Past Symposium

In the United States and Europe, Japan is often thought of as an island nation on the eastern fringes of what is broadly grouped together as “the East.” Unfortunately, the view that the East is not only different but also underdeveloped and imperfect – a view sometimes referred to as Orientalism – remains deeply ingrained. In contrast, Occidentalism is sometimes defined as the view that the East has a spiritual society that is the antithesis of the corrupt materialism of the West. Adhering to this view, however, is also nothing more than a refusal to think critically.
Much of Japanese culture originated in China and Korea, and there are also many elements whose origins may be traced back to India and Persia. The way of viewing and conceptualizing “the East” is thus quite different in Japan. Moreover, the world is not simply divided into Western and non-Western countries.
This symposium will provide us with an opportunity to reconsider the arts of Japan within the context of the tremendous diversity found in the area labeled as “the East,” or “Asia.” Through this effort, we hope it will become possible to grasp an understanding of Japan that goes beyond Orientalism and Occidentalism.
Exhibitions of Japanese art in Japan and abroad often isolate Japan from other countries, either presenting it as “our country” or “a foreign country,” which should spur us to examine in more depth the ways in which it is possible to understand and discuss Japanese art.

Program

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