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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
Spring has arrived at Ritsumeikan University's Kinugasa Campus, where the grounds were for weeks beautifully adorned with cherry blossoms in full bloom.
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.
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.
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. 
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.phpUpcoming 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, KyotoPublic 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
view this email in your browser Copyright © 2024 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
We were delighted to welcome Prof. Simon Kaner, Executive Director of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures (SISJAC), and his team to the ARC.
Furthermore, a group of faculty members and students of Korea University, led by Prof. Byeong-Ho Jeong (Department of Japanese Language and Literature, College of Liberal Arts, Korea University), visited the ARC.
In this interview, Dr. Yano shares how she first connected with the ARC while she was a visiting PhD student at SOAS in the 2000s, her personal favorites within the Japanese Collection at the BM, and the UKRI-JSPS funded international joint research project with the ARC,"Creative Collaborations: Salons and Networks in Kyoto and Osaka 1780-1880." >> Read more. → ARC Virtual Institute: Salons and Networks in Kyoto and Osaka:
https://www.arc.ritsumei.ac.jp/lib/vm/salon/As one of the project outcomes, a special display is currently held in the Mitsubishi Corporation Japanese Galleries at the BM until March 30, 2025.
The Kaigetsu Shooku Private Collection contains not only typical Kabuki picture postcards, but also picture postcards with illustrations of actors' faces, actors from smaller (koshibai) theatres, the fukuro wrappers that picture postcards or bromides were originally sold in, and other materials. >> Read more. Kaigetsu Shooku picture postcards database:
https://www.dh-jac.net/db/butai-photo/search_kgt.php
Access via the Special Event Photographs portal site:
https://www.dh-jac.net/db/butai-photo/search_portal.php
Roughly 1,200 items of digitized audio from roughly 600 78rpm Kabuki records in the collection of Onishi Hidenori have been made available to listen to online.While these 78rpm "standard playing" (SP) records, capturing the unamplified natural voices of Kabuki actors of the late 19th to early 20th centuries, are extremely valuable resources for Kabuki research, institutions holding such records in their collections are limited and have not been widely accessible until now.
Roughly 650 such Kabuki SP records have been identified as having been produced between 1907 and 1955. Of those, approximately 85% are included in this digitized collection. >> Read more.
Speaker: Ellis TINIOS (Honorary Lecturer, University of Leeds, United Kingdom and ARC Visiting Collaborative Researcher)
Topic: 'Understanding Edo period books as material objects and bibliographic entities' (held in English)
Upcoming Events
February 19 (Wed), 2025, 18:00-20:00 JST
International ARC Seminar (Special Session)
Theme: "The Online Publication of the ARC's Japanese Old Maps, including the British Library Map Collection"
1. Speaker: Dr. Xia-Kang Ziyi (Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Oxford)
Topic: "Pre-modern Japanese Maps at the British Library: Past and Present"
2. Speaker: Prof. Yano Keiji (Department of Geography, Ritsumeikan University/ARC Deputy Director)
Topic: "Online Construction of Japanese Old Maps"
→ YouTube livestream available
February 21 (Fri) & 22 (Sat), 2025
FY2024 Annual Report Meeting
International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC) &
Digital Humanities Center for Japanese Arts and Cultures "Program for Supporting Research Center Formation"
March 22 (Sat), 2025, from 12:30 noon JST
14th Forum for Knowledge, Arts, and Culture in Digital Humanities
Hybrid event (Ritsumeikan University Osaka Ibaraki Campus & online via ZOOM)
→ Register as a participant
→ Program & presentation abstractsPrevious issues:
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 2020view 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
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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
We express our sincere gratitude to HIH Princess Akiko of Mikasa who gave a talk on 'A Tale of the Royal and Imperial Households: The Trajectory of UK-Japan Relations' on October 23 as part of the International ARC Seminar series.
Furthermore, we were delighted to welcome members of the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) to the ARC who visited us as part of the society's first study tour to Japan.
Striving to contribute to achieving peace through Japanese art, Dr. Kameda-Madar talks about the Japanese art collection held by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and her related ARC-iJAC project to digital archive this collection. >> Read more. 
A database containing 650 Sugoroku items, representing about 500 different kinds of Sugoroku game boards dating from the Edo period to the early 1950s, collected by Osamu Yoshida, President of the Tsukiji Sugoroku Museum, has been released in the ARC Database System. >> Read more.
