Happy New Year! According to Japanese traditional belief, the Year of the Snake (巳) promises wisdom, adaptability and transformation, and is particularly associated with renewal, revival, and financial good fortune (encouraged by carrying a bit of snakeskin with you in some form): the snake is one of the incarnations of Benzaiten, the Goddess of Wealth and one of the Seven Deities of Good Fortune– and all of us at the Sainsbury Institute hope it is a good year for you.
Many thanks to everyone who made our 25th anniversary year, celebrated throughout 2024, such a success. We have put together a short report including some of the highlights which we will include in next month’s ebulletin and hope you will enjoy.
We have big plans for 2025 as well. Our Nara to Norwich exhibition is at the Embassy of Japan in London until February 7. And we look forward to the Interdisciplinary Japanese Studies student conference in early March: full details, including how to apply for one of our Toshiba International Foundation Bursaries can be found here.
And we are particularly delighted to announce our new initiative, the Ishibashi Foundation Network Leader Fellowship in Japanese Arts programme, which launches this summer.
Just before the break I was back in Japan to take part in a conference marking the launch of the second five-year research programme around the Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites of the Munakata Region UNESCO World Heritage site. We have been involved with Okinoshima since 2006, and it was wonderful to meet so many distinguished colleagues again who are driving this important work.
Today (Friday 10th January) we will be joining friends and colleagues at the memorial service for Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll at Norwich Cathedral. All are welcome if you are in Norwich.
We were saddened to learn of the passing of Dr Michael Loewe over the holiday break. Michael was a great friend to the Sainsbury Institute, funding a special lecture series in memory of his partner Dr Carmen Blacker, along with the Carmen Blacker Student Bursary in Japanese Studies. Many of you will remember his exceptional orations after the Carmen Blacker lectures. Another dear friend, Bea (Brenda) Winterbon, one of our Third Thursday regulars and expert on Japanese textiles, also sadly left us. We send our condolences to friends and family.
On 16th January I will give our Third Thursday talk from Japan House in London, kindly hosted by the Japan Foundation. The theme is the same as the talk I gave to celebrate our Japan Foundation Award in Tokyo late last year: how Japanese arts and cultures make us happy. I hope it will bring a little warmth to these cold January days.
Thank you as ever for all your support, and I hope to see you at one of our events this year.
Professor Simon Kaner
Executive Director