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Conferences, Lectures, and Special Events
The Center for East Asian Studies frequently sponsors academic conferences, lectures, and special events relating to East Asia.
2010-11 Events
June 28-July 2, 2010: Summer Teacher Institute: "Water: An Interdisciplinary Examination of the World's Most Essential Resource"
The Atomic Age from Hiroshima to the Present
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The question of our relationship with nuclear weapons and energy is urgent for the health of our bodies, of democracy, and of the earth, and the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Chicago spent over a year planning a symposium addressing these issues. "The Atomic Age from Hiroshima to the Present" was a day-long symposium on May 21st that explored our relationship with nuclear weapons and nuclear energy through documentary film screenings and discussions with a panel of experts. The goal of this symposium was to foster dialogue and provide resources and information for the classroom and the community. For full information, schedule, and details, visit the event blog here.
Minwa-za Japanese Magic Lantern Performances and Workshops
Tokyo-based Minwa-za Japanese Magic Lantern troupe visited the University of Chicago for a week of performances and workshops April 19-23.
Noh Theater workshop with members of Kyoto-based Kashu-juku Noh Theater
Sunday, March 27th
3:30-5:30pm
Ratner Athletic Center Martial Arts/Dance Studio
This workshop introduced the traditional Japanese theater style of noh, focusing on teaching aspects of movement as well as the use of costumes and masks. Participants should come prepared to practice movement techniques. Wear comfortable clothing and clean socks.
Kyoto-based Kashu-juku Noh Theater was founded in Kyoto in 2000 by celebrated actor Katayama Shingo of the prestigious Katayama noh family and is comprised of leading noh performers. Kashu-juku Noh Theater has made special efforts to reach out to wider audiences throughout Japan and abroad who have never experienced noh.
Tadanori Yokoo: Recent Poster Works, 1997-2005
An exhibition on display at the Regenstein Library first floor, March 29-June 19, 2010
Opening reception Thursday, April 1st, 6:30pm at the Regenstein Library, 1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60637
View the Poster
Humming with motifs from a variety of sources, mediums, and time periods, Japanese artist and designer Tadanori Yokoo’s posters reject the elegant economy of means found in twentieth-century modernist design. Yokoo (pron. Yoko-OH; b. 1936) developed his distinctive style in 1960s Tokyo, where he simultaneously participated in experimental theatre, filmmaking, music, and art. While the posters on exhibition were produced as advertisements, they challenge viewers to take an active, questioning, or ironic stance toward what is being purveyed. Rays, waves, waterfalls, and other references to 1960s and 70s psychedelic imagery humorously evoke the embattled subconscious of a viewer overwhelmed by images, a theme that carries easily into the twenty-first century.
This exhibition was co-sponsored by the Japan Foundation Toronto, the Center for East Asian Studies, the University of Chicago Library, and the Consulate General of Japan at Chicago.
June 1, 2010: The University of Chicago Confucius Institute Opening Celebration
2009-2010 Events
May 28-30, 2010: Overseas Young Chinese Forum Annual Meeting: "China's Legal Reform at the Crossroads" 中国法律改革的十字路口
May 21-22, 2010: Japan at Chicago Conference: "Engaging Commodities: Crossings Between Mass Culture and the Avant Garde in 1960s Japanese Film, Music and Art"
May 15, 2010: China and the Future of the Global Economy Conference
May 14-15: Tenth-Century China and Beyond: Art and Visual Culture in a Multi-Centered Age. A conference organized by the Center for the Art of East Asia.
May 8, 2010: William Sibley Memorial Symposium
Tale of the Heike lecture and performance by Yoko Hiraoka
Sponsored by the University of Chicago Committee on Japanese Studies
February 3-4, 2010
Professional Japanese musician Yoko Hiraoka visited campus to give a lecture and performance on the classic Japanese epic poem The Tale of the Heike. Ms. Hiraoka made a special classroom visit to discuss the history and performance of The Tale of the Heike to students who read the poem in their Japanese Civilization class. The next evening, Ms. Hiraoka performed three famous selections from The Tale of the Heike, accompanied on the biwa. 
Inaugural Cross-Town Japanese Conversation Party
Co-Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies and DePaul University's Department of Modern Languages
January 29, 2010
University of Chicago and DePaul students studying Japanese language met for an evening of activities and Japanese conversation at DePaul's loop campus. Students practiced katakana, competed to identify images of Japanese culture, and tested their skills in a vocabulary competition. 
October 24, 2009: Film in the classroom workshop for teachers of Japanese language
The Center for East Asian Studies brought its expertise on Japanese film to Japanese language teachers in a professional development workshop at Murray Language Academy. Brian Bergstrom, PhD candidate from the University of Chicago, suggested innovative classrom uses for using Japanese films to illustrate aspects of Japanese grammar and culture. Sarah Arehart introduced teachers to a TV series aimed at younger viewers which focuses on basic everyday Japanese expressions as well as the typical Japanese home.
October 21, 2009: Film in the Classroom workshop for teachers of Chinese language
The Center for East Asian Studies brought its expertise on Chinese film to Chinese language teachers in a professional development workshop co-sponsored by the Chicago Confucius Institute. Lydia Li, PhD candidate from East China Normal University, offered teachers new perspectives on how to use Chinese film to enhance learning in the language classroom. Enthusiastic teachers were introduced to a wide range of examples including the recent Beijing Olympics games, nature documentaries, and classic cartoons.
