ARC-iJAC Activities

Background:
Hiroyuki Yamauchi is an Associate Professor at the Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University, and a faculty member of the Art Research Center (ARC). He earned his master's degree in Letters from Nara University and went on to complete a PhD in Environmental Studies at the University of Tokyo.
His research focuses on the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with emerging technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and the metaverse to enhance geography education. By developing and evaluating educational materials through innovative technological approaches, he aims to make geography more accessible and engaging for learners.

Dr. Yamauchi, thank you very much for your time today. To begin, could you share what initially sparked your interest in geography?

Yamauchi: Geography is a discipline that explores a wide range of phenomena occurring in physical space, from the natural environment to human life. Geography is fascinating in that almost anything can be connected into it. What first attracted my interest was the relationships between regional history and the natural environment.

Your research focuses on the use of innovative IT tools--such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Virtual Reality (VR)--to develop and evaluate educational materials for geography classes. What inspired you to explore this intersection of technology and geography education?

Yamauchi: Over the past 30 years, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become widely adopted, leading to more diverse research methods in geography and applications of digital maps in society. Geographic information has become a fundamental technology for modern life, and its importance continues to grow. In fact, GIS is now part of the high school geography curriculum in Japan.

However, some high school geography teachers are still unsure how to use GIS and other digital tools effectively in the classroom. Technologies like GIS and Virtual Reality (VR) make it possible to simulate on-site exploration of local areas studied in the classroom.

Geography education has its roots in the academic discipline of geography, which values both a broad, map-based perspective and on-the-ground observation. Yet, in actual geography classrooms, students are sometimes simply taught to memorize technical terms. Some students also struggle with fundamental skills like reading maps and interpreting graphs.

For this reason, modern geography education should offer more immersive, intuitive learning experiences and teaching materials that lower the barriers to understanding. To achieve that, it is essential to leverage digital technology.

Could you share some specific examples from your research that illustrate how these technologies are being used to enrich geography education in the classroom?

Yamauchi: One example of using GIS in the classroom is a lesson that incorporates three-dimensional digital maps. For instance, when explaining alluvial fans, it can be difficult for students to grasp the slope of the terrain using a two-dimensional map, but this becomes much easier to understand when viewed in 3D.

GIS also allows users to switch between different types of maps, such as from topographic maps to aerial photographs, enabling students to observe patterns of land use more clearly. In this way, GIS provides a range of information that helps students gain an overview of regional characteristics. More advanced applications of GIS can also be used to analyze data such as population density, aging rates, and other information.

While GIS is excellent offering a bird's-eye view of a region, it presents information from a different perspective than what we typically see in daily life, which can make it difficult for students to grasp the actual scale of things. In such cases, immersive VR teaching materials experienced through head-mounted displays can be particularly effective. In my collaborative research with other scholars, we have conducted 3D measurements of various regional terrains and historical sites to develop VR-based educational materials.

One example is a project involving the Taya Cave (Taya-San-Yu-Ga-Dou) in Sakae Ward, Yokohama. This is a man-made cave used as a training site for Shingon Buddhism and its walls are adorned with a wide variety of Buddhist relief carvings. Based on the cave's 3D data, we developed a VR application that allows users to explore the cave's interior, offering them a highly immersive and satisfying experience.

Another case involves a virtual museum that recreates Saruo structures found along the Echi River basin in Shiga Prefecture. 

Saruo are traditional groynes built along riverbanks to redirect water flow during heavy rain and prevent flood damage. Over time, due to changes in the local residents' lifestyles, knowledge of these structures had faded from collective memory.

Our research team launched a project to rediscover existing Saruo remnants, preserve them through digital archiving, and raise awareness among local communities. As part of this effort, we created a virtual museum in a VR environment that exhibits information about Saruo. It is often difficult to get people interested in things they have never seen or places they have never been, but by using digital technologies, we can offer engaging and meaningful experiences.

In addition to your research, you lead the ARC's Technical Support Board. What are some of your main responsibilities in this role?

Yamauchi: At the Art Research Center (ARC), researchers from various fields in the humanities are engaged in joint research activities under the MEXT-accredited International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC). As my area of expertise is Geographic Information Science, I provide support to ARC-iJAC members by sharing knowledge related to digitized paper maps and geographic data.

Some cultural resources--such as paintings or photographs--depict actual landscapes. By managing these materials with geospatial data, they can be visualized as maps using GIS. I also offer guidance on handling three-dimensional data obtained through techniques such as photogrammetry.

