Presenter: Luke S. ROBERTS (Professor, UC Santa
Barbara)

Title: 'Performing the Great Peace: Political Space and Open Secrets in Tokugawa Japan'

Discussant: WATANABE Hiroshi (Professor, Hosei University /
Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo)

Abstract:

I will talk about my book that recently appeared, Performing the Great Peace: Political Space and Open Secrets in Tokugawa Japan (University of Hawaii Press, 2012). It explores the politics of the Tokugawa period through the political language of the day with a particular focus on the concepts of 'omote', 'naibun', and 'naishou'
or 'nainai moushiawase' as expressing an ideal form of politics in feudal terms, and contrasts this with the way modern people talk about Tokugawa era politics in more nationally organized ways. I will also address the important role that the Meiji era had on how we now understand (and misunderstand) the Tokugawa period and the documents that it produced. This talk thus may have some interest to scholars of the modern period as well.

6:00 P.M., Tuesday, 3 July 2012
University of Tokyo (Hongo Campus)
1st floor, Institute of Social Science Bldg.
Conference Room 1 (Dai-ichi kaigishitsu) For directions, please see:
http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/**campusmap/cam01_12_03_e.html

The JHG is a a forum for scholars to present their research on topics related to Japanese history and culture in a bilingual English/Japanese environment. In the interest of promoting dialogue, the forum will provide a discussant chosen for his/her familiarity with the theme or approach of the presenter's research.
The JHG is open to the public. For more information, please contact Michael Burtscher at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (mburtscher[at]ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp) or Naofumi Nakamura (naofumin[at]iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp).