Julie Nelson Davis    January 22, 2026  18:00-19:30  Room 301, 3F, building 10, Sophia University  In person / No registration necessary  On April 26, 1934, a headline in the Asahi Shinbun  newspaper announced the “greatest discovery of the world”: two Sharaku paintings found in the hither-to unknown Shunpōan collection. These rare works, along with fifteen other ukiyo-e masterpieces, were slated for auction in May, it continued. Organizers produced a deluxe, full-color catal

Japanese culinary craft is legendary. Yet what is behind this phenomenon? This colloquium features perspectives from two researchers on their long-term research on the social and cultural dimensions of culinary craft in Japan. Everyone is invited to participate in this academic discussion on Japanese culinary craftwork.     January 16, 2026 17:30-19:30 (JST) Format: Hybrid Venue: Room 301, 3F, building 10, Sophia University ZOOM information https://sophia-ac-jp.zoom.us/j/9347

Memory, Resistance, and Universal Women’s Rights in Stintino, Sardinia  Dr. Agnese Dionisio  January 8, 2026,  18:00-19:30  Room 301, 3F, Building 10, Sophia University  In person only/No registration required     This talk is based on research I have conducted for a paper on the first “Statue of Peace” (평화의 소녀상) installed in Italy, in the small coastal town of Stintino, Sardinia, on June 22, 2024. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews conducted in May–June 2025, the talk explo