Ian Miller to present on changes to the distinction between farmland and wilderness in China on February 18

The Institute for Chinese Studies will present a lecture by Ian Miller, St. John's University, on Friday, February 18 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. online (registration required). Prof. Miller will present "Taming the Mountains and Marshes: Non-Agrarian Landscapes in China's Early Modern Transition."

Abstract: In many historical contexts there is an almost axiomatic distinction between farms as the known, cultivated realm and woodlands and wetlands as the unknown, wild one. This distinction generally carried both institutional and environmental consequences: farmland was exclusive, bounded property planted by human hands; wilderness was common, open land conceived as natural bounty. But over time changes in both cultivation and record-keeping blurred the distinction between farmland and wilderness. Cultivators planted fruit, fuel, and timber trees like field-crops; they diked marshes to build fields, and dug artificial ponds for irrigation and fish-farming; they documented ownership of the plots they had improved. In China, this process of wildland enclosure accelerated between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. By the 1390s, the government surveyed and taxed forests alongside farms. As it brought new biomes “onto the map,” the state created institutions to tax and surveil their residents as well. I will claim that these institutions represented a new watershed in environmental history: a period when centralized surveillance of the landscape extended from farms to forests and fisheries. After tracing the outlines of these changes in southern China, I will close by considering the significance of these developments in global history.

Christine Yano to present on cultural ambassadorships in contemporary Japan on February 21

The Institute for Japanese Studies will present its annual Brad Richardson Memorial Lecture on Monday, February 21 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. online (registration required). Christine Yano, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, will present "Bridging Divides: The Work of Cultural Ambassadorships in Contemporary Japan."

Abstract: The notion of cultural ambassadors – people, products, artistic expressions, ideas that span different locations – can be useful in thinking through global interactions. If the role of the political ambassador is to create long-lasting liaisons between nations, then the role of the cultural ambassador is to achieve similar kinds of linkages through soft-power, positive interactions. Cultural ambassadorship has been critical in steering paths of globalization as key vectors of influence. In this talk I point to one contemporary cultural ambassador that has gone from Japan to different parts of the globe – Hello Kitty and the concept of kawaii (cute). My approach here is not as comprehensive as I would like, since my research on the topic has focused primarily on the United States. (Notably, if I were to truly research the global impact of Hello Kitty and kawaii, I should spend years in different parts of Asia where the plush toy is very popular.) Nevertheless, thinking through the cultural ambassadorship of Hello Kitty and kawaii in the United States points us toward important lessons in transnational interactions, meanings, commercialism, and critique. This case study suggests that the project of bridging divides is both crucial and fraught, creating contingencies of empathic reach.

IJS, THK Manufacturing of America to present career talk on February 22

The Institute for Japanese Studies and THK Manufacturing of America will present a career talk featuring several OSU alumni, on Tuesday, February 22 from 2:20 p.m. to 3:40 p.m. online (registration required). Alexis McCullough, THK, will host "Job Hunting in the Japanese Manufacturing Sector - Not just for Engineers." This career talk is restricted to students, faculty, and staff of The Ohio State University. Please use OSU email when registering.

Abstract: Japanese manufacturing companies are not just looking for engineers and interpreters, there are opportunities in so many different fields! Staff from THK Manufacturing of America, Inc., in Hebron, Ohio will cover topics to help students as they start to look for a job and have success as an employee, especially in the manufacturing sector.

Journalists to present at Midwestern Professionalization Seminar on February 23

The East Asian Studies Center, in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Indiana University, will present a Midwestern Professionalization Seminar in East Asian Studies featuring guest speakers Amy Qin, The New York Times, Jonathan Cheng, Wall Street Journal, and Jeremy Goldkorn, SupChina, on Wednesday, February 23 from 8:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. online (registration required). Panelists will present "Careers in Journalism."

Abstract: The first in a series of three events about careers in East Asian studies will be hosted by UW-Madison's Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS), and feature a panel of leading journalists in the field. Panelists will talk about their career paths, how they became interested in East Asian cultures and languages, and the challenges and joys of their current jobs. CEAS is collaborating with colleagues at The Ohio State University and Indiana University Bloomington for the “Midwestern Professionalization Seminar for East Asian Studies,” a three-part series of events in Spring 2022. The series is aimed at sharing skills for advancing one’s career and introducing various career paths using East Asian language and area studies expertise.

JASCO accepting applications for 2022 Japanese Language Speech Contest through February 25

Since 1999, the Japan-America Society of Central Ohio (JASCO) has hosted the annual Ohio Japanese Speech Contest to promote Japanese language learning in the state of Ohio. The Contest showcases achievement in Japanese language learning and presents ideas and experiences that promote JASCO’s mission: to enrich lives by bringing Ohio’s Japanese and American communities together.

The 2022 Ohio Japanese Speech Contest will be a single open category. Two top speeches will be recognized with the competition awards. In addition, special awards may also be given in such categories as College, High School, and Best Pronunciation.

Participants of the finals will perform from memory an original speech of their own creation in front of a panel of judges and audience. Following the speech, the panel of judges will ask questions related to the speech. The Q&A portion is conducted in Japanese as well.

The application deadline is February 25. Finalists will be notified by JASCO by March 4, and must submit a full speech by March 11. Finalists will perform their speeches online on March 20.

Jeffrey Giauque to present on working in the Foreign Service on February 25

The Center for Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies wil present a lecture with Jeffrey Giauque, former Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, Belarus, and Ohio State alumnus, on Friday, February 25 from 10:00 am. to 11:30 a.m. online (registration required). During his lecture, Giauque will talk about his experiences in the Foreign Service, both insights and challenges to consider for students who are interested in diplomatic careers, and his observations from years of experience serving in the East European and Eurasian region. Following his talk there will be time for Q&A with members of the audience. Undergraduate and graduate students interested in the field of international relations are strongly encouraged to attend.