: during the ongoing
covid-19 pandemic, J-san, D-san and B-san have
kept in touch (allegedly for academic and scholarly
purposes), first with regular nomikai sessions at
local pubs, then when indoor gatherings werebanned they moved to D-san's backyard deck, andwhen rainy winter weather arrived the formatchanged to zoomikai. With Edgington andPendleton retired, zoom-hosting fell to Dierkes,
who occasionally invited drop-in guests, including
Jeff Alexander (Colorado) and Bill Sewell (Nova
Scotia). They see no end in sight for the zoomplatform BYOB.
Ongoing in 2021 – preparing a paper for pending(delayed one year from 2020) conference in San
Diego: “The Gardens of (and for) Koizumi Yakumo(Lafcadio Hearn): From Matsue, Shimane to New
Orleans, Louisiana to Tramore, Ireland.”Ongoing: continuing to serve as Secretary to theNorth American Japanese Garden Association(NAJGA) Executive Committee and Editor of the
NAJGA Journal which is published yearly. NAJGA
membership includes individuals, public and private
gardens numbering over 300 in Canada and theUnited States, and leading members of theinternational Japanese gardening community.
NAJGA has organized and hosted numerous virtual
programs and webinars over the past 15 months
during the pandemic -- most are available forviewing at: najga.org

Japan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Cody Poulton, Professor Emeritus, University ofVictoria
Poulton, M. Cody (editor and translator); Matsuda,
Hiroko (translator); Long, Bryerly (translator);
Kriese, Joanna (translator); Hirata, Oriza(playwright). Citizens of Tokyo: Six Plays by Oriza
Hirata. (Seagull Books, New York, 2018.
Distributed by Chicago University Press). Pp.2
Poulton, M. Cody, co-editor with Peter Eckersall,
Barbara Geilhorn, and Andreas Regelsberger.
Okada Toshiki and Contemporary Japanese
Theatre. Performance Research Books, 2021.

Henry Tsang, Registered Architect & AssistantProfessor, Athabasca University, RAIC Centre
for Architecture
Publications:‘Designing Japanese Identity and Culture in
Canadian Architecture’ in the Japan Studies
Association of Canada, JSAC Ad Hoc Online
Conference October 17-18 2020, Conference
Proceedings.
Creative Work: Designed The Calgary JapaneseCommunity Centre project. In collaboration with theModern Office of Design & Architecture. Building
Completion in 2023.
The Calgary Japanese Community Centre project
design in the Canadian Architect, Vol. 65, No. 09,
December 2020.

Awards:Winner of the Canadian Architect Award of
Excellence for the design of The Calgary JapaneseCommunity Centre design project in December
2020.
“Dr. Henry Tsang wins Canadian Architect Awardof Excellence”. Interview published in Interviews:
The Hub by Athabasca University, December 18,
2020.
URL:
https://news.athabascau.ca/announcements/dr-henry-tsang-wins-canadian-architectaward-of-excellence/“Asian heritage inspires AU architect’s work”.
Interview published in The Hub by Athabasca
University, May 4, 2021.
URL: https://news.athabascau.ca/faculty/faculty-ofscience-and-technology/asian-heritage-inspires-auarchitects-work/.
“Fusion Architecture: Approach to Designing Asian
Culture and Identity in Canada”, symposium
speaker, 2nd National Asian Heritage MonthJapan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Symposium hosted by Access Asia, September 11,
2020.
“Designing Japanese Identity and Culture in
Canadian Architecture”, conference presentation,
the Japan Studies Association of Canada, JSAC Ad
Hoc Online Conference, October 17-18, 2020.
“Asia & Urbanization”, guest lecture & panel
discussion, The University of Calgary School ofArchitecture, Planning and Landscape, October 29,
2020.
“Designing Japanese Identity and Culture in CanadianArchitecture”, guest lecture, The University of British
Columbia Department of Anthropology, February 10,
2021.

•

“A SWY Architect’s Blueprint for a Better World”,
keynote speech, Ship for World Youth: SWY Wave
Forum hosted by the Cabinet Office of Japan, March 7,
2021.
“Online Education & Virtual Design Studios at theCentre for Architecture at Athabasca University Canada’s Open University”, symposium speaker, CyberSymposium for Online Education and Digital
Tranformation in Universities hosted by the National
Institute of Informatics Japan, March 19, 2021.
“カナダの帰国留学生会：活動報告書‐カナダと日本の架け橋に”, national presentation, Japan Student Alumni, MEXT
Scholars' International Conference hosted by the Japan
Association for Promotion of Internalization and theMinister of Foreign Affairs Japan, March 24-25, 2021.