>> Database.We are pleased to announce the launch of the new Shahon Mokuroku 写本目録/Manuscripts (Bibliographic) Database, which includes over 3,400 bibliographic records for Japanese handwritten manuscripts held by the C. V. Starr East Asian Library, University of California, Berkeley. >> Read more.This database can be accessed through the Library's Japanese Special Collections portal provided by the ARC.
On September 10 and 11, 2024, the British Museum and the ARC-iJAC jointly hosted a symposium at SOAS University of London as part of the 3-year 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). >> Read more.
A Special Display, showcasing the outcomes of this joint research project, is up at the British Museum until March 2025. >> Details.
A digital archive of Takemoto yukahon theatrical chanters' books has been released as part of the FY 2024 ARC-iJAC project '演劇上演記録データベースを活用した、演劇資料画像検索閲覧システムの構築に関る研究.' >> Read more.
>> Database.The National Diet Library's Historical Recordings Collection (Rekion) is available at the ARC
We are pleased to announce that we offer access to the National Diet Library's Historical Recordings Collection (Rekion) streaming service as one of its partner institutions.
If you would like to listen to the recordings at the ARC, please refer to the link below for the application process.
→ https://www.arc.ritsumei.ac.jp/e/application/New! Recommended Publications by ARC-Affiliated Reseachers
'Salon culture in Japan: making art, 1750−1900' (hardback)
by Akiko Yano (editor/ARC Visiting Collaborative Researcher)
Publisher: British Museum Press
ISBN: 9780714124964
'Fashion and the Floating World: Japanese ukiyo-e Prints' (hardback)
by Anna Jackson (author) and Masami Yamada (author/ARC Visiting Collaborative Researcher)
Publisher: V&A Publishing
ISBN: 9781838510503Upcoming Events
November 20-22, 2024, 10:00-17:00 JST
Exhibition '手書き映画ポスターと看板の世界'
第三回 ～松竹蒲田撮影所制作作品より～
Venue: Multi-Purpose Room, Art Research Center, Kinugasa Campus, Ritsumeikan University
Free entry.
November 27 (Wed), 2024, 18:00-19:30 JST
141. International ARC Seminar
Speaker: Eiji ARAKAKI (City History Editorial Team, Nanjo City Board of Education, Cultural Division)
Topic: The Digital Archiving Project in Nanjo City, Okinawa (held in Japanese)
Live stream available via >> YouTube.Previous issues:
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 2020view 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
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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
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. 
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.
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.
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:
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 2024The 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 2020view 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
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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
April 10, 2024: The cherry blossoms in front of the Art Research Center (ARC) at Kinugasa Campus, Ritsumeikan University, have reached their peak. 
The Digital Archiving Workshop comes after the renewal of the MoU between Ritsumeikan University, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, and SOAS University of London, which includes expanding research cooperation in Digital Humanities (DH).
The workshop comprised of a talk by Prof. Ryo Akama (Director of the ARC) on the ARC Research Space as a comprehensive digital resesarch space for Japanese arts and culture, and a case study by Dr. Ellis Tinios (Honorary Lecturer, University of Leeds) on transforming research in old Japanese books through the ARC Research Space, followed by a practical session on digitization methods for Japanese materials based on ukiyo-e prints and old Japanese books in the SOAS Library collection. >> Read more.
International Joint Research
・To Utilize the Center's Facilities and Equipment [D]・To Utilize the ARC System for Educational Purposes [E]・To Utilize the ARC Research Space (Database System etc.) for Dissemination of Information [F]During the course of the ARC-iJAC project of Dr. Pilar Cabañas and her team of the Asia Research Group (GIA) at the Complutense University of Madrid in the past two years, significant progress has been made in the analysis and cataloging of ukiyo-e albums and illustrated books in the Complutense University Library collection.
>> Read interview.
The workshop, co-organized by the ARC-iJAC and the Research Center for Chinese Cultural Metaverse in Taiwan (CCMTW), National Chengchi University, in cooperation with the Department of History, Hong Kong Baptist University, was attended by Prof. Shi-Chi Mike Lan (Deputy Director of the CCMTW), Prof. Chi Man Kwong (Hong Kong Baptist University), and Prof. Keiji Yano (Deputy Director of the ARC), amongst others.
