ARC-iJAC Activities

Greetings from the Art Research Center at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan.

With the establishment of the International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC) in 2019, the Art Research Center strives to push the internationalization of research activities that transcend disciplines and geographic boundaries. NEWS ARC-iJAC Project Spotlights: An Interview with Toshie Marra (Librarian for the Japanese Collection, C.V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California, Berkeley) Toshie Marra introduces the outcomes of the nearly twenty years of research cooperation in digital archiving between the ARC and the C.V. Starr East Asian Library (EAL), UC Berkeley, which boasts one the world's largest collections of Japanese cultural resources. >> Read more. → ARC Virtual Institute: Japanese Special Collections in the C.V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California, Berkeley) The 2nd Joint Colloquium with the UC Berkeley Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) was held on June 21, 2024 The colloquium comprised presentations from graduate students associated with each of the two Centers, with some presenting in English and some in Japanese. The papers explored a range of topics in Japanese Studies related to performing arts, including performing arts in geisha districts (kagai), gender identity among onnagata performers, and the representation of historical figures as heroes or villains in prewar modern theatre, as well as "new approaches to cultural studies," with one using the example of mango production in Miyazaki prefecture in a broader discussion of the establishment of tropical fruit cultivation in Japan. >> Read more. A Special Display at the British Museum Showcases Outcomes of the Joint Research Project 'Creative Collaborations: Salons and Networks in Kyoto and Osaka 1780-1880' The outcomes of this research project, supported by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and JSPS, are currently showcased at the British Museum as part of a Special Display. The research project, led by Prof. Ryo Akama (College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University) and Dr. Akiko Yano (Curator, Department of Asia, British Museum), aims to investigate the cultural and social impact of art and literary salons and the collective creation of art (gassaku) in early modern Japan, particularly in the Kyoto-Osaka region. As part of this project, the 'Kamigata Bunkajin Sogo Database' (「上方文化人総合データベース」) has been established by the ARC, providing a new portal for research on early modern Japanese culture. >> Read more. Become an ARC-iJAC Project Member to Access ArcGIS Online! To support international joint research, we provide free accounts for ArcGIS Online, a web-based mapping software of Esri, Inc., to members of the International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC). >> Read more. Database News! The Shuichi Kato Collection held by the Ritsumeikan University Library is available Shuichi Kato (1919-2008) was one of the leading international intellectuals in post-war Japan. Established in 2015, Ritsumeikan University's Research Center for Shuichi Kato and the Japanese Contemporary Thoughts aims to research the vast number of books and manuscripts in the Shuichi Kato Collection of the university library. The ARC is pleased to announce the release of the digitally archived collection as follows: The Shuichi Kato Collection Database for Browsing Materials The Shuichi Kato Collection Material Retrieval System We were delighted to welcome Prof. Giovanni Molari (Rector, Bologna University) and Prof. Raffaella Campaner (Vice Rector for International Relations, Bologna University) to the ARC. Dr. Travis Seifman (ARC Research Manager) gave a tour of the ARC facilities to a group of faculty and students of National Chengchi University, Taiwan. Upcoming Events There are no upcoming events at this time. Notice of Office Closure during Obon Summer Holiday 2024 The Art Research Center will be closed from August 9 (Fri) to August 19 (Mon), 2024 due to the Obon summer holiday break. We will not be able to respond to your inquiries or visits during this period. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Thank you very much for your kind understanding. Office of the Art Research Center Previous issues: Spring 2024, Winter 2023, Autumn 2023, Summer 2023, Spring 2023, Winter 2022, Autumn 2022, Summer 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2021, Autumn 2021, Summer 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2020, Autumn 2020, Summer 2020, Spring 2020 view this email in your browser Copyright © 2024 Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 56-1 Toji-in Kitamachi, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8577 JAPAN Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Background:
Toshie Marra joined the C. V. Starr East Asian Library (EAL), University of California, Berkeley in 2012 as the Librarian for the Japanese Collection. Her areas of responsibilities include developing EAL's Japanese language collections and providing instruction and reference services for Japanese studies. Previously, she worked at the Richard C. Rudolph East Asian Library at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for 22 years. She holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree from UCLA with specialization in cataloging and preservation.

