World Talk Lecture Series: Japan's Imperial Institution and the Abdication of Emperor Akihito

This event has ended.

Delivered by experts from Cardiff University’s School of Modern Languages, the World Talk Lecture Series is a new series of talks on topics of current interest in various countries around the world. Aimed primarily at AS and A Level students to stimulate interest in, and gain a better understanding of, current political, social and cultural developments around the world, the talks will be approximately 45 minutes in length and be followed by a 30-minute question and answer session.

A lecture by Dr Ruselle Meade about Japan’s imperial institution and the abdication of Emperor Akihito.

Abstract

On 30 April 2019 Japan’s Emperor Akihito will abdicate, and will be succeeded by his son Crown Prince Naruhito on 1 May. It is the first time in Japan’s modern history that a reigning emperor will abdicate. Although Japan’s imperial family is widely touted as the world’s longest surviving dynasty with a history of over 2,650 years, many of its traditions are a product of the last 150 years. Indeed, the constitutional crisis that erupted when Emperor Akihito expressed his desire to abdicate results from the Meiji Constitution of 1890. This talk will explain how Japan’s imperial family—reclusive and unknown to most Japanese just 150 years ago—became one of the foremost symbols of the country, and an institution for which many Japanese were willing to die in its various modern wars. It will also cast an eye back on Akihito’s reign, examining the changes in Japan over the past 30 years.

Biography

Ruselle Meade is a lecturer in Japanese studies at Cardiff University. She has a particular interest in the relationship between science and national identity in Japan since the mid-nineteenth century. Her most recent article, currently under review, explores how imperial subject hood was cultivated among juveniles during Japan’s Meiji period (1868-1912) through writings on science.

Simultaneous Translation

The event will be delivered in the medium of English. You are welcome to ask questions in the medium of Welsh during the QandA session. If you intend to do this, please contact mlang-events@cardiff.ac.uk by Wednesday 27 March to request simultaneous translation. Please note that 10% or more of those planning to attend will need to request this provision in order for it to be sourced and will be subject to resource availability.

Registration

We apologise that the entire registration page is not available in the medium of Welsh, unfortunately, the platform we use does not offer this service.