“Understanding Japanese Architecture”, guest
lecture, The Japan Foundation Toronto, May 6,
2021.
“COVID-19 and its Impact on Online Education &Virtual Design Studios in Architecture”, panelpresentation, MEXT Scholars’ Association CrossBorder Webinar hosted by the Monbukagakusho /MEXT Scholars Association Japan, May 15, 2021.

Japan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Noriko Yabuki-Soh, York University, Associate
Professor
Publications:大学日本語コース用漢字教材の開発実践報告―より効果的な自律学習の促進のために―[Development of Kanji instructional material foruniversity JFL courses: Toward more effective selflearning]. Co-authored with K. Inutsuka. Journal
CAJLE (Canadian Association for Japanese
Language Education) 21, 1-26.
Grants:Conference Presentations:

Co-Applicant, recipient of a SSHRC Connections
Grant for Global Studio: Design in a Post-COVID19 World project. ($63,000)

The use of active and passive forms found in
narratives of L2 Japanese learners with L1 English.
Paper prepared for the annual conference of
Association canadienne de linguistiqueappliquée/Canadian Association of Applied
Linguistics (ACLA/CAAL 2020), Western
University, London, Canada. [Conference cancelledin June 2020 due to COIVD-19 epidemic crisis]Principal Investigator, recipient of a JapanFoundation Local Grant for Discovering JapaneseCanadian Nikkei Identity & Culture: Past &Present project. ($5,000)
Principal Investigator, Calgary Nikkei CulturalFund for Discovering Japanese-Canadian Nikkei
Identity & Culture: Past & Present project.
($1,500)
Committee Service:
President, The University of Tokyo Alumni
Association of Canada. (2019 - Present)
Jury Member, Japan Exchange & Teaching (JET)
Programme. (2020 - 2021)
Committee Member, Calgary Japanese Community
Association. (2021 - Present)
Board Member, Ship for World Youth Alumni
Association of Canada. (2019 - Present)
Board Member, MEXT Scholarship Alumni
Association of the Prairie Provinces. (2020 Present)

Subjectivity and objectivity in construal expressedby learners of the Japanese language. Paper
presented at the ad hoc online conference of theJapan Studies Association of Canada (JSAC 2020),
October 17-18.
日本語学習者は事態把握の主観性をどう表現するのか ―I-JAS のストーリー描写における母語による相違点からの分析― [How do L2 Japaneselearners express subjectivity in construal? Analysis
of differences among various L1s in written
storytelling found in I-JAS data]. Paper co-authoredwith Y. Okuno for the 26th Princeton Japanese
Pedagogy Forum (PJPF 26), Princeton University,
Princeton, USA. [Paper published in the conference
proceedings in December 2020]
日本語学習者による事態把握の主観性―I-JASのストーリー描写における情意・評価表現の分Japan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

析― [Japanese L2 learners’ subjective construal:
Analysis of expressions of emotion and evaluationin written storytelling in I-JAS data]. Paper copresented with Y. Okuno for the 11th International
Conference on Practical Linguistics of Japanese(ICPLJ11) held online, December 19, 2020.

"頼光の杖―混沌にして豊穣な絵巻模写の世界へ" (Cane in Yorimitsu's Hand: In to the Chaotic
and Rich World of Handcopies of Picture Scrolls),
古典の未来学 Projecting Classicism, edited by
Hiroshi Araki, Tokyo: Bungaku-report, Oct. 2020,
pp.441-450.

Manuscript Reviewing:

Electronic Publication:

Feb 2020 – Present: 『第二言語としての日本語の習得研究』 [Acquisition of Japanese as a
Second Language]

Video Narration: Gioh (妓王) bit.ly/gioh-xjy*A video narration of Gioh, a medieval novel,released in May 2020.

Feb – Mar 2021: Journal CAJLE (Canadian
Association for Japanese Language Education)

Video Narration: A Tale of a Cat (猫の艸帋)Community Service:bit.ly/neko-no-soshi

Member of the Organizing Committee for the 39th
Ontario Japanese Speech Contest (Online),
University of Toronto, March 7, 2021.