Thank you very much for your time today. What sparked your interest in becoming a librarian?

Marra: Marrying a scholar of Japanese literature brought me to UCLA in the late 1980s. At that time, UCLA East Asian Library had just begun cataloging Chinese, Japanese, and Korean materials in the OCLC CJK system. I was hired as their first copy-cataloger for Japanese materials. Soon I discovered a shortage of librarians in North America with expertise in the Japanese language, especially those knowledgeable about handling Japanese pre-modern books, or kotenseki. As a result, many unique holdings remained uncatalogued in library storages. This unfortunate situation motivated me to pursue a career as Japanese Studies librarian in the U. S.

UC Berkeley's C.V. Starr East Asian Library (EAL) boasts one of the world's largest collections of Japanese cultural resources. Could you tell us about the significance of your collection?

Marra: EAL's Japanese collection focuses on the humanities and social sciences. It includes a wide range of materials such as full-text electronic databases, books, periodicals, woodblock-printed maps and prints, and manuscripts. One of EAL's most noteworthy special collections from Japan is the Mitsui acquisition in 1950, which comprises over 100,000 items in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean languages. This includes the Gakken (Dohi Keizō), Motoori (Motoori Ōhira family), Sōshin (Mitsui Takatatsu), Sōken/Teihyōkaku (Mitsui Takakata), Imazeki (Imazaki Tenpō), and Asami (Asami Rintarō) collections, spanning from the pre-modern era to modern times. Other significant special collections include the Ho-Chiang collection, which contains over 110 Buddhist sutras in manuscript and print from the 8^th to the 19^th century, documenting the development of Buddhism in China, Japan, and Korea. Additionally, the Murakami Collection, acquired by the EAL in 1948, consists of approximately 9,100 volumes. This collection features many first editions of literary works from the Meiji through early Showa periods, some with illustrative kuchie frontispieces.

The research cooperation between the C.V. Starr East Asian Library (EAL) and the ARC in the field of digital archiving started in 2006 and has been ongoing for almost two decades. How did you first connect with the Art Research Center (ARC)?

Marra: In 2006 my predecessor Hisayuki Ishimatsu contacted Professor Ryo Akama of the ARC to digitize the Sugoroku collection, a part of the Mitsui acquisition, consisting of 155 sheets. After I joined UC Berkeley, the EAL Director, Peter X. Zhou, and I visited the ARC in December 2013 to discuss potential collaborations for creating more digital archives using EAL's Japanese special collections. Starting in the summer of 2014, the ARC began making regular visits to EAL to digitize our materials.

The ARC has digitized and created online databases of old and rare books, copperplate prints, sugoroku sheets, fine art auction catalogs and others in the Japanese Special Collections of the EAL. What is the significance of each of these collections?

Marra: Currently, the portal "Japanese Special Collections at the C. V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California, Berkeley" contains five distinct databases:

1) Old and Rare Books: Includes printed books mostly from the Edo period (1603-1867) and manuscripts from the pre-modern to modern times

2) Copperplate Prints: Features over 2,400 images of individual prints from the copperplate prints collection, consisting of 472 physical items

3) Sugoroku Sheets: Contains 155 images, primarily from the Edo through the Meiji periods, with a few from the Taisho and early Showa periods

4) Fine Art Auction Catalogs: From the EAL's collection of approximately 800 volumes of art auction catalogs, mostly published between 1912 and 1941

5) Illustrations Surrounding Japanese Modern Books: From the Murakami Collection.

