Cultural Presentations
ART & CULTURE
Promoting Kabuki: Edo-Era Prints from the Nelson-Atkins Collection
Yayoi shinoda
2:30 pm • Hudson Auditorium
From portrayals of dramatic moments on stage, to behind-the-stage scenes, images of Kabuki actors garnered great public attention in the Edo period (1615–1868). Kabuki fans purchased woodblock prints portraying their favorite actors. Theaters, publishers, and artists collaborated to create images of star actors and advertised the latest productions for Kabuki enthusiasts. Showcasing pieces from the collection of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, this presentation will introduce Kabuki prints, featuring some beloved repertoires such as Chūshingura (Treasury of Loyal Retainers) and Musume Dōjōji (The Maiden at Dōjōji), in addition to portraits of famous Kabuki actors.
Originally from Tokyo, Yayoi Shinoda is Assistant Curator of Japanese Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO. She has held curatorial positions at the Nelson-Atkins since 2013 and has contributed to various projects and exhibitions, including the traveling exhibition Weaving Splendor: Treasures of Asian Textiles, which she co-curated in 2021. She holds an M.A. in Art History from the University of Kansas, where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in the history of Japanese art.
Gender and Kabuki: Onnagata and Takarazuka
Kyle Granzow
3:45 pm • Hudson Auditorium
This lecture will examine how the history of kabuki theater – particularly the influence of the Tokugawa-era government in its early days – gave rise to the gender-subverting onnagata, or men who play female roles, and a comparison of them against the modern-day otokoyaku – women who act the parts of men in the Takarazuka Revue performance group.
Kyle is a graduate student at KU who is pursuing a master’s degree in East Asian Studies. He has spent 2 years living in Japan and has recently returned to the United States to pursue research in kabuki, gender studies, and Japanese language.
SAMURAI
The Samurai Sword
Earle Brigance
Noon and 1:15 pm • Hudson Auditorium
Mr. Brigance will be with us again this year, giving two lectures on the Samurai Sword and the Samurai Sword’s influence on the history of Japan. Mr. Brigance will display Samurai Swords from his personal collection. As a service Mr. Brigance will inspect and evaluate any Japanese Sword which you may have and also offers the service of cleaning and preserving Japanese Swords, which are easily damaged when not handled or stored correctly.
You may contact Mr. Brigance for these services at his email address LugersandSwords@gmail.com. Mr. Brigance is also available to lecture on the Samurai Sword and its influence on the history of Japan for your civic or martial group who has an interest in the Samurai Sword.
Evolution of the Samurai
J.M. “Tora” Lawson
1:15 pm • GEB 258
Mr. Lawson will discuss the evolution of Samurai culture and how it has survived into the modern era. He will discuss the samurai and how their role as samurai changed throughout their centuries-long rule of Japan.
Tora Lawson has had thirty-eight years of experience in Japanese Martial Arts, including Kenjutsu, Kendo, Iai, and Sojutsu both in the United States and in Kochi, Japan. He is the founder of the Tosa No Shugyo organization based in Wichita, Kansas.
Japanese Armor
Jimmy Forred
2:30 pm • GEB 258
Mr. Forred’s lecture will focus on the history of Japanese armor leading up to the modern era.
Jimmy Forred has been a member of Tosa No Shugyo Dojo for the last eight years, studying Kenjutsu, Kendo, Sojutsu, and Iai.
PLANTS, NATURE & ENERGY
Japanese Garden Design
Koji Morimoto
1:15 pm, 3:45 pm • MTC 232
Mr. Morimoto is the owner of Japanese Landscaping Company in Kansas City. Come and hear Japanese garden master Koji Morimoto talk about the principles of Japanese Garden Design and Maintenance.
Koji Morimoto has designed, built, and maintained traditional Japanese gardens in New York, Kansas, and Missouri for over 20 years. He will show how to balance all aspects of the garden and explain the techniques and principles of making an outdoor living space.
Japan from the Outside: Writing “The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn”
amber logan
1:15 pm • GEB 242
Local author Dr. Amber A. Logan will discuss the research process behind writing books set in Japan—including her debut novel, The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn, an adult retelling of the children’s classic The Secret Garden set in a ryokan outside Kyoto.
