Kyushu University: “Crossing Borders: Memory and Material in the Trans-Asian Context”
In March 2021, International Master’s Program (IMAP)・International Doctorate (IDOC) Program at Kyushu University, Kyushu University QR (Qdai-jump Research) Program, and Kyushu University Institute for Asian and Oceanian Studies (Q-AOS) Cultural Variation Cluster hosted a series of online events via Zoom comprising two lectures and an international symposium — “Crossing Borders: Memory and Material in the Trans-Asian Context.”
The first lecture “Defining Refugees: Tatar Muslims in Prewar Japan” was delivered on March 4, 2021 by Dr. Noriko Kanahara (SGU Guest Junior Researcher, Waseda University / GSICS Fellow, Tohoku University.) She expounded the policies on the Turkish refugees in Japan from the 1920s to the 1940s, receiving favorable reviews from a large number of scholars and students across the country.
The second lecture “Revisiting Nara Period Techniques: Reproduction of the Eleven-Headed Kannon at Shōrin-ji Temple” was delivered on March 19, 2021 by Ruolin Zhu (Ph.D. candidate at Tokyo University of the Arts.) He expounded the distribution of Buddhist statues in East Asia and the process of carving a replica of the Eleven-Headed Kannon at Shōrin-ji Temple using unique techniques.
The international symposium “Crossing Borders: Memory and Material in the Trans-Asian Context” was held online on March 27, 2021. First, Dr. Liang Chen (Assistant Professor, University of Vienna) presented his research “The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove: The Canonization of a Pictorial Theme in Brick Reliefs during the Southern Dynasties,” discussing the transformation of a painting motif to the brick murals in the tombs of the Southern Dynasties in China. Then, Professor Kazuo Miyamoto (Faculty of Humanities, Kyushu U) provided his insightful comments on the presentation regarding the connecting meanings of the similar brick mural motifs. Next, Dr. Sun-ah Choi (Associate Professor, Myongji University) made a presentation on her latest project, “Avalokiteśvara Statues at Sennyuji and Bogwangsa: Visual Evidence of the Mt. Putuo Cult in Kamakura Japan and Goryeo Korea,” dealing with the latest documents and visual evidences concerning the Buddhist statues at Sennyuji and Bogwangsa. In response to this, Professor Seinosuke Ide (Faculty of Humanities, Kyushu U) provided commentary, bringing more documentary and visual references to deepen the examination and to widen the discussions.
The symposium introduced the latest researches to Kyushu U students and included interdisciplinary discussions that bridge a variety of fields in humanities, building an international research network of scholars between Kyushu U and academic institutions around the world.