Yanagiya Tōzaburō to present "A Night of RAKUGO Storytelling" on December 2

The Institute for Japanese Studies will present an event by Yanagiya Tōzaburō, RAKUGO Association of America, on Friday, December 2 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Sullivant Hall, Room 220. Tōzaburō-shishō will present "A Night of RAKUGO Storytelling."

Abstract: Rakugo (落語) is a traditional Japanese form of solo storytelling in a style similar to “stand-up” comedy but performed entirely in a kneeling position seated on a zabuton cushion. With only a folding paper fan and a folded handkerchief as props, rakugo storytellers rely on eye movements, facial expressions, and body language to help convey their stories. Yanagiya Tōzaburo is a master rakugo performer with the shin’uchi title. His performance will include Japanese storytelling with English subtitles (piece TBA) and English storytelling (“SHINIGAMI”), followed by Q&A. Come and join us for an evening of exposure to one of Japan’s classical forms of entertainment.

Aimee Lee to present on Korean papermaking on November 17

The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, with support from the Institute for Korean Studies, will present a lecture by Aimee Lee, independent artist, on Thursday, November 17 from 4:10 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Kottman Hall, Room 103 and via Zoom. Ms. Lee will present "The Social Ecological Relationships of Korean Papermaking in Ohio."

Abstract: In 2010, Aimee Lee built the first Korean papermaking studio in North America at the Morgan Conservatory in Cleveland, Ohio. This made full use of their kozo (Broussonetia papyrifera) garden and expanded it with dye plants and other plants necessary for traditional papermaking, usually done by farmers in cycle with the seasons in Korea. Since then, she has built and expanded more studios while traveling the world to share her extensive research on hanji (Korean paper) and how it connects to Korean history, culture, ecology. Her award-winning book, Hanji Unfurled: One Journey into Korean Papermaking (The Legacy Press) includes her ongoing vision of why hanji has a place in the immigrant-rich US. At her current private hanji studio in South Euclid, she continues to use native North American plants like milkweed to create hybrid hanji that reflects her own Korean American heritage. In this talk, she will share images, videos, hanji samples, and her stories of this practice that extends back nearly a thousand years—paper made by people from plants. In this seminar Aimee will share the social-ecological relationships embedded in her work, how she creates community-based partnerships to identify, cultivate, and harvest plants used in her work, and how art can be a vehicle for exploring natural resource issues more deeply.

Jifeng Liu to present on religion, revolution in postsocialist China on December 1

The Institute for Chinese Studies will present a lecture by Jifeng Liu, Xiamen University, on Thursday, December 1 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Caldwell Lab, Room 220. Prof. Liu will present "Secularized Religion and Sacralized Revolution in Postsocialist China."

Abstract: This presentation examines the history and cultural significance of a People’s Liberation Army Temple in a southeast coastal town of China. The temple is dedicated to the religious worship of 27 Chinese Communist soldiers who died during battles with Nationalist troops. While the military and government treat the temple as a political resource, it remains a site of active worship, and the religious and political dimensions align in a mutually accepted narrative. Local cultural history and religious traditions, as well as the complexities of local politics and civil-military relations, are highly relevant to China’s grassroots religious revivals.

OIA seeking applicants for Fulbright-Hays Dissertation Research Fellowship competition

The Office of International Affairs is soliciting applicants for the FY2023 U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship competition. This program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of six to 12 months. The program is designed to deepen research knowledge and increase the study of modern foreign languages, cultural engagement, and area studies not generally included in U.S. curricula.

Interested students must contact Joanna Kukielka-Blaser to register interest and begin preparations for submitting an application.

Blakemore Foundation accepting applications for 2023 Blakemore Freeman Fellowships