The Character Culture in Japan and Murakami Haruki’s Killing Commendatore

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A talk by Akihiko Shimizu (School of Modern Languages, Cardiff University), as part of the Japanese Studies Seminar series.

Abstract

The talk will explore what ‘character’ means in the culture and literature of Japan. Firstly, the boom of characters and mascots in contemporary Japan will be examined with an explanation of how they work and what kind of impact they make upon society. In order to contextualize the character culture, the historical representations of characters in early modern Japan will be examined using examples from Ukiyo-e woodblock prints during the Edo period. It will be shown how, throughout history, the face becomes an indispensable element for constructing characters and their personhood.In the second half of the talk, literary aspects of character and the face will be investigated. In order to shed light on the way in which character is materialised in contemporary Japanese literary work, Haruki Murakami’s latest novel, Killing Commendatore (2017) will be discussed. Focusing on the way Murakami frames the main characters of the novel, the way in which the rhetorical depiction of the face plays a key role in connecting literary imagination and the contemporary character culture will be examined.

Biography

Akihiko Shimizu has recently joined Cardiff University as a lecturer in Japanese at the School of Modern Languages. Originally from Kyoto, Japan, Aki did MA in Renaissance Literature at the University of York. He then did PhD at the University of St Andrews on an early modern English/dramatist, Ben Jonson. His thesis investigated the concept and methodology of character construction in Jonson’s literature. Aki’s research interests lie in the cultural milieu and rhetorical construction of personhood in both early modern England and in Japan. His current research project draws on the theory of character, and looks into the cross-cultural implications of the face in the rhetoric of personhood.

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 10 October 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

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