Besides discussing the future collaboration between the ARC and the CCMTW, the workshop provided a valuable opportunity for an exchange opinions on various topics regarding the use of the metaverse in DH research, including platforms suited for research use, methods for acquiring high-quality 3D data, and the application of digital technologies, such as Geographic Information System (GIS), to the metaverse. >> Read more.The 13th Forum for Knowledge, Arts, and Culture in Digital Humanities was held by the Forum for Knowledge, Arts, and Culture in Digital Humanities, co-organized by the Kansai Division of the Japan Art Documentation Society and the Kansai Division of the Japan Society of Information and Knowledge in cooperation with the ARC-iJAC. This event also served as a conference for young researchers of the ARC-iJAC. >> Read more.Video on demand! 130. International ARC SeminarCo-hosted by the Art Research Center (ARC); SOAS Centre for Translation Studies; the Japan Research Centre (JRC), SOAS University of London; and Ritsumeikan Center for Game Studies (RCGS).1. Speaker: Dr. Ali ALAVI (Lecturer in Middle Eastern and Iranian Studies, School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics & Co-Director of Centre for Iranian Studies, SOAS University of London)
Topic: Beyond Orientalism: The Evolution of Game Studies in Iran's Digital Realm
2. Speaker: Juhyung SHIN (Senior Researcher, Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University)
Topic: Exploring Serious Games in South Korea
Upcoming Events
May 8 (Wed), 2024
132. International ARC SeminarCo-hosted by the Art Research Center (ARC); the Japan Research Centre (JRC), SOAS University of London; and SOAS Centre for Translation Studies.
1. Speaker: Dr. Monika HINKEL (Lecturer in the Arts of Japan, Department of History of Art and Archaeology, SOAS University of London)
Topic: Contemporary Interpretations of Ukiyo-e
2. Speaker: Prof. Yumi TAKENAKA (Graduate School of Core Ethics and Frontier Sciences, Ritsumeikan University)
Topic:「浮世としての家庭空間─勝川春章《婦女風俗十二ヶ月図》の構図をめぐる試論」
(Domestic Space as an Ukiyo: An Essay on the Composition of Katsukawa Shunshō's "Scenes of Women's Lives in the Twelve Months")
Participation: online via Zoom, free of charge
(relevant parties only, no reservation required)
*This is a closed event and YouTube livestream is not available.Previous issues:
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
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
We were delighted to welcome Prof. Graeme Earl (Head of the College of Humanities, SOAS University of London), Shona Aitken (Director of Advancement, SOAS University of London), and Russell Kelty (Curator of Asian Art, Art Gallery of South Australia) to the ARC. 
Our warmest congratulations to Dr. Monika Bincsik, ARC Visiting Collaborative Researcher, on receiving the 2024 Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History.
Dr. Bincsik, the Diane and Arthur Abbey Curator for Japanese Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), receives the Marica Vilcek Prize for her curatorial approach to Japanese decorative arts and textiles that highlights the complex interplay of the Japanese and international art market, trade, social, and political circumstances over the past five centuries.
Dr. Bincsik earned a Ph.D. from Ritsumeikan University, undertaking research on Japanese lacquerware and other decorative arts, supervised by the ARC Director Prof. Ryo Akama (Graduate School of Letters).
Prof. Thawonmas, Head of the Intelligent Computer Entertainment Laboratory (ICE Lab), explains how he utilizes ARC database resources for research in artificial intelligence and Game AI.
As a certified University Ambassador with the NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute (DLI), he also runs workshops on fundamental and advanced levels of deep learning, fostering the next-generation specialists in the AI field. >> Read interview.
Based on the special exhibition Chushingura Ukiyo-e from Kamigata, held at the Ako City Museum of History in 2022, this digital exhibition showcases the aspects of the development of Chushingura culture in the Kamigata region, mainly depicted in yakusha-e, shibai-e, and omocha-e.
>> Read more.
Supported by the International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC), a research team at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), led by Dr. Pilar Cabañas, has launched a digital exhibition of shini-e (memorial prints).
