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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
Keynote speech by Prof. Hans B. Thomsen (University of Zurich) on Academia and Museums: The Importance of Collaborative Projects.
>>Program & Registration
We were delighted to welcome Her Imperial Highness Princess Akiko of Mikasa, and Professor Emeritus Henry Smith (Columbia University) to the ARC.
HIH Princess Akiko of Mikasa was previously a postdoctoral researcher at the ARC while Professor Emeritus Henry Smith is a member of the ARC-iJAC External Evaluation Committee.
ARC-iJAC Project Spotlights: An Interview with Kelly Midori McCormick (University of British Columbia) and Carrie Cushman (Hartford Art School)Supported by the ARC-iJAC, a team led by Dr. Kelly Midori McCormick and Dr. Carrie Cushman has been conducting research under the theme Expanding the Study of Japanese Photography and Gender: Modules for Teaching and Public Access.
Resulting from this, they have launched the bilingual website Behind the Camera--part database, part educational tool--spotlighting a diverse range of international experts on the history of Japanese photography from the perspective of gender and power.
>>Read full interview.This project is actively seeking contributors in Japan and around the world for new modules on the history of Japanese photography from new perspectives. If you have a proposal for a module, please reach out. 
On November 28, 2022, a signing ceremony for the MoU was held at Akita International University. The MoU provides a stable framework to advance collaborative projects in digital humanities, such as integrating AIU's Akita Folkloric Performance Art Archives with audiovisual records of more than 300 folkloric performance arts in the ARC Portal Database System. >>Read full article.
In November 2022, we were pleased to welcome Prof. Adam Habib to the ARC where he discussed the possibility of establishing a partnership in digital humanities with Prof. Ryo Akama. >>Read full article. 
Supported by the ARC, the Japan Foundation Kyoto Office organizes the annual event to provide an opportunity to experience traditional Japanese culture. The performances, filmed by the ARC, are available online for a year.Upcoming Events
January 28 (Sat), 2023, 16:00-18:00 JST
International Online Symposium
Topic: Tracing the Reception of Japanese Art in the West: As Seen through Case Studies in Central Europe
<<Program & Registration>>
<<Flyer>>
January 31 (Tue), 2023, 9:50-18:00 JST
Graduate Student Colloquium
Topic: Arts and Culture Studies of East Asia in the Post-Media Era: Themes and Perspectives
<<Zoom URL>>
(no registration required)
Previous issues:
Autumn 2022, Summer 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2021, Autumn 2021, Summer 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2020, Autumn 2020, Summer 2020, Spring 2020view this email in your browser Copyright © 2023 Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University. All rights reserved.
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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
The ARC received the Digital Archive Japan Award (DAJ) 2022 on Aug.25
The ARC is enormously honored to be one of the first recipients of the Digital Archive Japan Award (DAJ).
The DAJ is an award system newly established by Japan Search, a platform operated by the National Diet Library, for aggregating metadata of digital resources.
Regarding this award, Prof. Ryo Akama, Director of the ARC, expressed:
"The ARC faculty would like to take this award as an opportunity to further respond to the needs of users worldwide by disseminating information on cultural resources in Japan which go beyond areas such as ukiyo-e, early Japanese books, and banzuke-related contents."
As a curator at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Sports Museum, Murakami is leading a joint research project with the ARC on digital-archiving the extensive collection of sports materials of the museum in cooperation with the ARC. 
She also reflects on her internship experience at UC Berkeley, facilitated by the ARC, while she was a graduate student at Ritsumeikan University. >>Read full interview. 
Prof. Hosoi took on a pioneering role when he founded the Game Archive Project (GAP)--a collaboration between Nintendo, Kyoto Prefecture, and Ritsumeikan University. 
In the interview, Prof. Hosoi reflects on the early days of his game research and discusses the social impact of games, the acceleration of the metaverse amid COVID-19, and future directions for game research. 
On August 21, 2022, ARC faculty member Prof. Satoshi Tanaka (College of Information Science and Engineering, RU) presented the research outcomes of his project on the ultra-high-quality see-through 3D visualization of Taimadera Temple at a roundtable event, held as part of its special exhibition 'Researching Cultural Heritages' at the Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex. >>Read more.
Mikiharu Takeuchi took home top honors at the award ceremony for the 11th Young Scholar Award sponsored by ESRI, a major geographic information system (GIS) software company based in the US. 