Amber A. Logan is a university professor, freelance editor, and author of speculative fiction living in Kansas with her husband and two children—Fox and Willow. In addition to her degrees in Psychology, Liberal Arts, and International Relations, Amber holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England. When she’s not writing, Amber enjoys trips to Japan, exploring unusual vegetarian foods, and reading Haruki Murakami.
Amber’s debut novel is The Secret Garden of Yanagi Inn, published Nov. 2022.
Miniature Trees: An Introduction to the Ancient Art of Bonsai
Kathy Schlesinger
1:15 pm • SC 101 (Student Center)
“Miniature Trees”: An introduction to the Ancient Art of Bonsai. The translation of Bonsai simply means “planted in a shallow tray”. However, Bonsai is one of the oldest forms of ‘living’ art as trees and plants are grown in containers, artistically designed, in the Japanese style.
This presentation will provide a general overview of the many aspects in practicing this art form including Chinese and Japanese origins, philosophy, and description of design styles, tools, general horticulture procedures, pot selection and the design process. We will also “look at” some of the trees gifted to the US, by Japan during our 200th birthday celebration, in the National Arboretum.
To wrap up we will review the various styles discussed using slides featuring examples of the many different plants used in this unique art, here and around the world. There will be time for questions and answers.
Kathy Schlesinger is a biologist and research scientist who was first introduced to Bonsai in 1976 before moving to the KC area from the East coast. She has been practicing and studying this art with teachers from across the globe, for over 30 years. Bonsai has become a lifelong passion of study and she enjoys sharing the beauty and joy of this Japanese art. She is also a current Board member and officer of the Bonsai Society of Greater Kansas City.
Purification, Meditation, and the Realm of Spirit in Japanese Art and Contemporary Calligraphy
Koji and Susan Nakao
Noon • GEB 242
Did you know that Japanese art, like Japanese culture, is strongly influenced by the “Realm of Spirit?” Are you aware that both the subject matter and creative methodologies used in Japanese art frequently have a strong connection to Shinto and Buddhist practices, especially those connected with purification and meditation? Please join us as we explore some of the connections between Japanese art, contemporary Japanese calligraphy, and the Realm of Spirit.
Susan, a former art education professor, took students enrolled in one of her summer art offerings at Emporia State University to Japan in the summer of 2009. She and her husband, Koji, assisted in the translation of a biography, “The Shōsho of Teshima Yūkei,” (2009), authored by his son, Tairiku Teshima and published in English by L.H. Yōkō Shuppan, 2014. Susan also assisted in the translation of a children’s book, “The Tower of Light,” by Takuzo Yoshimura, with illustrations by Kota Sato, published in English by L.H. USA in 2012. Koji served as a “priest/Doshi” in a Japanese spiritual practice of purification for more than 40 years until his retirement in 2021. The couple now own and care for a small Yōkō farm in Franklin County, KS, near Ottawa.
GAMES
A Look at Japanese Game Shows on American Television
Joshua Murphy
Noon • GEB 240
In this presentation, Joshua Murphy will look at Japanese Game and Variety Shows and their effect on the American television landscape. Takeshi’s Castle, Ninja Warrior, Ultra Quiz, Shark Tank and America’s Funniest Home videos are some of the shows that will be discussed and seen in this panel.
Joshua Murphy is a Historian who has interviewed over 100 television personalities, producers, and distributors. He has been a Japanese Gameshow fan for over a decade and has been studying Japanese Gameshows for over ten years.
Operation! Takeshi’s Castle: The Legacy of the Most Well-known Japanese Game show of All Time
Joshua Murphy
1:15 pm • GEB 240
Joshua Murphy will tell the story of the Japanese Game Show that, for most, defines the genre: Operation! Takeshi’s Castle. The Japanese game show that went from being a television footnote, to airing in over 100 different countries was remade in over a dozen places. The recent Takeshi’s Castle Amazon revival will also be touched upon. This lecture will explain the history of one of the most successful Japanese game show franchises–the history of how a segment on a sports competition show became the worldwide phenomenon of Ninja Warrior.