Student field trip to Hirado, July 13-14, 2023

On July 13-14, a group of over 40 students from Kyushu University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong visited Hirado to attend the annual Koxinga Festival and investigate the history of this town, with its strong historical associations with Japan’s overseas trade with East Asia (including Taiwan) and Europe. On the 13th, we were very fortunate to be able to attend a performance of a traditional-style Japanese paper play (紙芝居), relating the story of the life of William Adams, an English captain with the Dutch East India Company who spent the last twenty years of his life in Japan in the early 17th century (and is buried in Hirado). We also visited the Matsuura Historical Museum with its fascinating collection of artefacts from the Edo period and earlier. On the 14th, we attended ceremonies at the Koxinga Shrine, and visited the nearby Koxinga Museum.

The kami-shibai (紙芝居) performance telling the story of William Adams’ life

The students are welcomed by Mr Aki Oseki of the Hirado Relations Association

Honouring Koxinga at the Koxinga Shrine, July 14

Speech by representative of the Tainan City Government

Koxinga’s statue looks on.

Preparing for the ceremonial dance. For a full video, click here.

The ceremonial dance begins. For full video, click here.

The ceremony ends with child drummers.

Our Taiwan Fieldwork resumes - at last! The February 2023 field trip for Tokyo and Kyushu University students

In February 2023, after a Covid-induced hiatus of four years, Tokyo and Kyushu Universities resumed their joint fieldwork visits to Taiwan. Led by Prof. Tomoko Ako of Tokyo University, and Prof. Edward Vickers, Dr. Shiho Maehara and Dr. Kojiro Sho of Kyushu University, around 40 students joined this activity. During our week in Taiwan, we visited various sites in Tainan, including the National Museum of Taiwan Literature (where we were kindly hosted by the Director, Prof. Nikky Lin, and her colleagues), and the National Museum of Taiwan History (where the Director, Prof. Chang Lung-chih and his colleagues kindly hosted us). In Taipei, we visited NGOs involved in campaigning on women’s rights and on LGBTQ issues. We also heard a talk by Matsuoka Matoko (松岡誠) of Kyodo News, and visited heritage sites including the National Taiwan Museum, the National Human Rights Museum and the National Palace Museum.

Professor Nikky Lin, Director of the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, welcomes the group to the museum.

Night-time street-scene in Tainan

Prof.s Vickers and Ako with Prof. Chang Lung-Chih, Director of the National Museum of Taiwan History.

Visit to the Presidential Office Building, Taipei

Listening to a talk by Tsai Kun-Lin, a former prisoner and victim of the White Terror, at the National Human Rights Museum (former Jingmei Prison) on the outskirts of Taipei.

With Huang Chi-Wei and Juan Mei-Ying at the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ) Hotline Association in Taipei.

The students at the wrap-up workshop at National Taiwan Normal University

The Kyushu Taiwan Studies Program Film Series

In Spring, 2023, we held the third of a successful online series of screenings of Taiwan-related films, followed by discussions with film-makers and other experts. This time, the focus was not only on Taiwan, but on the filmic representation of ‘East Asia’ more broadly.

Posters of the earlier events (in 2021 and 2022) are displayed below.

The 6th 'Taiwan Today' (台湾事情) symposium

Over several weekends in December 2022, the sixth ‘Taiwan Today’ symposium, organised by Kyushu University’s Taiwan Studies Project, was held online. This year, presentations from prominent Taiwanese and Japanese specialists focused on the politics of Cross-Straits Relations.

Topical section of the International Journal of Taiwan Studies on Education

In January 2022, the International Journal of Taiwan Studies published a topical section on ‘Education’, edited by Tzu-bin Lin of National Taiwan Normal University and Edward Vickers of Kyushu University. Their introductory essay can be found here: https://brill.com/view/journals/ijts/5/1/article-p5_5.xml

Taiwan Today (台湾事情) webinars 2022

In January 2022, our annual ‘Taiwan Today’ symposium was held as a series of webinars.

Webinar: The Holocaust and its Heritage - Taiwan, East Asia and Beyond

On June 2, 2021, Kyushu University’s Taiwan Studies Program co-hosted a webinar on the Holocaust as heritage, focusing primarily on Taiwan and East Asia, and involving many international colleagues.

Publication of Taiwanese short story collection 'A Son of Taiwan'

In the summer of 2021, Cambria Press (New York) published A Son of Taiwan: Stories of Government Atrocity, edited by Howard Goldblatt and Sylvia Li-chun Lin. This features three short stories, collectively entitled Cruelty of the City, by the Taiwanese indigenous author, Walis Nokan, which were translated by Edward Vickers of Kyushu University.

Webinar series - 台湾事情 (Taiwan Today) December 2020-January 2021

Our annual ‘Taiwan Today’ symposium for Kyudai students and the general public will this year be delivered online, as a series of ‘webinars’. Details on the poster below:

Kyushu University Asia Week 2020: Webinar on Education and the politics of identity in East Asia September 9, 16:00-17:00 (Japan time)

On September 9th, Prof. Edward VICKERS of Kyushu University, Prof. Tzu-bin LIN of National Taiwan Normal University and Prof. Kaori OKANO of La Trobe University will give a joint webinar (online-seminar) discussing identity politics and nationhood across the Asia-Pacific. The event is organized jointly with La Trobe Asia as part of Kyushu University's Asia Week 2020, which features a series of webinars sharing the latest Asia-related research conducted by scholars at Kyushu University in collaboration with our overseas partners. 

Detailed information and a link to the sign-up form can be found on the poster below.