Dear friends and colleagues,

We would like to invite you to our upcoming History & Humanities study group on THURSDAY, 4 October, 6.30pm at the German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ), Tokyo http://www.dijtokyo.org/access

Our presenter will be
Dr. Barbara Geilhorn (Freie Universitaet Berlin) who will give a presentation on

Negotiating Nuclear Disaster – Japanese Theater after 3.11

On March 11, 2011 a massive earthquake hit the Northeast of Japan and trigge red a huge tsunami wave devastating numerous coastal towns. The natural disa ster was followed by a man-made nuclear catastrophe which TEPCO and governme nt officials called "beyond expectation" despite evidence that it could ha ve been prevented. In the aftermath of the events, Japanese civil society se ems to be gaining new ground. Since 2011, we have seen considerable voluntee rs' activities in Northeastern Japan. The anti-nuclear movement, too, is gr owing and supported by intellectuals and artists.
Against this background I will look at the reaction of theater people to the calamity and explore how they engage in the current debate. Right after March 11, there were few performances that did not take the disaster into account at all. Directors changed part of the running production, actors and playwrights organized charity performances in Japan and overseas, and theater companies toured evacuation centers and temporary housings. A few months later, the first plays responding to the disaster were put on stage. How can theater address the catastrophe and its aftermath appropriately and/or provide solace to people who live in affected areas? In my presentation I will tackle these questions by giving an overview of the various forms in which theatre people have been responding to the disaster, and by analyzing some representative plays.

Dr. Barbara Geilhorn is an advanced research fellow and lecturer in Japanese Studies at the Institute of East Asian Studies, Freie Universität Berlin. She has a broad interest in Japanese theater and society. Major publications include Enacting Culture (co-ed., iudicium,
2012) and Weibliche Spielräume – Frauen im japanischen Nō- und Kyōgen-Theater (Female Spaces – Women in Japanese Nō- und Kyōgen-Theater, iudicium, 2011).

The presentation will be given in English. Admission is free. The DIJ Study Groups are a forum for young scholars and Ph.D. candidates in pertaining fields.
Everybody is welcome to attend, but kindly asked to register with Kristina Iwata: Iwata[at]dijtokyo.org

German Institute for Japanese Studies (DIJ) Jochi Kioizaka Bldg. 2F, 7-1 Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
102-0094
Phone: 03-3222-5077 Fax: 03-3222-5420
www.dijtokyo.org