Among these, the first four databases are related to the Mitsui acquisition, though the "Old and Rare Books" database also includes a small number of Edo printed books from more recent donations, such as those collected by the late Prof. Ichiei Kishi and Dr. Frederic J. Kotas. This database also contains links to images converted from microfilm, provided by the National Institute of Japanese Literature through its Union Catalogue Database of Japanese Texts (Kokusho dētabēsu), allowing researchers to find digital images of the EAL's rare book holdings in a single database.

While the Copperplate Prints and Sugoroku Sheets databases are complete, the other digital archives are still growing as new materials are being digitized. The Copperplate Prints database resulted from the first digitization project that I sought assistance for from Prof. Akama, who tirelessly created metadata for each image after photographing them. The Illustrations Surrounding Japanese Modern Books database was designed by Dr. Kana Tsuneki, an ARC graduate currently teaching at the National Institute of Technology, Kurume College, and features kuchie frontispieces and other physical characteristics of bookmaking from the Meiji through early Showa periods.

Can you share your thoughts on how these digitized collections may facilitate research in Japanese art history, and provide an example or two of how researchers at UC Berkeley or elsewhere have utilized these digital archives, including the digital tools provided by the ARC, such as the Kuzushiji Transcription Support and Archiving System?

Marra: We owe a great deal to Prof. Akama and the ARC for enabling us to share EAL's digitized collections with researchers worldwide through the portal "Japanese Special Collections at the C. V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California, Berkeley." However, the benefits of this portal extend beyond mere accessibility. It allows researchers to create their own databases for specific research purposes. Examples include the Copperplate Prints and the Illustrations Surrounding Japanese Modern Books databases. For the Copperplate Prints collection, EAL's online catalog provides a single collection-level record, whereas the Copperplate Prints database offers over 2,400 individual image records with corresponding metadata. This makes it easier for researchers to find specific images by searching the database, enabling them to create personalized research tools for analysis.

The portal also features the Kuzushiji Transcription Support and Archiving System, which allows researchers to attach transcription texts to associated images, facilitating full-text search. Several members of the UCB community and beyond have shown interest in using the portal for transcription. During the 16-month closure of EAL due to the COVID-19 pandemic between March 2020 and July 2021, I began to collaborate with Prof. Shinji Konno of Seisen University. He wanted to use the digital images of EAL's Japanese rare book holdings for his online instruction. Even after in-person classes resumed, he continued using the portal for his teaching and provided transcribed texts prepared by his students. We acknowledge the contributions of Prof. Konno and his collaborators by creating the Seisen University Transcription Project page within the portal.

Can you share your thoughts on the importance of digitally archiving library collections and how it may play a part in the overall long-term goals of the EAL?

Marra: Digital archives have made it easier to access rare Japanese holdings in libraries worldwide and have opened up new avenues for research. With thousands of volumes of pre-modern Japanese books and manuscripts not yet digitized, EAL, along with many other libraries, should continue striving to make as many of these holdings digitally accessible to researchers globally. To this end, we have collaborated with many researchers from Japan in various ways.

Regarding the Japanese materials included in the Mitsui acquisition, I would like to clarify that some items remain uncatalogued due to a lack of expertise among EAL staff. This includes most of the Japanese Manuscripts Collection, which consists of approximately 7,800 volumes and 4,200 single sheets from the 14^th to the 20^th century. Thanks to the enormous efforts of Prof. Motoi Katsumata (Meisei University) and Prof. Akama, over 3,400 bibliographic records for items in this collection have recently been added to the Old and Rare Books database in the aforementioned portal. This will help numerous scholars worldwide discover what EAL has to offer, as these records contain titles and creator names in romanization, in addition to those in Japanese.

This achievement was the result of a multi-year research project led by Prof. Katsumata, with many collaborators, funded by the Mitsubishi Foundation, Meisei University, and JSPS's KAKENHI, in addition to ARC's support. Including these bibliographic records in this database will facilitate the process of adding images from this collection as they become available.

Finally, could you share a few of your personal favorites within the EAL collection?

