Thursday 21 March, 2019
6:00pm GMT
Weston Room, Norwich Cathedral Hostry, Norwich NR1 4EH
Speakers
Dr Tim Clark (British Museum)
Dr Angus Lockyer (SOAS, University of London)
About the Talk
The twelfth century was a pivotal time in Japan’s history. It witnessed the rise of warriors to national prominence, culminating with the establishment of the Kamakura Shogunate. It is hardly surprising then that warrior society has been the main focus of countless studies of this period, but this approach has also led to one-dimensional descriptions of a society that was considerably more complex than is assumed. Specifically, Japan’s medieval economic development, which from a global historical perspective can only be described as remarkable, have taken the backseat to the warrior-focused narrative that is often both teleological and ahistorical. Bringing together archeological, textual, literary and religious sources to shed light on the initial import of Chinese copper coins, Professor Adolphson will explore “Japan’s first economic miracle,” and offer an alternative model of economic development in medieval societies in general.
About the Speaker
Dr Tim Clark is the head of the Japanese section in the Department of Asia. He is responsible for the 30,000 objects in the Museum’s collection that relate to Japan. His particular field of interest is Japanese paintings and prints of the Edo period (1600-1868) and Meiji era (1868-1912).
Dr Angus Lockyer has been at SOAS since 2004 and focuses on the history of modern Japan. His projects have spanned Japan and exhibitions (or expos, international and domestic), Japan in the 1930s, the relationship between words and things in the early Meiji period (1870s) and the history of Japanese golf.
The Third Thursday Lecture series is funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and Yakult UK.