September-October 2009: "Frank Lloyd Wright: Focus on Japan" at Courtenay Language Academy
The Center for East Asian Studies partnered with the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust to present "Frank Lloyd Wright: Focus on Japan" to 5th graders at Courtenay Language Academy on Chicago's near north side. "Focus on Japan" offers students a unique and in-depth exploration of Wright, Japanese prints and architecture. Classrooms are loaned a collection of Japanese prints and artifacts for the duration of the multi-week program and students explore Japanese art and design, culminating in actual printmaking. Students studied classic Japanese prints by masters such as Hiroshige, learning about elements of design. They created original linoleum block prints inspired by their neighborhood. Student prints will be on display at the Sulzer Regional Library, 4455 N. Lincoln Ave, through December 18, 2009. "Frank Lloyd Wright: Focus on Japan" was developed by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust and funded by the Center for East Asian Studies. Learn more here.
April 21, 2009: Japan Day at Burr Elementary School
The Center for East Asian Studies participated in the annual Japan Day celebration at Burr Elementary, a Chicago Public School in the Bucktown neighborhood. As a world language school, Burr offers instruction in Japanese language as well as after-school Japanese culture programs for all of its students in K-8th grades. Japan Day is a school-wide annual celebration of Japanese art and culture. Students performed Okinawan dances and Taiko drumming, and staff from the Japan Information Center demonstrated mochi-tsuki. During the afternoon arts and crafts sessions, University of Chicago PhD candidate Noriko Yamaguchi led a series of chigiri-e workshops with students.
February 3, 2009: World Poetry Workshop with Ravi Shankar
Poet and editor Ravi Shankar of Central Connecticut State University conducted a world poetry workshop for 60 seniors from Whitney Young Magnet High School. Using selections from the recent collection "Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond," Shankar addressed issues of politics and culture in Asia and the Middle East through the medium of poetry. He included a discussion of works by Korean poet Ko Un, Chinese poet Bei Dao, and Japanese poet Tada Chimako. The Center for East Asian Studies donated four copies of the book to the Whitney Young school library.
2008-2009 Events
2009 Summer Teacher Institute: "Understanding the Global Economy: Bringing the World Market Into Your Classroom"
The annual Summer Teacher Institute focused on providing educators with resources to bring an international perspective on the global economy into their classrooms. Co-Sponsored by the University of Chicago Centers for East Asian, Middle East, Latin American, International, South Asian, and East European & Russian/Eurasian Studies.
June 22-24, 2009. Curriculum Workshop June 25.
Program and videos of presentations | Resources for Educators
Chinese Opera Films After 1949: Music, Theater, and Cinematic Arts
Co-Sponsored by The Center for East Asian Studies, The Film Studies Center, The Franke Institute for the Humanities, The University of Chicago Arts Council, and the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations
April 17-18, 2009
Poster | Program | Weblog
The University of Chicago Center for East Asian Studies hosted contemporary puppet master Noriyuki Sawa for a workshop at the University of Chicago Laboratory School and a free performance in Hyde Park. Mr. Sawa is originally from Japan but now resides in the Czech Republic, where he has created a large repertoire of performances, including solo silent dramas and colorful shadow plays. His fusion of Japanese and Czech approaches to puppetry creates unique puppets & techniques. His workshop for middle school children focused on the theme of "Metamorphosis." His performance "Fairy Tales" is a 60-minute silent solo performance that has won numerous awards. Learn more about Nori Sawa.
Taiwan's New Approach: Opportunities and Challenges for President Ma Ying-jeou's New Government
Co-Sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago, and International House
October 24, 2008
Poster | Program
October 4, 2008: "Meishi Street" screening with director Ou Ning
"Meishi Street" is a documentary by Ou Ning, Beijing-based artist, filmmaker, curator, graphic designer, and writer. Meishi Street, located in the historical Qianmen area in Beijing, was widened from 8 to 25 meters as part of the city renovations for the 2008 Olympics. Based on footage shot by one of the residents, the film documents life in the neighborhood before its destruction and the protests of those who were forced to relocate. This free screening and discussion with the director was co-sponsored by the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. A copy of the documentary is available for rental from the CEAS Film Library.
2007-2008 Events
2008 Summer Teacher Institute: "Climate Change: Biological and Social Implications"
The annual Summer Teacher Institute focused on the topic of global climate change. Co-Sponsored by the University of Chicago Centers for East Asian, Middle East, Latin American, International, South Asian, and East European & Russian/Eurasian Studies
June 23-25, 2008
Program and videos of presentations | Resources for Educators
North American Workshop on Korean Literature (NAOKOL)
Co-Sponsored by the University of Chicago Committee on Korean Studies and the Daesan Foundation
June 19-21, 2008
Poster | Program
Interdisciplinary Workshop on North Korean Literature (INKLIT)
Co-Sponsored by the University of Chicago Committee on Korean Studies, the Korean Literature Translation Institute, and the Institute of Korean Culture at Korea University
June 16-17, 2008
Poster | Program