How we archive spaces and spatially related cultural resources, and how we make use of them, is a matter of shared interest among many researchers. I believe this makes it an important area of contribution. On the other hand, using GIS comes with its own unique challenges. For researchers from other disciplines to use GIS effectively, they need both adequate technical support and opportunities to understand the value that GIS can offer.

Going forward, I believe it is essential to further strengthen these kinds of interdisciplinary support initiatives.

How does the Technical Support Board (TSB) contribute to the ARC's long-term vision, and what role do you see it playing in shaping the future direction of the Center?

Yamauchi: At the Art Research Center (ARC), we provide support for the use of GIS for ARC-iJAC researchers through the Technical Support Board. The ARC's Map Database features a wide range of Japan-related maps, including historical map collections from institutions like the British Library. We are also working on the provision of map data through the IIIF (International Image Interoperability Framework) platform.

Since the last fiscal year, we have begun offering access to accounts for the ArcGIS Online platform provided by Esri. This enables researchers affiliated with the Center to utilize applications commonly used by experts in geography at a low cost.

Looking ahead, how do you envision emerging IT technologies contributing to the future development of geography education?

Yamauchi: To advance geography education, I believe it is essential to introduce and consider IT technologies from two key perspectives: "educational materials" and "assessment systems."

In terms of the educational materials, it is important to apply various technologies to education in order to realize both "geography learning with satisfaction" and "clear, comprehensible teaching." While the use of GIS is one example, technologies such as AR, VR, the metaverse, and AI also have great potential to make geography education more engaging.

At the same time, we also need to think carefully about how learning is assessed. When both the teaching materials and the assessment systems are developed in tandem, and can provide feedback to each other, it becomes possible to achieve a more fulfilling educational experience.

For instance, if we create a metaverse-based digital space that reproduces the real-world locations found in geography textbooks, it would be possible to simulate something like a field trip within that space. In such an environment, teachers could give lessons as if they were on-site, explaining terrain and townscapes, while learners could explore the area freely as they study.

The ability to record data on how students learn and interact within that digital environment--combined with other sources of information--would allow educators to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching methods, and to offer more targeted advice on how students should observe and interpret specific geographic features.

In this way, by expanding the learning environment beyond the physical classroom into immersive digital educational spaces, we can expect to improve education based on the data collected from those experiences.

(This interview was conducted by Yinzi Emily Li)

The Art Research Center (ARC) at Ritsumeikan University is pleased to announce that more than 6,400 nōsatsu and senshafuda votive images in the University of Oregon Library's Gertrude Bass Warner Collection of Japanese Votive Slips (nōsatsu) have been made available online.

The Nōsatsu & Senshafuda University of Oregon Database can be accessed here:
https://www.dh-jac.net/db/nishikie/search_oregon.php

The collection is also integrated into the ARC Nōsatsu Portal Database, here:
https://www.dh-jac.net/db/nishikie/search_Nosatsu.php.

The University of Oregon Libraries' collection is the largest collection of Japanese shrine and temple votive slips in North America. They range in date from the 1850s to the 1930s and feature images representing a wide range of themes, from seasonal celebrations and observances, historical and fictional figures, and scenes of everyday life to objects, buildings, and landscapes. Some depict pilgrims or members of nōsatsu collecting & exchange clubs (nōsatsu-kai).

Senshafuda and nōsatsu are believed to have originated in the 18^th century, as printed slips of text or images purchased by pilgrims and plastered onto walls or pillars at shrines and temples as a devotional act. They later became collectors' items, and by the end of the 19^th century were actively traded in nōsatsu-kai not dissimilar to surimono poetry prints circles which were also vibrantly active at the time. (For more on the latter, see the ARC Virtual Institute "Salons and Networks in Kyoto and Osaka": https://www.arc.ritsumei.ac.jp/lib/vm/Salon/)

Most of the votive slips in the University of Oregon's collection today were originally acquired in the 1910s to 1920s by Frederick Starr (1858-1933), a professor of anthropology at the University of Chicago who reportedly became so active and prominent in nōsatsu-kai collecting & exchange clubs that he came to be known as "O-fuda Hakushi" (Dr. Votive Slips).

This digitization and database construction effort was initiated by Kevin McDowell, Japanese Studies Librarian at the University of Oregon, in 2015 and continued as an International Joint Research Project under the International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC) in 2020. Though the project was placed temporarily on hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other factors, we are glad to now make this significant resource available to the public. We hope this database will support future research in art history, material culture, religious studies, and related fields.

For image use beyond personal research, please consult the Reproductions and Permissions policies and contact information for Special Collections at University of Oregon Libraries: https://library.uoregon.edu/find-materials/special-collections-and-university-archives/reproductions-and-permissions.