Takeuchi is a doctoral student at the Graduate School of Letters and is supervised by Prof. Keiji Yano, Deputy Director of the ARC. >>Read more. [Video available] Prof. Koichi Hosoi & Prof. Keiji Yano Presented Research Activities at the WEB 3.0/ Metaverse Study Meeting
The WEB 3.0/ Metaverse Study Meeting was held by Kyoto Chiesangyo Sozonomori on August 29, 2022.
Prof. Hosoi (College of Image Arts and Sciences, RU) held a keynote speech on the next-generation internet world as seen through the XR/ metaverse. Prof. Yano (College of Letters, RU) presented his research with the case study on the construction of Virtual Kyoto using GIS. >> Watch full video.
Upcoming Events
November 16 (Wed), 2022, 18:00-19:30
110th International ARC Seminar
Speaker: Dr. Ellis TINIOS (Honorary Lecturer in History, School of History, University of Leeds, UK)
Topic: 'After native drawings': the books that introduced nishiki-e and ehon to Western audiences: Narrative of the Earl of Elgin's Mission to China and Japan (1859) and Japanese Fragments (1861).November 19 (Sat) - December 19 (Mon)Special Exhibition
Kamigata no Chūshingura Ukiyo-e
Ako City Museum of History
(co-organized by Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University)
Details: http://www.ako-rekishi.jp/guide-planning/
Previous issues:
Summer 2022, Spring 2022, Winter 2021, Autumn 2021, Summer 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2020, Autumn 2020, Summer 2020, Spring 2020view this email in your browser Copyright © 2021 Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
56-1 Toji-in Kitamachi, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8577 JAPAN
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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
Important Notice:
The ARC will be closed from Aug 11 to Aug 17 due to the Obon holiday break. Please note that we will not be able to respond to your inquiries or visits during this period. Thank you for your kind understanding in advance.
Recently, we welcomed Prof. Monte Cassim, the President of Akita International University (AIU), and Prof. Akitoshi Seiyama, the Director of AIU's Creative Design & Data Science Center, to the ARC.
Furthermore, we were delighted to meet Ms. Pei Liu, Senior Partnerships Manager at Nottingham Trent University, UK.We created this video for the Comprehensive Digitization and Discoverability Program (CDDP) of the North American Coordinating Council on Japanese Library Resources (NCC).
Are you interested in using our Kuzushiji Transcription Support and Archiving System for your research or classes?
Please contact us!
Prof. Hans B. Thomsen, the Chair for East Asian Art History at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, has been conducting two ARC-iJAC projects under the theme of 'Tracing the Reception of Japanese Art in the West' by investigating the collections of Freiburg im Breisgau and Monte Verità. >> Read the interview.
Pre-war Programs (sujigaki) of the Kabuki-za Theater, Tokyo, have been released in the Shochiku Otani Library's Shibai Banzuke Browsing System 
The Shibai Banzuke Portal Database, developed and made available by the ARC, allows users to simultaneously search the ARC's banzuke collection and that of the Shochiku Otani Library and other institutions. 
Along with the release of the digitized pre-war theater programs (筋書; sujigaki) of the Kabuki-za (歌舞伎座) held by the Shochiku Otani Library, the pre-war sujigaki of the Imperial Theater (帝国劇場) held by the ARC are also available. >> Read more. Explore 'The Kyoto News Archive' in the ARC Virtual Institute 
In collaboration with the Toy Film Museum Kyoto, the ARC has built a digital archive of Kyoto News, newsreels produced by Kyoto City and shown in movie theatres between 1956 and 1994.< ARC Virtual Institute: The Kyoto News Archive > 
As one of the earliest regional newsreels, it represents a valuable historical testimony of Kyoto. On July 2, the public symposium 'The Kyoto News Archive' was held to commemorate the launching of the archive.
>> Read more.
>> Watch the full video.Special Exhibition at the Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex Showcases Research Outcomes of the ARC from July 23 to Sep 19 
Based on a research cooperation agreement with Nara Prefecture, the project outcomes on the digital archiving and 3D visualization of Taimadera Temple in Nara, led by Prof. Satoshi Tanaka (College of Information Science and Engineering, RU), are showcased at the Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex.