*A video narration of A Tale of a CatGioh, amedieval novel, released in Dec. 2020.

Member of the Organizing Committee for the 32nd
Canada National Japanese Speech Contest (Online),
March 28, 2021.
Glad to report that York U students won many of
the top prizes both in the provincial and national
Japanese language speech contests.

Classical KANA - https://classicalkana.glideapp.io/*A smartphone application on reading of classicalkana, released in Nov. 2020.
百景・100 Scenes
https://100scenes.glideapp.io/*A smartphone application on 100 life scenes frompicture scrolls, released in Dec. 2020.

X. Jie Yang, Professor, University of Calgary

CJ5M (Classical Japanese in 5 Minutes)

Publications

https://cj5m2020.glideapp.io/"デジタル時代の研究環境への一提言" (AProposal to the Research Invironment in the DigitalTime), 説話文学研究の最前線--説話文学会 55
周年記念・北京特別大会の記録, edited by The
Narrative Literary Society, Tokyo: Bungaku-report,
Sept. 2020, pp.337-340.

*A smartphone application of 29 lectures on thebasic of classical Japanese, released in Dec. 2020.

Japan Studies Association of Canada

JSAC 2015 – Where is this?

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Haiku by Millie Creighton for Fuji
(Wisteria) 2021
In this Covid Year
Despite no May Fuji-Kai
Wisteria Blooms

Photo by Brian Pendleton

The wisteria raised by Millie Creighton still blooms in
May of 2021 even though there could not be a Fuji
(Wisteria) viewing gathering of mostly kimono clad
visitors and members of the UBC credit course on theJapanese Tea Ceremony as on previous years. However,it bears burgeoning blossoms of hope for future FujiKai viewings. (Photo by Millie Creighton, taken May
16, 2021)

Japan Studies Association of Canada

CONGRATULATIONS, JACOB!!

Spring 2021 Newsletter

Jacob Kovalio has been awarded theOrder of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with
Rosette. Here is the Japan Foundation’s
Summary of Dr. Kovalio’s contributions:Contributions to promoting Japanese Studies
in Canada and mutual understanding
between Japan and Canada
The Japan Foundation recognizes and commends
you for your scholarly contributions throughdecades of distinguished work in the study of Japanin Canada and your efforts to foster academic
exchange and mutual understanding between Japanand Canada.
Your many years of leadership as an educator andorganizer has helped to deepen Canada-Japan
relations, especially through your dedicatedinvolvement with the Japanese Studies Associationof Canada. We are certain that your great
experience and counsel will continue to beinvaluable as we move forward in strengthening thebonds of friendship between our countries.
It brings us great pride to see a former JapanFoundation Research Fellow receive such a highhonor, and we offer you our sincere thanks for yourextensive service and valuable contributions to theinternational community.

Jacob with Ambassador Kawamura, 6 May

2021

Japan Studies Association of Canada

Spring 2021 Newsletter

JSAC EXECUTIVE 2021-2022

President (2016-2019; 2019 - 2022):
Professor Carin Holroyd
Department of Political Studies
University of Saskatchewan
E-mail: carin.holroyd@usask.ca

Secretary-Treasurer (2012-2016; 2016-2020;
2020-2024)
Prof. Norio Ota
Department of Languages, Literaturesand Linguistics
York University,
E-mail: nota@yorku.ca

Regular Executive Members:Professor Tom Waldichuk (2014-)
Department of Geography & Environmental
Studies Thompson Rivers University Email: twaldichuk@tru.ca
Professor Jim Tiessen (2014-)
Ted Rogers School of Management Ryerson
University
E-mail: jhtiessen@ryerson.ca

Professor Aya Fujiwara (2018-)
Director, Prince
Takamado Japan Centre for Teaching andResearch Faculty of Arts - History &Classics, University of Alberta.
Email: fujiwara@ualberta.ca
Professor Owen Griffiths, (2019 - )y
Department of History, Mt. Alison
University. Email: ogriffiths@mta.ca
Graduate Representative – Maxime Marcotte
Bouthillier, PhD candidate Department of
Politics, York University
E-mail: marcottemaxime@hotmail.com