(Some information above is drawn from: https://oregondigital.org/collections/gb-warner-nosatsu, as well as from Kevin McDowell, "Echoes of Edo in the University of Oregon's Japanese Votive Slips Collection," presentation at European Association of Japanese Resource Specialists annual conference, 2024.)

On June 9, 2025, the Art Research Center (ARC) at Ritsumeikan University signed a Collaboration Agreement for Joint Academic Research with the History of Content Industry Archives Research Center (HARC) of ZEN University.

The signing ceremony took place at Ritsumeikan University's Kinugasa Campus and was attended by Professor Koichi Hosoi, Director of the HARC, and Professor Ryo Akama, Director of the ARC and faculty member of the College of Letters.

Through the conclusion of this collaboration agreement, the two institutions aim to establish a digital archive of oral history interview videos video oral histories and materials related to dōjin creative works in the field of media arts content, with the following objectives:

1. The collecting and archiving of oral history interview videos video oral histories of individuals active in the fields of media arts--particularly manga, anime, and games--as well as the IT and internet culture sectors. These materials will be organized and made publicly available through a digital archive, transforming them into valuable scholarly resources for the study of modern Japanese popular culture.

2. As a 'Real-Time History Project,' the initiative seeks to promote the scholarly use of primary materials related to Comic Market (Comiket), Japan's largest convention for dōjin creative works. Issues related to the digitization and use of catalog booklets from past events as research materials will be examined, while building a digital archive to preserve and safeguard these materials.   

About the HARC, ZEN University:

Established on September 30, 2023, the HARC is dedicated to the comprehensive and in-depth collection and preservation of primary materials related to people, objects, and events that have shaped the history of Japan's content industry. The HARC's mission is to make these archival materials available to the public for scholarly research, education, and the creation of new industries, contributing to their meaningful use in society.

On June 1, 2025, Ritsumeikan University's Kinugasa Campus hosted the KINUGASA ART VILLAGE FESTIVAL to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Ritsumeikan Academy. 

As part of the festival, the Art Research Center (ARC) held an art dialogue titled 'Ukiyo-e and its Global Reach,' featuring two renowned ukiyo-e experts: Dr. Shugo Asano and Prof. Ryo Akama.

Dr. Shugo Asano serves as the President of the International Ukiyo-e Society and is the Director of both the Abeno Harukas Art Museum in Osaka and The Museum Yamato Bunkakan in Nara.

Prof. Ryo Akama, of the College of Letters at Ritsumeikan University, is the Director of the ARC and a pioneer in the digital archiving of Japanese art held in overseas collections, having spearheaded the creation of the world's largest ukiyo-e online research database. 

Ukiyo-e, widely recognized through its presence on banknotes, passports, and popular TV dramas, also includes many lesser-known works that have remained 'hidden' within museum collections around the world. During their conversation, Dr. Asano and Prof. Akama highlighted the enduring appeal of ukiyo-e and discussed how masterpieces by artists such as Hokusai, Kunisada, and Kuniyoshi are exhibited not only in Japan but also in prestigious museums worldwide, including the British Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Their insightful exchange offered attendees a unique opportunity to deepen their understanding of ukiyo-e's cultural significance and its far-reaching international influence. 

Looking ahead, with the establishment of the College of Arts and Design on Kinugasa Campus next year--where Prof. Akama will serve as dean--Ritsumeikan University is excited to host further events that celebrate and explore Japan's extensive artistic heritage in a global context.

On May 22, 2025, a group of students from Northeastern University visited the Art Research Center (ARC) as part of the university's study abroad program Dialogue: Shoshin Japan: Art, Craft, and Design in Kyoto. The group was led by Associate Teaching Professors Jamal Thorne and Kate Terrado of the College of Arts, Media, and Design (CAMD) at Northeastern University.

Besides touring the ARC's building and facilities, discussions and an exchange of ideas on collaboration in digital humanities took place with Dr. Travis Seifman (Associate Professor, Kinugasa Research Organization/ARC Research Manager).

