University of Southern California & Meiji University

Research Exchange: Japan Historical Studies

The annual USC-Meiji Research Exchange will be held on November 1-2, 2025 at the University of Southern California. The Exchange provides an opportunity for researchers, students, and faculty at both institutions to share the latest research in Japan studies.

This year, scholars from both sides of the Pacific will be exploring archaeology, religion, literature, and the navigation of center and periphery across the premodern and modern eras.

Since 2008, the Exchange has provided a valuable space for networking and exchange. USC scholars have used the Meiji University research library and attended seminars with the Interdisciplinary Classical Japanese Historical Studies Program, and Meiji scholars have presented their research at USC, used the collections, and attended university events.

November 1-2, 2025 | SOS 250 | 11:00-5:30pm

Saturday 11/1

• 11:00 Greetings, Prof. Joan R. Piggott, USC, and Prof. Ken’ichi Sasaki, Meiji University
• 11:30 Sachiko Kawai, USC PPJS, “’Historical Hot Spring Inn, Craft Beers, and the Murderin the Hot Spring’ on My YouTube Channel”
• 12:15 Lunch
• 1:30 Yoko Shirai, USC PPJS, “Figured Buddha Tiles at Yamadadera”
• 2:30 Andrew Tschirki, USC School of Religion, “Shōkūand the NyoinGosho: Centering Elite Women in Medieval Pure Land Discourse”
• 3:30 Aito Shimizu, Meiji University, “When Officials Didn’t Show Up for Court Events”
• 4:30 Jan Goodwin, USC PPJS, “Resilience and Resistance: Outcasts in Late Medieval Times”

Sunday 11/2

• 11:00 Prof. Ken’ichi Sasaki, Meiji University, “Report from the Field, Kofun Culture in the Vicinity of Kashima Shrine”
• 12:00 Lunch
• 1:30 Taiji Sasaki, Meiji University, “Effects of Citing a Wakain a NohSong, ‘Is it the same moon as before?’ in the Noh Plays Unrin’inand Oshio”
• 2:30 Lewis Hou, USC EALC, “Becoming ‘King of Japan’: Diplomacy Between Japan and Other East Asian States 1268-1368”
• 3:30 Sophie Calderon, USC EASC, “Women’s Scholarship in the Kamakura Period: Word, Text, and Literary Production”
• 4:30 Emily Warren, Lisa Kochinsky, Yoko Shirai, “Recollections of the Archeology Workshop, Summer 2024”

Many talks will be in Japanese but with slides in English. English talks will be accompanied by slides in Japanese.

Please RSVP to Professor Joan Piggot at [email protected].