Free entry! >> Read more.The Byobu Matsuri (Folding Screen Festival) was held at the Nagae Family Residence 
The Byobu Matsuri, or Folding Screen Festival, was held at the Nagae Family Residence--designated by Kyoto City as a tangible cultural property--from July 14 to July 16, 2022. The ARC has been digital-archiving the collection of the Nagae Family after it was donated to Ritsumeikan University. >> Read more. Upcoming Events
July 23 (Sat) - Sep 19 (Mon)
Special Exhibition 'Researching Cultural Heritages'
Location: Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture Complex
>> Details
>> Official website of the Nara Prefecture Historical and Artistic Culture ComplexSAVE THE DATE!September 16 & 17 (Sat/ Sun)ARC Days 2022
Details will be announced on the ARC website shortly.Previous issues:
Spring 2022, Winter 2021, Autumn 2021, Summer 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2020, Autumn 2020, Summer 2020, Spring 2020view this email in your browser Copyright © 2021 Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
56-1 Toji-in Kitamachi, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8577 JAPAN
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You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
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 is delighted to announce the conclusion of an MoU with the Research Center for Area Studies, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (P2W-LIPI).
Building upon our first MoU signed in 2017, this MoU provides a stable framework to advance our collaborative projects in digital humanities, including the ultra-high-quality 3D see-through visualization of Borobudur Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Indonesia. >>Read more.
"Bringing people together in international, interdisciplinary projects like this is of utmost importance," says Prof. Kinski.
'Edo Period Map goes Digital - The On Edo ezu as an Interactive Resource' served to strengthen the intrinsic motivation of students in Germany to explore Edo Japan.
>>Read full interview.
With the release of the online database of the Teiji Kojima Collection--a treasure trove of sumo banzuke and old sumo documents--the ARC launched the Sumo Digital Institute. It also links to well-preserved sumo paintings held by Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden (NL). >>Read more.
>>Go to Sumo Digital Institute.
The Surname Map visualizes the contemporary geographic distribution of surnames across Japan. Simply input a Japanese surname and explore its frequency, how evenly it is distributed and regional variations.
This research began in 2005 when Prof. Keiji Yano, then a visiting researcher at University College London (UCL), joined Prof. Paul Longley's project on surnames around the world. >>Read more.
>>Go to Surname Map.
Held by the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library, the Asahi Shimbun Collection of Shibai Banzuke is now available in the ARC Shibai Banzuke (Kabuki Playbills) Portal Database.
ARC is working on completing a large-scale database with almost 4,600 items within the next three years. >>Read more.
>>Explore database.ARC Days 2021 were held on July 30 & 31, 2021 Organized by the International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC), Art Research Center, and the Program for Supporting Research Center Formation, Ritsumeikan University. >>See program.[Videos] Discover Japanese Legends of the Supernatural World with ARC & Japan Search
Based on the ARC digital exhibition 'Japanese Legends of the Supernatural World' (日本の伝説 異界展), Japan Search launched an online gallery.
Watch PVs by Japan Search:
(1) The Unknown Facets of Tengu and (2) The Legend of Kintaro / Sakata no Kintoki.Upcoming Events
Wednesday, November 10, 2021, 18:00-19:30
93rd International ARC Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: Introducing an album of preliminary drawings by Katsushika Isai (葛飾為斎)
Speaker: Dr. Ellis Tinios (Honorary Lecturer, University of Leeds, UK)
Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 18:00-19:30
94th International ARC Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: To be announced
Speaker: Hidenori Onishi (Visiting Researcher, Research Centre for Japanese Traditional Music, Kyoto City University of Arts)
Wednesday, December 8, 2021, 18:00-19:30
95th International ARC Seminar (Webinar)
Topic: To be announced
Speaker: Dr. Yingtao Tian and Dr. Tarin Clanuwat (Google Brain Tokyo)Previous issues:
Summer 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2020, Autumn 2020, Summer 2020, Spring 2020view this email in your browser Copyright © 2021 Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
56-1 Toji-in Kitamachi, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8577 JAPAN
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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
Reborn as an online journal ・Manuscripts are accepted any time!Next deadline: August 31 (Tues), 2021, 24:00 (JST)Save the Date! <ARC Days 2021>July 30 (Fri), 13:00-17:05 & July 31 (Sat), 2021, 10:00-16:40 (JST)
Daan has been at the forefront of a joint research project with the ARC to digitize the Japan Collection of the Museum Volkenkunde (Leiden), part of the National Museum of World Cultures.
He explains how the database, comprised of the collection of P. F. von Siebold, amongst others, significantly facilitates the accessibility to the artworks for the Japanese-speaking audience.
>>Read the interview.
>>Access the database.ARC Launches the Gion Festival Digital Museum 2021 A variety of cultural resources related to the festival are showcased based on the spatiotemporal information that Prof. Keiji Yano (ARC Deputy Director) and his team digitally archived. Experience the charm and history of the festival virtually! >>Read more.
Together with the Asahi Shimbun, the ARC-iJAC co-organized the symposium to build momentum for the long-awaited return of the Takayama float to the Yamahoko Junko in 2022. >> Read more.