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 Spring has arrived at Ritsumeikan University's Kinugasa Campus, where the grounds were for weeks beautifully adorned with cherry blossoms in full bloom. Database News! Over 570 Illustrated Books from the Royal Museums of Art and History (MRAH) Collection, Belgium, have been released The release of over 570 illustrated books, ukiyo-e painting manuals, and other early modern Japanese books marks the latest milestone in the collaboration between the Royal Museums of Art and History (MRAH) and the ARC, which began in 2007. Furthermore, 8,750 ukiyo-e prints previously released are also available through the ARC Japanese Prints (Ukiyo-e) and Paintings Portal Database. >> Read more. MRAH Collection of Illustrated Books: https://www.dh-jac.net/db1/books/search_belgium.php MRAH Collection of Ukiyo-e Prints: https://www.dh-jac.net/db/nishikie/search_belgium.php YOU ARE WARMLY INVITED! To mark Ritsumeikan University's 125th anniversary, the KINUGASA ART VILLAGE FESTIVAL will be held on June 1, at Kinugasa Campus. The ARC will present a Public Exhibition of the William Sturgis Bigelow Shuten-dōji Picture Scrolls, alongside a Conversation between Dr. Shugo Asano (Director, Abeno Harukas Art Museum) and Prof. Ryo Akama on 'Ukiyo-e and its Global Reach.'  >> Read more. Start of Digital-Archiving the Japanese Collection of the Museum Five Continents, Munich In February, Prof. Ryo Akama and his students launched a digital-archiving project of Japanese woodblock prints from the collection of the Museum Five Continents (Museum Fünf Kontinente) in Munich, Germany's first ethnological museum, founded in 1862. Special thanks to Dr. Uta Werlich (Director of the Museum), Prof. Hans B. Thomsen and Dr. Klaus J. Friese for their generous support. An Interview with Dr. Travis Seifman (Associate Research Professor, Kinugasa Research Organization/ARC Research Manager) Dr. Seifman reflects on his role as Research Manager at the ARC, his research on Ryukyuan embassies, as well as the impact of the Center's digital archives and global research collaborations.  >> Read more. New! ART RESEARCH vol. 25-3 is available  ARC Senior Research Fellow Prof. Koichi Hosoi Receives the Kyoto City Art Promotion Award (京都市芸術振興賞) Congratulations to Prof. Koichi Hosoi on receiving this award for his contributions to the arts and talent development in Kyoto. Prof. Hosoi has held key roles at Ritsumeikan University, including Director of the Art Research Center and the Kinugasa Research Organization. >> Read more. Database News! Full-Scale Operation of the ARC Japanese Old Maps Portal Database (ARC古地図ポータルデータベース） The ARC Japanese Old Maps Portal Database offers access to over 5,000 historical maps, including materials from the ARC and major holdings from other institutions such as the University of California, Berkeley. As part of the latest update, 311 Japanese old maps from the British Library have been added, alongside the introduction pyramid (tiled) display function based on the IIIF standard, allowing for smoother and more detailed map viewing. >> Read more. ARC Japanese Old Maps Portal Database: https://www.dh-jac.net/db/maps/search_portal.php Database of Japanese Old Maps in the British Library Collection https://www.dh-jac.net/db/maps/search_BL.php Upcoming Events May 21 (Wed), 2025, 18:30-20:00 JST 147. International ARC Seminar Speaker: Dr. Charlotte HORLYCK (Reader in the History of Korean Art/Head of School of Arts, SOAS University of London) Topic: 'Mining the Archive for Collecting Histories of Korean Art' (held in English) → YouTube livestream available May 28 (Wed), 2025, 18:30-20:00 JST 148. International ARC Seminar 1. Speaker: Dr. Koichi HOSOI (Professor, Department of Social Informatics, ZEN University/Senior Research Fellow, Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University) 2. Speaker: Yuji MIYATA (Lecturer, History of Content Industry Archives Research Center/ Visiting Researcher, Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University)  Topic: 'Archiving the History of the Content Industry: Initiatives and Challenges of ZEN University' → YouTube livestream available June 1 (Sun), 2025, 10:00-17:00 JST KINUGASA ART VILLAGE FESTIVAL Kinugasa Campus, Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto Public Exhibition William Sturgis Bigelow Shuten-dōji Picture Scrolls Venue: Art Research Center (ARC) A Conversation on 「浮世絵の国際性」('Ukiyo-e and its Global Reach') Dr. Shugo Asano (Director, Abeno Harukas Art Museum/Director, Yamato Bunkakan Museum) & Prof. Ryo Akama (Director, Art Research Center/College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University) Free entrance.  → Read more. June 11 (Wed), 2025, 18:30-20:00 JST 149. International ARC Seminar Speaker: Osamu YOSHIDA (President, Tsukiji Sugoroku Museum) Topic: 'Playing the Sugoroku of the Forest of Knowledge: Fun, Database, and History' → YouTube livestream available Previous issues: Winter 2024, Autumn 2024, Summer 2024, 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:
Originally from New York, Travis Seifman completed MA degrees in Japanese Studies at SOAS University of London and in Art History at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa before earning his PhD in History at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Before joining the ARC, he worked as a postdoctoral Project Researcher at the University of Tokyo Historiographical Institute, where he contributed to the production of an English-language translation of the Ishin Shiryō Kōyō Database. Travis Seifman specializes in Okinawan Studies, and researches in particular the embassies dispatched by the Okinawan kingdom of Lūchū (Ryūkyū) to Edo in the 17th to 19th centuries. Following the 2019 fire at Sui gusuku (Shuri castle), the former Luchuan royal palace, he began to explore the topic of restoration of the palace in the 1980s-90s and again today, and related issues of cultural heritage.

