Modern Japan History Workshop

[Mark Nornes]

Note that Ozu films and Shinoda will be in town during this----as Peter 
pointed out----and that it's looking like Aaron will be giving a talk 
on Ozu along with Alex Dudden and John Treat. Sounds great!

Markus



 From Andrew Gordon:

The spring round of the Modern Japan History Workshop will be held at 
Harvard University this coming April 10, at the Central Square outpost 
and temporary home of the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies (2nd 
floor, 635 Massachusetts Avenue, right at the Central Square "T" 
station).  Details on housing arrangements are below and attached.

As always, the focus is on informality and discussion and brief 
presentations, rather than on formal or lengthy research 
presentations.  Our goal is to generate and exchange ideas, and 
facilitate contact among the extended community of modern Japan 
historians in the northeast.
 
The morning session, 9:30 am to noon, will focus on the practice of 
"cultural studies" of modern Japanese history, with particular focus on 
the recently published 10 volume Iwanami Koza series, Kindai Nihon no 
Bunka Shi.  The editor of the volume, Kojima-san, is coming from Japan 
and will start the discussion with his thoughts on the creation and the 
reception of this project.  Others who have contributed to the 
volume-Victor Koschmann, Greg Pfugfelder, and Naoki Sakai-will offer 
thoughts, and as time allows I may say a few words about Yoshimi 
Shunya's contributions, before opening a general discussion of the 
potentials (or limitations) of the scholarship represented in this 
series, and other related or similar work.  I will shortly send out as 
attachment a file containing copies of the table of contents of each 
volume, so all can be at least somewhat familiar with the work.
 
The afternoon session, 2-4:30, will focus on film, history, and 
literature, for several reasons.  One, Harvard is hosting director 
Shinoda Masahiro to show his classic Double Suicide" on May 14 and this 
recent "Spy Sorge" on May 16.  In addition, we are all somewhat 
familiar with the current "flood" of Japan-themed and Japan-located 
films from Hollywood and elsewhere (Australia, France, at least).  
Third, and most immediate, the Harvard Film Archive is showing a 
complete Ozu retrospective-36 films in all-starting on April 2 through 
May 11.  On Friday the 9th, just before our workshop, two films will be 
shown: Walk Cheerfully (Hogoraka ni Ayume), and An Inn in Tokyo (Tokyo 
no Yado), at 7 and 9 pm.  Scheduled for Saturday night, the 10th, are 
"The Only Son" (Hitori Musuko) at 7 and "What did the Lady Forget" 
(Shukujo wa nani o wasureta ka) at 9.  All are released originally 
between 1930 and 1937.  The first two are silent, the second two are 
talkies.  You are all welcome to attend these films (at Carpenter 
Center on the Harvard campus.

With this in mind, we hope to have three brief presentations on 
approaches to Japanese film in general, Ozu in particular, from the 
perspectives of film studies, literary studies, and historical 
studies.   Tentative speakers will be Aaron Gerow, John Treat, and 
Alexis Dudden. 
To facilitate planning for lunch and dinner, if you are planning to 
attend, please send a brief note to Ms. Margot Chamberlain, at 
chamber2 at fas.harvard.edu, by April 2.

As you know, the workshop is a low budget operation.  The host school 
cannot cover transportation or lodging costs.  However, we can 
subsidize group lunch and dinner on the 10th, and we will do our best 
to find housing for graduate students from out-of-town in the rooms of 
local students.  If you are a graduate student and you wish housing for 
either or both nights (April 9th, 10th), please RSVP to Ms. Margot 
Chamberlain, at chamber2 at fas.harvard.edu with your name and contact 
information.  Margot will work with our graduate students to place 
people.  In addition, I attach a list of local accommodations, from B&B 
to the finest hotels.

Looking forward to an interesting day and to seeing many of you.


Andrew Gordon


* * * * * * * *


BED & BREAKFAST
A Friendly Inn  
1673 Cambridge St.
Cambridge, MA  02138
Telephone: (617) 547-7851
Fax:  (617) 547-7851

The Irving House
24 Irving Street
Cambridge, MA  02138
Telephone:  (617) 547-4600
Fax:  (617) 576-2814

Mary Prentiss Inn        (This is btw. Hvd. Sq. & Porter Sq.)
6 Prentiss Street             
Cambridge, MA  02140   
Tel:  (617) 661-2929
Fax:  (617) 661-5989

A Cambridge House
2218 Mass. Ave.
Cambridge, MA  02140
Tel:  (617) 491-6300
Fax:  (617) 868-2848

HOTELS (in Harvard Sq.)
The Harvard Square Hotel
110 Mt. Auburn Street
Cambridge, MA  02138
Telephone:  (617) 864-5200

Sheraton Commander Hotel
16 Garden Street
Cambridge, MA  02138-3609
Telephone:  (617) 547-4800
Fax:  (617) 868-8322

The Inn at Harvard(Luxury Hotel)
1201 Massachusetts Avenue
Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA  02138
Telephone:  (617) 491-2222
Fax:  (617) 491-6520

Cambridge Marriott      (Kendall/MIT redline stop is the closest
2 Cambridge Ctr.              T stop.)
Cambridge, MA
(617) 494-6600


The Charles Hotel   (Luxury Hotel)
One Bennet Square
Cambridge, MA 02138
Telephone:  (617) 864-1200
Fax:  (617) 864-5715


Also, in Central Square, Cambridge:
Hotel at MIT
20 Sidney St., Cambridge
(617) 577-0200
www.hotelmit.com

Kendall Hotel (located in the center of Kendall Sq., near MIT)
350 Main St.
Cambridge, MA  02142
(617) 354-3600
www.kendallhotel.com


in Boston near the Charles/MGH Redline stop: 

Holiday Inn  (FYI:  this is the hotel near the Mass. Gen.,etc.)     
5 Blossom St.
Boston
Telephone:  (617) 742-7630

John Jeffries House       (This is a bed & breakfast)
14 Embankment Rd.   (Right at the beginning of Charles St. near 
station.)
Boston, MA
Telephone:  (617) 367-1866

And, if you need more:
Also,
Boston Park Plaza Hotel    (is a large one so may have some special 
rates)
64 Arlington St.
Boston, MA
Telephone:  800-225-2008
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 7038 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/kinejapan/attachments/20040312/9ce80e5d/attachment.bin 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: hotel_list.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 13312 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/kinejapan/attachments/20040312/9ce80e5d/attachment.doc