As part of the ARC-iJAC research support activities, Prof. Akama has launched an online course to train researchers in using the ARC Transcription Support System to read kuzushiji. >>Read more.
Prof. Yoshio Nakatani, Chancellor of the Ritsumeikan Trust, expressed that the symposium, held under the theme Japan-China Cultural Exchange and New Coordinates for the Humanities, is an excellent opportunity to promote research, academic exchange, and friendship with Tsinghua University and Chinese scholars. >>Read more
Prof. Ryo Akama explained how to master the skill of digital archiving with Japanese hanging scrolls as a practical example.
The first of a bilingual video series, the workshop served as a prototype for online training in various skills and methods of digital archiving Japanese artworks. >>Read more.
Using state-of-the-art machine learning models, Y. Tian (Google Brain) and members of the ROIS-DS Center for Open Data in the Humanities (CODH) have published a paper on "Ukiyo-e Analysis and Creativity with Attribute and Geometry Annotation," based on the ARC Ukiyo-e Portal Database.
>>Read more
Topic:The Problem of Distance in Digital Art History: Using the ResearchSpace Knowledge System to Capture Research Methods and Thinking.
Organized by JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, Prof. Akama discussed the historical development of ukiyo-e prints in the 19th century that featured demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural creatures.
Entrusted with the restoration of a set of five Shuten-doji picture scrolls that had escaped the fires of WW II and returned to Kyoto after 130 years, the ARC started a crowdfunding project two years ago for the third volume which depicts the most dramatic scenes of the folktale but was particularly damaged and considered difficult to restore.
Thanks to a great number of supporters, we have been able to beautifully revive this picture scroll. >>Read more.
Upcoming Events
July 30 (Fri), 13:00-17:05
&
July 31 (Sat), 2021, 10:00-16:40 (JST)
ARC Days 2021Previous Issues:
Spring 2021, Winter 2020, Autumn 2020, Summer 2020, Spring 2020view this email in your browser Copyright © 2021 Art Research Center, Ritsumeikan University. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
56-1 Toji-in Kitamachi, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8577 JAPAN
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You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
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
Since its establishment in 1998, the ARC has been publishing the bulletin every year in March with the purpose of widely publicizing the research activities and outcomes of the center's projects. >>Read the bulletin
Interview with Prof. Takanobu Nishiura (College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University) 
Professor Nishiura talks about preserving Japanese music from the past with digital technology and improving society through sound.
He explains how he reproduced the unique sound of the Gion Festival and the shikokin, a traditional Japanese music box, in a highly realistic way.
Furthermore, he introduces the concept of space-sharing through flexible audio spot technology.
>> Read full interview
The museum is home to the collections of Philipp Franz Balthasar von Siebold, Jan Cock Blomhoff (Head of the Dutch East India Company in Dejima), and others.
The extensive collection of Japanese artifacts includes ukiyo-e prints, copperplate prints, and early Japanese books. >> Enter the database
On March 22 & 21, the ARC co-organized a special exhibition at the Nagae Family Residence, a tangible cultural property designated by Kyoto City.
Items on display included kimonos, historical trading documents, and daily necessities from the Nagae family collection.
They were made publicly available for the first time, providing a glimpse into the daily life and business of a kimono fabric wholesaler in the early Shōwa era. >>Read moreDigital Archiving Project about Pre-war Theater Programs of the Kabuki-za, Tokyo, held by the Shochiku Otani Library 
As part of this research project, adopted by the ARC-iJAC, the bound pre-war theater programs of the Kabuki-za are dismantled into single volumes to prepare them for digital photography which the ARC Studio has documented in the above video.
The digitized programs will be integrated into the Shochiku Otani Library's Shibai Banzuke Browsing System and made available online. >>Read moreFY2020 Annual Report Meeting of the ARC-iJAC & Program for Supporting Research Center Formation
& FY2021 ARC-iJAC Adopted Joint Research Projects
Concluding the fiscal year, the FY2020 Annual Report Meeting was held on February 19 & 20, 2021 via Zoom and YouTube.
Furthermore, we have announced the FY2021 Adopted Joint Research Projects of the ARC-iJAC.
FY2020 ARC-iJAC Project Spotlights
Background interview with Andrew Gerstle (Emeritus Professor, SOAS University of London, UK & Project Leader). >> Read more 
Background interview with Akihiro Tsukamoto (Associate Professor, Tokushima Univ., Japan & Project Leader). >>Read more
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