Grant Activities

Conference “Public and Private Spaces in Tokyo and Venice: the Role of Local Communities and Values”

Held in January, 2024 and co-organized with Hosei University, the Conference successfully addressed its central theme: how Tokyo and Venice have fashioned public and private spaces in their urban environments as a key feature of the role of the two realms in the community’s organization, activities, and material and spiritual life, and as a stimulus for identity and belonging dynamics. Among specialist lecturers, Dr. Rosa Caroli, principal organizer of the Conference, presented ‘Medical Care Facilities in the sho¯gun’s capital: The Koishikawa Sanitarium’. This conference was the latest in a series of forums, held with TIFO’s support.

Japanese Rare Book Workshop on Edo Printed Books

A workshop was held to focus on a rare resource: Japanese books published in the Edo period (1603-1867) and now owned by institutions in North America. Professor Takahiro Sasaki of the Keio Institute of Oriental Classics (Shido bunko), a specialist in Japanese literature and bibliography, guided the 22 participants in the event—19 librarians, specialists, curators, and three doctoral students, drawn from 13 di¡erent institutions in the United States and Canada. Lectures covered research into books, descriptions, and a primer on printing in the Edo period. These o¡ered the participants insights into understanding advanced bibliographic knowledge of Edo printing culture, including definitions of technical terms, methods of obtaining publisher information, and identification of publishers. (August 9 to 11, 2023)