Dr. Seifman, thank you very much for your time today. What are some of the main responsibilities in your current role as a Research Manager at the ARC?

Seifman: My responsibilities are fairly wide-ranging. I help facilitate overseas research collaborations and networks, particularly with individuals and institutions in Europe and North America, acting as one of the main points of contact for our affiliated researchers overseas and working to recruit new research projects and partnerships.

I serve on the Center's Steering Committee as well as the Editorial Committee for the Center's journal, ART RESEARCH. Additionally, I coordinate the International ARC Seminar, our twice-monthly guest lecture series, and assist with a wide range of administrative duties, especially those involving English-language communications.

You first became connected with the ARC during your internship at the Smithsonian. Could you share more about that experience?

Seifman: In the summer of 2011, I spent about ten weeks as a digitization intern at the Freer-Sackler Galleries (now the National Museum of Asian Art), at the Smithsonian Institution, where I had the opportunity to experience the ARC's Digital Archiving Model firsthand. Along with two fellow interns, and under the guidance of Dr. Ryoko Matsuba, we photographed some 2,000 Japanese woodblock-printed and other illustrated books from the 17th to 20th centuries.

The 14th Forum for Knowledge, Arts, and Culture in Digital Humanities will be held on Saturday, March 22, 2025.

We are now accepting →registrations to join the event as a participant. This event also serves as a conference for young researchers of the ARC-iJAC.

About the Forum for Knowledge, Arts, and Culture in Digital Humanities

 Along with the rapid development of the digital and information environment in recent years, we are seeing more and more cross-disciplinary research in academic fields with an awareness of "information" and "digital". This trend is gaining momentum in higher education and research activities as well, and educational programs and course activities related to this trend are being enhanced.

　The need for opportunities for academic exchange among undergraduate and graduate students and young researchers studying in such programs under new research themes in line with the times is ever increasing.

　For this reason, the Forum for Knowledge, Arts, and Culture in Digital Humanities was established in 2011 as a place for presentation and exchange, with a focus on graduate students and young researchers interested in information and knowledge research in arts, culture, and other related fields, and 13 research meetings have been held to date.

　This meeting is positioned as a place where participants can mutually discover new research themes and methods through human exchange in different fields, and we also welcome exploratory and adventurous presentations that are slightly different from conventional conference presentations.

■ Date: March 22 (Sat), 2025, from 12:30 noon JST

■ Hybrid format
Venue: Future Plaza Conferece Room, Ritsumeikan University Osaka Ibaraki Campus
(https://www.ritsumei.ac.jp/futureplaza/conferencehall/)

Online via ZOOM.

■ Program & presentation abstracts: Please click →here (in Japanese).

■ Register as a participant: Please register via →Google Forms. (Deadline: Wednesday, March 19, 2025)

※ There is no participation fee.

※A get-together is planned to be held after the research presentations (face-to-face only). We would like to make it a place for exchange beyond the boundaries of universities and research fields, so please feel free to join us. The venue, participation fee, etc. will be announced shortly.

Organizer: The Forum for Knowledge, Arts, and Culture in Digital Humanities

Facilitators: Ryo Akama (Ritsumeikan University), Mamiko Sakata (Doshisha University), Naoki Takubo (Kindai University), Takehiko Murakawa (Wakayama University), Ryosuke Yamanishi (Kansai University)

Co-organizers: The Kansai Division of the Art Documentation Society and the Kansai Division of the Japan Society of Information and Knowledge

In cooperation with: International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC), Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University.

Inquiries: kacimeeting+2025■gmail.com (please change "■" to "@")

■ Related links:

→Japan Art Documentation Society

The article in the Ritsumeikan University's research magazine 'Radiant' introduced the international joint research projects, led by Prof. Ryo Akama, Director of ARC, to create a global consortium focused on preserving and researching Japanese cultural materials. The projects aim to build upon existing collaborations with institutions across North America, Europe, and Japan to strengthen and expand these networks worldwide.

For more details, click here ＜External website

https://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/research/radiant/global/impact/?id=7