Marra: One of my favorite items in the collection is the Kadenshū manuscripts, which consists of 146 volumes of kaden, or genealogical records of 135 kuge families from the mid-19^th century. Although these volumes are shelved at different locations in the Japanese Manuscripts Collection according to their family names, they were virtually compiled into a single collection, when digitized with funding support from the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources in 2018. After digitization, we enhanced the usability of the collection by creating a search tool for over 3,100 nobles' names listed in the manuscripts. This work was documented in the poster co-presented with Prof. Akama at the Jinmonkon conference in 2019. The Kadenshū collection is highlighted in the Online Exhibitions section of the aforementioned portal.

Other favorite items of mine include the manuscripts of literary works and essays by well-known modern writers, which seem to be holographs and allow readers to trace the authors' process of refining their texts. Examples include:

・Genkō monogatari, by Fukuchi Ōchi (1841-1906)

・Giwaku, by Chikamatsu Shūkō (1876-1944)

・Haha, by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke (1892-1927)

・Kabukigeki no hozon ni tsuite, by Tsubouchi Shōyō (1859-1935)

・Nara o tatsu mae, by Mushanokōji Saneatsu (1885-1976)

・Sōka ni tsuite, by Kōda Rohan (1867-1947)

・Yoakemae, Osanai Kaoru (1881-1928)

Is there anything else you would like to comment on or any other aspect you would like to address in this interview?

Marra: I would like to highlight that Prof. Akama and the ARC also helped digitize the Ukiyo-e prints collection held by the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive. The images of these materials are accessible through a separate database, which is linked from the portal "Japanese Special Collections at the C. V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California, Berkeley." I express my sincere gratitude to Prof. Akama and the ARC students for their support over the years. I look forward to working more closely with them in the coming years.

(This interview was conducted by Yinzi Emily Li)

The 4th online workshop was held on July 30, 2024 as part of the international joint research project Creative Collaborations: Salons and Networks in Kyoto and Osaka 1780-1880 (「上方文化サロン：人的ネットワークから解き明かす文化創造空間 1780-1880」), supported by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS),

The research project--a collaborative scholarly enterprise among researchers and institutions in Japan and the UK--aims to analyse the cultural and social impact of art and literary salons and the collective creation of art (gassaku) in early modern Japan, particularly in the Kyoto-Osaka region during 1780-1880.

Date: July 30 (Tues), 2024, from 18:00 JST/10:00 BST

Venue: Online via ZOOM

※This was a closed workshop.

Theme：「挑戦するデジタル・ヒューマニティーズ（DH）」

Venue：Seminar Room 1, International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken)

Date: July 26, 2024 13:00-15:30 (JST)

Organizer：Digital-HUSS コンソーシアム(高麗大・淑明女大・嶺南大・忠南大・順天大融合人材養成事業団), International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC), Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University, International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken)

Co-organizer：情報処理学会・人文科学とコンピューター研究会、高麗大学校文科大学

Event Summary：

日韓次世代デジタル・ヒューマニティーズ（DH）フォーラムは、デジタル人文学を研究する韓国と日本の 学生/次世代研究者の成果を共有し、国際的ネットワークを形成して、この分野の研究と教育とを先導できる グローバル拠点の構築を目標にしている。

今回、Digital-HUSS コンソーシアムの学生達と立命館大学の学生達が、文学・美術・社会・政治・大衆文 化などのそれぞれの問題関心にしたがって 10 個のテーマで研究成果を発表する。デジタル人文学に対する国 際的視野を培い、持続的な共同成果を創出する契機になることを期待する。

※発表言語は英語、 質疑応答は韓国語・日本語（通訳は質疑応答のみあり。日韓逐次通訳）

Related link：https://www.nichibun.ac.jp/ja/research/other_conferences_symposia/2024/07/27/

Program：

総合司会：李承垠 (高麗大学校国語国文学科副教授) / 柳澔賢（高麗大学校中語中文学科助教授)