It showcases the achievements of their ARC-iJAC project to digital archive the ukiyo-e collection held by the UCM. >> Read more.Video on demand! 125. International ARC Seminar Speaker: Dr. Ellis Tinios (Honorary Lecturer, University of Leeds, UK/ARC Visiting Collaborative Researcher)
Topic: Hokusai the Alchemist: an exploration of sources for his book illustrations (held in English)
The workshop was held as part of the ARC research project Visual Culture Studies in the Domestic Sphere Utilizing the ARC Database, led by ARC faculty member Prof. Yumi Takenaka.
The project aims to study arts and visual culture in East Asia related to the concept of Ie, which encompasses housing, households, family, and family genealogy within the Domestic Sphere juxtaposed to the Public Sphere.
An invited lecture was given by Professor Emeritus Jeong-hee Lee-Kalisch (Free University of Berlin). >> Read more.Upcoming Events
February 23 (Fri) & 24 (Sat), 2024
FY 2023 Annual Report Meeting of the International Joint Digital Archiving Center for Japanese Art and Culture (ARC-iJAC) & Digital Humanities Center for Japanese Arts and Cultures "Program for Supporting Research Center Formation," Ritsumeikan University<Program to be announced on our website shortly>
March 23 (Sat), 2024
13th Forum for Knowledge, Arts, and Culture in Digital Humanities
（第13回「知識・芸術・文化情報学研究会」）
Venue: Ritsumeikan University Osaka Umeda Campus
(*The time will be adjusted depending on the number of presenters.
*The event may be held in a hybrid format or entirely online depending on the spread of COVID-19.)
>> Call for Presenters
(Deadline: February 5, 2024)Previous issues:
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
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 Shochiku Otani Library released a digital archive of Kabuki bromides (photographic portraits of Kabuki actors) through the Theater Photos Search and Browsing System developed by the ARC-iJAC. 
With the online release, users can search and view Kabuki stage photographs from the Meiji era to the prewar period and photographs of famous actors of the past in costume.
We hope this release will enable users to experience the appeal of Kabuki and contribute to the development of research by scholars and those associated with the theatre. >> Read more.On the occasion of the release of 4,233 ukiyo-e prints and 74 Japanese old books from ROM's collection in the ARC database, Dr. Takesue shares her thoughts on ROM's extensive and unique ukiyo-e print collection that includes Hiroshige's Meisho Edo Hyakkei and Ogata Gekko prints, as well as actor, landscape, war, and catfish prints, amongst others. >> Read interview.
As part of the ARC research project Visual Culture Studies in the Domestic Sphere Utilizing the ARC Database, an open workshop will be held on Kinugasa Campus.
The project aims to study arts and visual culture in East Asia related to the concept of Ie, which encompasses housing, households, family, and family genealogy within the Domestic Sphere juxtaposed to the Public Sphere. → Program
The ARC held an international symposium commemorating the 25th anniversary of its establishment under the theme Liberal Arts Innovation in Digital Humanities and Digital Archives--Exploring Further Possibilities. 
Discussing the Center's achievements and future direction, particular emphasis was placed on the concept of public humanities, facilitated through digital archives.
>> Read more.
A joint colloquium of the Center for Japanese Studies (CJS) and the ARC was held at UC Berkeley under the theme Theory and Methods in the Japanese Humanities: Research Using Visual Sources and Archives. 
As part of the research collaboration of more than 15 years, the ARC research team, led by Prof. Ryo Akama (Director of the ARC), continued with digital archiving activities of the Japanese collection held by UC Berkeley's C.V. Starr East Asian Library. >> Read more. The research project, a collaborative scholarly enterprise among researchers and institutions in Japan and the UK led by Prof. Ryo Akama (Director of the ARC) and Dr. Akiko Yano (Curator, The British Museum), aims to analyze 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. This project is supported by the JSPS International Joint Research Program (JRP-LEAD with UKRI). >> Read more.
Video on demand! 123. International ARC Seminar Speaker: Toshiyasu KAMOGI (Curator & Manager of Curatorial Division, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum)
Topic: The Achievements and Future Outlook of a Homemade Database by a Liberal Arts Computer Enthusiast Curator--From the Frontline of Digital Archive Operation for Streamlining and Enhancing Museum Curatorial Services-- (held in Japanese)
Upcoming Events
November 8 (Wed), 2023, 18:00-19:30 JST
125. International ARC Seminar
Speaker: Ellis TINIOS (Honorary Lecturer, University of Leeds, United Kingdom and ARC Visiting Researcher)
Topic: Hokusai the Alchemist: an exploration of sources for his book illustrations (held in English)
Live stream available via >> YouTube.
