Tanaka Symposium in Japanese Studies 2025: Tohoku and Transnational Solidarities
This symposium explores new approaches to Japanese culture, society, and literature by examining Tohoku (northeastern) Japan in a global context. Often seen as a remote and conservative countryside, Tohoku has, in fact, been a site of transnational exchange for centuries, with its people actively shaping and
sharing knowledge beyond Japan’s borders. We highlight Tohoku not as a forgotten region but as one that challenges conventional views of Japanese culture and society, past and present. This includes the tales of Tohoku women and travellers – what can their firsthand experiences tell us?

With a focus on the grassroots voices of Tohoku people, this symposium examines how their stories prompt us to rethink our sources, methods, and concepts in the study of Japan and beyond. The event concludes with a film screening featuring voices from Tohoku.
Date: 15 May 2025, 10:00
Venue: Pembroke College, St Aldates OX1 1DW
Venue Details: Harold Lee Room
Speaker: Various Speakers
Organising department: Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies
Organiser: Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies
Organiser contact email address: chinami.oka@pmb.ox.ac.uk
Part of: Nissan Institute Seminar in Japanese Studies
Booking required?: Required
Booking url: https://forms.gle/y5DsTLbit3fTFSqo8
Audience: Public
Editor: Robin Nicholson