司会・通訳：梁誠允(高麗大学校人文社会デジタル融合人材養成事業団研究教授)

13:00 開催挨拶 鄭炳浩（高麗大学校・Digital-HUSS コンソーシアム団長）

13:05 発表 1　李娟優・柳賀英・許恩智 (高麗大学校日語日文学科)

「テキストデータの分析を通じて見た韓国人のコンテンツツーリズムの消費：「スラムダン ク」事例を中心に (Consumption of Korean content tourism through text data analysis: Focusing on Content Tourism)」

13:15 討論

13:20 発表 2　戸塚史織 (立命館大学文学研究科 行動文化情報学専攻 博士後期)

「日本における絵画のデジタルアーカイブと分析：太田記念美術館の浮世絵コレクションア ーカイブの事例を中心に（Digital Archiving and Analysis of Visual Art in Japan: A Case Study of the Ukiyo-e Collection at the Ota Memorial Museum of Art）」

13:30 討論

13:35 発表 3　朴繍顯・朴株賢 (高麗大学校中語中文学科)

「初期 K-POP アイドル IP のストーリーワールドについての DH 分析（DH Analysis on the Story World of Early K-Pop Idol IP）」

13:45 討論

13:50 発表 4　立花唯翔 (立命館大学文学研究科 行動文化情報学専攻 博士前期)

「容量を測る−SfM-MVS を利用した大甕の容量計測から見えること−Measuring capacity: what can be seen from measuring the capacity of a large jar using SfM-MVS)」

14:00 討論

14:05 発表 5　李基焄・杜ナリン・申采沅 (高麗大学校言語学科)

「自然言語処理技法を活用した大韓民国進歩·保守政党のテキスト比較分析 (Comparative Text Analysis of South Korean Progressive and Conservative Parties Using NLP Techniques)」

14:15 討論

14:20 発表 6　Pittawat TAVEEKITWORACHAI (立命館大学情報理工学研究科 情報理工学専攻 博士前期)

「AI による物語：生成 AI を使った神話ベースのビジュアルノベルの生成」(A Tale from AIs: Generating a Mythology-Based Visual Novel Using Generative AIs)」

14:30 討論

14:35 発表 7　陸智完・金星彬・柳顯宗 (高麗大学校言語学科)・朴涓秀 (高麗大学校メディア学部)

「AI が生成したテキストの文学的受容可能性と文学の本質探求 (A Study on the Literature Acceptability of AI-Generated Texts and the Essence of Literature)」

14:45 討論

14:50 発表 8　羅海濱・李泰旻・李昞潤(高麗大学校国語国文学科)・羅海濱（高麗大学校英語英文学科）

「韓国の口碑文学の様相とデータの現代的活用 (The Modern Use of Data and Patterns of Korean Oral Literature)」

15:00 討論

15:05 発表 9　平野 理紗子(立命館大学文学研究科 行動文化情報学専攻 博士後期)

「デジタルアーカイブによるデザイン事典の構築と展望(The Construction and Prospects of a Design Encyclopedia Database from Digital Archives)」

15:15 討論

15:20 発表 10　潘孝林・李俊姬 (高麗大学校西語西文学科)

「空間を超えてスペイン語を体験する:セマンティック・ウェブで見る特殊なラテンアメリカ スペイン語(Experiencing Spanish Beyond Borders: Exploring Unique Latin American Spanish on the Semantic Web)」

15:30 討論

15:35 終了

The 137th International ARC Seminar will be held as a webinar on Wednesday, July 17, from 18:00 JST.

The program is as follows:

Speaker: Ryu SUGIMOTO (Director, Kuwana City Museum)

Topic: Issues and Prospects for Research on Matsudaira Sadanobu

Date: Wednesday, July 17, 18:00 - 19:30 JST

Participation: online via Zoom, free of charge (affiliated parties only, no reservation required)

*This is a closed event and YouTube livestream is not available.

