An online kickoff seminar to mark the beginning of the Kuzushiji Training Course Phase 2 was held on Friday, October 22, 2021.

The event was hosted by the International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC), Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University in cooperation with the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken).

The objective of the second phase is to support seminar participants in obtaining hands-on experience in the ARC Transcription Support System through individual projects of transcribing literary works that they have selected in the ARC Early Japanese Book Portal Database.

Following opening remarks by ARC Deputy Director Professor Ryo Akama (College of Letters), Professor Hiroshi Araki of the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) gave a special lecture on '本を「ツナグ」 ―「くずし字」のデジタル・ネットワーキングへー'.

After that, the project leaders of the participating kuzushiji projects, and the tutors who will provide guidance and feedback during the second phase of the training course introduced themselves, their projects, and areas of specialty.

This event was supported by the 'International Exchange Program for Young Researchers through Reading Early Japanese Books and Documents (Deciphering Kuzushiji)' adopted by the Consortium for Global Japanese Studies.

For further information, read the interview with Prof. Ryo Akama on the Kuzushiji Training Course and the ARC Transcription Support System: https://www.arc.ritsumei.ac.jp/e/news/pc/008080.html