On October 15, 2013, at a symposium organized by the Japanese studies programs of Kobe University and Oxford University in the UK, Chancellor Noriko Mizuta delivered a lecture entitled, “Memory, Silence, Gender: Toward the Formation of a New Japan Studies.”

This symposium was co-organized by Kobe and Oxford Universities as a welcome to second semester international students and, centered on methods of academic exchange and joint research between the two universities, draws upon criticism of Japan’s intellectual environment from experienced foreign observers to address its larger themes of how to advance the field of Japan studies and how to cultivate young scholars in the field, both in Japan and abroad. Given her vast knowledge in this area, Chancellor Mizuta was the natural candidate to deliver a lecture on the subject.

Using the keywords of “memory, silence, and gender,” Chancellor Mizuta began by relating her own realizations as both a foreigner and a woman during her study in the United States. She then expressed the “silence of memory” that she claims pervades Japanese literature in terms of a form of “repose” for dead souls, thus serving as a means for communicating with the spirit of the other as well as taking on the memory of the other.
　 In closing, Chancellor Mizuta expressed her wishes for the future of Japan studies and those researchers involved. For the study of expressions that transcend the narrow national framework, Chancellor Mizuta stressed the need of assuming either the perspective of someone viewing Japan from the outside or viewing Japan within the global context. She then emphasized the importance of active exchange and conferences that include foreign scholars of Japan studies, individual experience with foreign cultures, and cultivating creative freedom amongst the young generation of scholars. Chancellor Mizuta suggested that using the concept of “encounters with the other” as a basis for inquiry provides the best opportunity for opening up a variety of new perspectives in Japan studies in the 21st century.
　 Following Chancellor Mizuta’s lecture, Associate Professor of Chinese literature Maya Hamada and Associate Professor of English literature Sayaka Okumura drew on a variety of sources in their field to demonstrate how the theme of “memory, silence, gender” is a universal literary concept that transcends the boundaries of the nation state.

This was followed by a concert titled, “The World of John Dowland,” which featured a beautiful baroque Renaissance music performance with the vocals of Oxford graduate Emma Kirkby (soprano) and Takashi Tsunoda on the lute with a compelling analysis of the music of composer John Dowland afterwards.