The 2nd Joint Colloquium of the Art Research Center (ARC), Ritsumeikan University and the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS), University of California, Berkeley was held at the ARC on June 21, 2024.

The colloquium began with opening remarks by the Director of the ARC, Prof. Ryo Akama (College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University), followed by presentations from individual graduate students associated with each of the two Centers, some presenting in English and some in Japanese.

The first five papers explored a range of topics in Japanese Studies related to performance and performing arts, including discussions of performing arts in geisha districts (kagai), gender identity among onnagata performers, and the representation of historical figures as heroes or villains in prewar modern theatre. The final two papers expanded into "new approaches to cultural studies," with one using the example of mango production in Miyazaki prefecture in a broader discussion of the establishment of tropical fruit cultivation in Japan.

A general discussion followed the individual student presentations. Attendees noted that many of the presenters' papers focused on a similar, overlapping, historical period - namely, the decades spanning the late 19^th to early 20^th centuries - and suggested that, taken together, these papers on disparate topics could reveal new insights about the period.

ARC Research Manager Dr. Travis Seifman, chair of the colloquium, expressed:"Academic cultures can differ greatly from one place to another; while many scholars focus on uncovering empirical details, others are more theoretical and interpretive in their approaches. International colloquia like this one provide invaluable opportunities to encounter and engage with one another's differing approaches to scholarship, and for each of us to be inspired towards new ideas or approaches for our own research. I am excited that we have begun this regular series of joint colloquia, and believe their impact will only grow as the mutual engagement continues."

The colloquium concluded with closing remarks from Prof. Jonathan Zwicker (Center for Japanese Studies, Dept. of East Asian Languages and Cultures, University of California, Berkeley).

Afterward, a reception was held, providing colloquium participants with further opportunities for networking and exchanging opinions and ideas about their research.

Organizer: Art Research Center (ARC), Ritsumeikan University; Center for Japanese Studies (CJS), University of California, Berkeley

Supported by: International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC), Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University

On July 3, 2024, Prof. Giovanni Molari (Rector, Bologna University) and Raffaella Campaner (Vice Rector for International Relations, Bologna University) visited the Art Research Center (ARC).

Besides a tour of the ARC building and facilities, discussions and an exchange of opinions on collaboration in digital humanities research and education took place with Prof. Ryo Akama (College of Letters/Director of the ARC).

The 136th International ARC Seminar will be held as a webinar on Wednesday, July 3, from 18:00 JST.

The program is as follows:

Speaker: Mamiko ISHII (Professor, Chinese Literature and Throught Major, College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University)

Topic:「Gion Festival and Chinese Classical Literature」

Date: Wednesday, July 3, 18:00 - 19:30 JST

Participation: online via Zoom, free of charge (affiliated parties only, no reservation required)

*This is a closed event and YouTube livestream is not available.

The 135th International ARC Seminar will be held as a webinar on Wednesday, June 26, from 18:00 JST.

The program is as follows:

Speakers:

Tatsuki MACHIDA (Associate Professor, Faculty of Human Development, Kokugakuin University)
Yuji KURIHARA (National Museum of Nature and Science)
Sachiko NIINA (Prince Chichibu Memorial Sports Museum and Library)

Topic: Japanese Sports Archives for Passing Knowledge to Future Generations (「日本のスポーツアーカイブを未来へと継承するために」)

Date: Wednesday, June 26, 18:00 - 19:30 JST

Participation: online via Zoom, free of charge (affiliated parties only, no reservation required)

*This webinar is open to everyone, and non-ARC members are invited to participate via YouTube.

On June 20, 2024, a group of students and faculty members of National Chengchi University, Taiwan, visited the Art Research Center (ARC).

Besides a tour of the ARC building and digital archiving facilities, Dr. Travis Seifman (ARC Research Manager/Associate Professor, Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University) gave an introductory presentation on the DH research activities of the Center.