September 21, 2004
Tokyo, September 21, 2004-Temple University, Japan Campus (TUJ) is pleased to announce its establishment of the Institute of Contemporary Japanese Studies (ICJS), effective September 1, 2004. The ICJS is dedicated to fostering research on various topics related to contemporary Japan. Its founding reflects TUJ’s commitment to developing greater understanding of Japan abroad, to offering programs that show Japan’s relationship with other countries, and to being an innovator and a leader in international education in Japan. The Institute of Contemporary Japanese Studies will undertake a wide range of activities.
It will, for example:
- host lectures, seminars, and symposia that will provide a forum for scholars of Japanese studies to present their work on issues related to contemporary Japanese social, cultural, political, economic, security, and other issues;
- publish a journal of scholarly research and commentary on contemporary Japanese issues;
- support postdoctoral fellows, research associates, and visiting scholars, who will have the opportunity to present their work at ICJS events and to serve as adjunct TUJ faculty;
- organize public events dealing with popular culture, mass media, current political and economic issues, and other pressing topics. This will include continuing the Wakai Project, a special TUJ program that brings together scholars, activists, students, and media industry representatives to address issues facing Japanese youth;
- oversee study-abroad programs for students from the United States and other countries interested in TUJ’s undergraduate Japanese and Asian studies offerings. This will include special intensive summer workshops in such areas as digital photography, film and popular culture, visual anthropology, and architecture and urban studies.
Kyle Cleveland, who holds a doctorate in sociology from Temple University, is the inaugural director of the ICJS. Dr. Cleveland is a professor of sociology at TUJ, where he teaches courses in Japanese studies, race and ethnicity, criminology, and social change. He also is the founding director of the Nextframe Japan International Film Festival; was for several years the host of International Forum, a talk show on InterFm 76.1 radio in Tokyo; and has been a media consultant on Japanese popular culture. Dr. Cleveland has organized various TUJ cultural programs as part of his duties as study-abroad director, as well as coordinated an ongoing program of lectures on Asia-Pacific topics.
Institute of Contemporary Japanese Studies Fall 2004 Lecture Series
October 1:
Donald Richie, “Fifty Years of Journal-Keeping in Japan and How to Do It” (Fri., 7 p.m., TUJ rooms 206/207)
October 15:
”Japan’s Security Policy and Constitutional Reform” Panel Discussion (Fri., 7 p.m., TUJ rooms 206/207)
November 12:
Jeff Kingston, “Japan’s Quiet Revolution” (Fri., 7 p.m., TUJ room 206)
Jeff Kingston is a professor of history at Temple University, Japan Campus and is a former Fulbright Fellow. His areas of specialty include Indonesia, Southeast Asian politics, and contemporary Japanese history. He is the author of Japan’s Quiet Revolution:Politics, Economics and Society, and of Japan in Transformation, 1952-2000, and writes a regular column for the Japan Times.
For Information about the Lecture Series
For information about the lecture series, please contact ICJS director Dr. Kyle Cleveland at tel. 03-5441-9800, ext. 709 (mobile: 09046069779), or e-mail: cleveland@tuj.ac.jp.
Institute lectures are open to the general public, but space may be limited. RSVP is not required; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact the TUJ Information Center, tel. 03-5441-9800 or e-mail:ic@tuj.ac.jp. TUJ is located in Minami-Azabu near San-no-hashi. See www.tuj.ac.jp for directions.