Josai University Educational Corporation

NEWS

Chancellor Mizuta Wins Sweden’s Cikada Prize

On December 9, 2013, Josai University Educational Corporation Chancellor Noriko Mizuta was awarded Sweden’s Cikada Prize for her outstanding work in poetry at a ceremony that took place at the Embassy of Sweden in Japan. The embassy issues this award to poets who are able to capture the majesty of life in East Asia.
  The Cikada Prize was created in 2004 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Swedish Nobel Poet Laureate Harry Martinson, the title of which comes from a poetry collection of his of the same name. The first 29 cantos of his collection Aniara, entitled “The Song of Doris and Mima,” had previously appeared in Cikada and was heavily influenced by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan, as well as the first use of the hydrogen bomb in 1953.
  This year marked the sixth award since the Cikada Prize’s inception, three of which have gone to Japanese poets. Previous award winners include Sakon So, Tota Kaneko, Un Ko, Kyung-rim Shin, and Chung-hee Moon.

Chancellor Mizuta receives her award from Ambassador Vargö (left)

Chancellor Mizuta receives her award from Ambassador Vargö (left)

In attendance to celebrate Chancellor Mizuta’s award were Ambassador Kateřina Fialková of the Czech Republic with whom Josai has a close program of exchange, honored guests from Sweden, Josai exchange students, particularly from Europe, and Josai faculty.
  Swedish ambassador Lars Vargö provided introductory remarks by saying, “The poetry of Noriko Mizuta expresses a broad range of experiences from life abroad, containing a depth of sadness and loss from one who has studied modernity and female expression. Through the objectification of emotion, these works possess a freshness that creates a distinct poetic world.” Afterward, Chancellor Mizuta was presented with the Cikada Prize certificate of award and trophy from Ambassador Vargö.
  Chancellor Mizuta, in her acceptance speech, said, “It is a tremendous honor to receive an international poetry prize of such distinction. I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Ambassador Vargö and all the others who have put forth so much effort in creating this prize. In interacting with Minako Oba and many other female poets who are complete strangers to the gender culture of the West, while discord and conflict between nations show no signs of ceasing, I have sensed a real need in people to communicate their thoughts and build connections regardless of these conflicts. And I believe that the true medium for this is poetry, which contains the potential to not only express one’s thoughts to the like-minded, but allow contact with an elusive “other” through the communication of one’s state of mind in the moment.” Then, once again expressing her joy and thanks, Chancellor Mizuta concluded with a reading of one of Harry Martinson’s poems.

With the evening event appropriately titled, “Literature Meets Music,” the festivities continued with a performance from the duo of Czech composer and pianist Emil Viklicky and bassist and arranger/composer Shota Ishikawa.

Performance from piano and bass duo Emil Viklicky and Shota Ishikawa

Performance from piano and bass duo Emil Viklicky and Shota Ishikawa

Cikada Prize certificate and trophy

Cikada Prize certificate and trophy


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