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November 28, 2023
Japan Zoominar @ UC San Diego: "Dream Super-Express: A Cultural History of the World's First Bullet Train" with Jessamyn R. Abel
From: Takashi Kiyoizumi (JFIT) <tkiyoizumi@ucsd.edu>
Date: 2023/11/23
Japan Zoominar @ UC San Diego: "Dream Super-Express: A Cultural History of the World's First Bullet Train" with Jessamyn R. Abel
Wed, Dec. 6, 9:00-10:00 am JST (Tue, Dec. 5, 4:00-5:00 pm Pacific)
Touted as a symbol of the "new Japan" when it opened in 1964, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen--the first bullet train, dubbed the "dream super-express"--represented the bold aspirations of a nation rebranding itself after military defeat, but also the deep problems caused by the unbridled postwar drive for economic growth. Understanding the various and often contradictory images of the bullet train shows how infrastructure operates beyond its intended use as a means of transportation, instead performing cultural and sociological functions and revealing the tug-of-war over the significance of the new line that is often hidden by commonplace stories of progress. This talk will trace contrasting meanings assigned to high-speed rail in order to find the ways in which it prompted a reimagination of identity on the levels of individual, metropolis and nation in a changing Japan.
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Jessamyn R. Abel is College of the Liberal Arts Endowed Fellow, Associate Professor in the Asian Studies Department, and Affiliated Faculty of the School of International Affairs at Pennsylvania State University. She is a historian of modern Japan with interests in democratization, technology, infrastructure, sports, and international relations. Her current research focuses on postwar Japan to examine the role of large institutions in promoting democratic practices and attitudes.Ulrike Schaede is Professor of Japanese Business at GPS, UC San Diego, and the Director of JFIT. Her research focuses on Japan's changing corporate strategies, including business culture, change management, and business organization. Her 2020 book "The Business Reinvention of Japan" analyzes how Japanese companies are responding to the rise of China and the changing global competition.
Register here: https://bit.ly/40Rf1bp
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https://jfit.ucsd.edu/
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