November 16 (Thur), 2023, 13:00-18:00 JST
Open Workshop:
Surface and Depth of the Domestic Sphere in East Asian Art
Venue: Seminar Room 1, Gakujikan Hall 2F, Kinugasa Campus, Ritsumeikan University
Language: Japanese (with English abstract) and English (with Japanese script)
>> Program
November 29 (Wed), 2023, 18:00-19:30 JST
126. International ARC Seminar
Speaker: Timon SCREECH (Professor, International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken))
Topic: New Light on Nikkō: Thoughts on the Dutch Lanterns at the Shrine-Mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu (held in English)Previous issues:
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 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
Save the date! ARC Days to be held on Aug 3 (Thurs) & Aug 4 (Fri)
We were delighted to welcome Dr. Akiko Takesue, Bishop White Committee Associate Curator of Japanese Art & Culture at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), to the ARC.
The ARC, in collaboration with the ROM, is pleased to announce that 4,233 ukiyo-e prints and 74 Japanese old books from ROM's collection are now available in the ARC database. >> Read more.ARC-iJAC Project Spotlights: An Interview with Masami Yamada (Curator, Asia Department, Victoria & Albert Museum)
Supported by the ARC-iJAC, Masami Yamada, Curator in the Asia Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum, has been leading the research project Re-thinking Japonisme: Digitization of the V&A's collection of Japanese illustrated books and researching its formation in the late 19th century. 
As part of this collaborative project, Dr. Ryoko Matsuba (SISJAC) regularly organizes hands-on workshops at the V&A for students & young researchers to learn about best practices in digitizing museum collections. >> Read more. 
The release comprises 1,541 ukiyo-e prints held by the UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive. Particularly noteworthy are 134 surimono (摺物) and 120 pillar prints (柱絵), for which the opening of this database provides a foundation for further research. >> Read more. Video on demand! 116. International ARC Seminar Session 1: Simon KANER (Executive Director, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, UEA)
Topic: Stonehenge and prehistoric Japan--Archaeological exchanges between Japan and the UK: Current and future trends
Session 2: Ryoko MATSUBA (Lecturer in Digital Japanese Arts and Humanities, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, UEA), Joseph BILLS (MPhil, Univ. of Cambridge), Bori KO (MA Student, SOAS Univ. of London), Liam HEAD (MA Student, UEA)
Topic: Implementing the ARC Model in the UK: Digitising Sword Ornaments at the British Museum
The late Mukai Nobuo (向井信夫) was known as a collector and researcher of Edo-period Japanese books and also collected ukiyo-e prints and albums of the same period, including a sizeable collection of 690 works by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年). >> Read more. 
The Takeuchi Dokei Collection is the world's largest collection of materials related to Edo-period Japanese music. Search for the Tokiwazu-bushi lyric booklets by entering 常磐津 in the "genre" (ジャンル) search box at the following >> link.
For a commentary by Takeuchi Yuichi (Research Institute for Japanese Traditional Music, Kyoto City University of Arts), >> click here.
Faculty News! We are pleased to welcome Dr. Travis Seifman as Research Manager / Associate Professor to the ARC faculty.
Originally from New York, he 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 Ph.D. 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. Dr. 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. Upcoming Events
July 26 (Wed), 2023, 18:00-19:30 JST
122. International ARC Seminar
Speaker: Travis SEIFMAN (Associate Professor & Research Manager, Kinugasa Research Organization, Ritsumeikan University)
Topic: Visual, Material, and Performance Culture Aspects of the Ryukyu Kingdom's Embassies to Edo (held in Japanese)
August 3 (Thurs), 2023, 14:00-16:45 JST
August 4 (Fri), 2023, 10:00-17:35 JST
ARC Days 2023
An annual event where faculty members of the ARC and international collaborative researchers introduce their research projects in Digital Humanities (DH).
>> Click here for the program.
Live stream available via >> YouTube.Previous issues:
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 2020view this email in your browser Copyright © 2021 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
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.
Our mailing address is:
56-1 Toji-in Kitamachi, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8577 JAPAN
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