Snow is falling outside my window in Harvard as I write this at the end of a brief visit to the Reischauer Institute for Japanese Studies. And I thought that spring had arrived as the delightfully scented daphne was blooming outside our own Institute just before I left. I have greatly enjoyed two days of intensive and engaging discussions about Japanese archaeology, with a couple of post-docs up from Yale and a very enthusiastic group of students and specialists from Harvard, and a very focused workshop on the heritage of 12th century Buddhist recluses. I thank Dr Jonathan Thumas and his colleagues at the Reischauer for their very warm welcome. As I return home I am all too mindful of the difficulties faced by many UK universities, as widely covered in the media, and am working with colleagues across the sector to ensure that the study of Japan, and of course its arts and cultures, remains secure.
We are delighted to include with this bulletin a review of the events marking our 25th anniversary year. And what a year it was! An enormous thank you to everyone who helped make the programme such a success, through sponsoring, organising, collaborating or simply taking part。大変お疲れ様でした。I hope that the images and brief reports will bring back many happy memories – as they have for us at the Institute: we enjoyed looking through them on the big screen at our staff New Year’s gathering at 64 The Close.
It was a great privilege to be asked to speak at Japan House London for the Japan Foundation in January in association with our Japan Foundation Award, and a pleasure to reflect on what it is about Japanese arts and cultures that makes us happy. This was the first time we have broadcast a Third Thursday Lecture from Japan House. I was somewhat overwhelmed by the exceptional response this topic evoked – it felt good to be encouraging some good cheer in these anxious times. I am grateful to Olivia Butler for her report on the talk, and to everyone at Japan House and the Japan Foundation for this opportunity.
We welcomed our new Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow, Dr Pauline Ota of Depauw University in Indiana to the Institute in January. Pauline is a specialist in Edo period arts and we are enjoying getting to know her. Pauline will be with us until the end of June. The great wheel of applications keeps on turning, and we look forward to receiving applications for the 2025-6 round of Fellowships by the end of February.
I attended the New Year’s Reception at the Japanese Embassy shortly before leaving for the States last week. It was a most congenial way greeting many friends from the UK Japan world. I was pleased to introduce the Chair of our Board, and Vice Chancellor of the University of East Anglia, Professor David Maguire, to Ambassador Hiroshi Suzuki and his colleagues at the Embassy a little earlier in January, to report on our successful visit to Japan late in 2024 with our delegation from Norwich.
On 10 January there was a memorial service at Norwich Cathedral for our late founding trustee Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll. A large congregation of friends from the V&A, UEA, the Sainsbury Institute and elsewhere gathered to remember and celebrate a truly inspirational life. I also attended funerals for our dear friends Michael Loewe and Brenda Winterbon. We will continue to honour their memories through our study of Japanese arts and cultures, which meant so much to each of them.
We look forward to our February Third Thursday Lecture, to be given by Dr Ellis Tinios. I very much hope you can join us for that – as it will doubtless help to warm this chilly month.
Professor Simon Kaner
Executive Director