Author Archives: Admin.

Professor Sakurai gave a talk about her teaching experience at Baruch College at the Princeton Japanese Pedagogy Forum held on May 4 to 5. She has taught JPN4000-level courses, which include Japanese native speakers. The presentation title: 日本語母語話者による中級日本語クラスでの〈やさしい日本語〉の使用実践と意識の変容－母語話者と非母語話者の共同クラスの実践より. You can find the abstract here.

he keynote speaker of the event was Dr. Teja Ostheider, a scholar known for proposing the idea of “The Third Person Response” (第三者返答). His keynote speech is available in Japanese: https://pjpf.princeton.edu/keynote-speakers

Professor Shige (CJ) Suzuki gave a talk titled “Highlighting the Media-Specificity of Manga in Print Culture and Beyond” at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) on Thursday, April 18th, 2024.

Abstract:
In the past eighty years, manga has grown into a significant economic and cultural force in Japan and beyond. During the last couple of decades, social and cultural institutions have reevaluated the medium, giving it increasing recognition as a subject for university courses and academic research. As the consumption of Japanese manga continues to expand beyond Japan, manga has acquired new meanings distinct from those developed in its originating contexts.

One objective of this lecture is to reframe manga as a unique visual storytelling medium by highlighting its medium-specific nature, in terms of both cognitive and affective communication, through a comparative lens, contrasting it with film, painting, and other narrative art forms. Another objective is to discuss the newly emerged meanings and cultural functions the medium has acquired for a specific group of readers outside Japan, aiming to shed light on the appeal of manga beyond Japan. In the final part of the lecture, as per requests, I intend to briefly outline how new and alternative voices in manga emerge in the participatory cultural domains of Japan’s contemporary cultural landscape.

We are delighted to announce the launch of the Minor in “Japanese Studies”!

Minor in “Japanese Studies” (JPS)
The Japanese Program will launch a new “Minor in Japanese Studies” (JPS) from June 1st, 2024. This minor allows students to delve deeper into Japanese culture, society, history. Students can fulfill the minor requirements by taking a variety of Japanese Studies-related courses, including Japanese literature, film, popular culture, history, philosophy, media, arts, and more. All Japanese Studies courses (JPS-courses) are conducted in English. Each course might have its prerequisites; please check the course descriptions on CUNYFirst for details.

*See the official Bulletin
https://weissman.baruch.cuny.edu/weissman-academic-departments/majors-minors/japanese-studies-minor/

To meet the requirements for the Japanese Studies (JPS) minor, you are required to take three courses, including the mandatory capstone courses. Please note that not all courses are offered every semester. For further information, please consult CUNYFirst.

Japanese Studies Minor Capstone Courses: Students are required to take ONE of the following capstone courses. 
*JPS/AAS 4950 Language, Literature, and Culture of Japan (3 credits)
*JPS/AAS 4906 Critical Approaches to Japanese Popular Culture (3 credits)
*JPS/AAS/FML 4907 Film and Moving Image Culture in Japan (3 credits)

Japanese Studies Electives: Take two courses from below.
*JPS/AAS 4905 Language, Literature, and Culture of Japan (3 credits)
*JPS/AAS 4906 Critical Approaches to Japanese Popular Culture (3 credits)
*JPS/AAS/FLM 4907 Film and Moving Image Culture in Japan (3 credits)
AAS 4900 Critical Issues in Asian and Asian American Studies
HIS/AAS 3345 Asian American History
HIS/AAS 3853 The Emergence of Modern Japan
PHI 3180/AAS 3180 Philosophies from Japan
POL/AAS 3346 The Rise of Asia in World Affairs

With the introduction of “Japanese Studies Minor,” the requirements of existing “Japanese Minor” will change. Please read the following carefully.

*See the official Bulletin
https://weissman.baruch.cuny.edu/weissman-academic-departments/majors-minors/japanese/

Minor in “Japanese” (JPN)
The “Minor in Japanese Studies” is a new addition to the existing “Minor in Japanese” (JPN) in the Japanese program. Effective June 10th, 2024, students pursuing a minor in Japanese are required to take the following Japanese language courses (JPN). A typical pattern of fulfilling the minor requirement: After completing JPN1001 and JPN1002, you need to take JPN3001, JPN3002, and one capstone course (JPN400x).

It is important to note that Japanese language courses must be taken sequentially, meaning that students cannot enroll in more than one Japanese language course (JPN-course) per semester. Furthermore, students cannot skip any levels; for instance, upon completing JPN3001, the subsequent course is JPN3002, and upon completing JPN3002, the following course is a JPN400X-level course.

If you possess prior knowledge of Japanese or have completed Japanese courses at high school or other institutions, please contact the coordinator of the Japanese program to undergo an assessment. This assessment will determine your proficiency level and allow you to start from JPN1002 or above. If there is no or little knowledge of Japanese, register for JPN1001.

Japanese Minor Capstone Courses:
Students are required to take ONE of the following capstone courses: 

*JPN4000 Advanced Japanese Oral and Written Communication (3 credits)
*JPN4003 Japanese Contemporary Japanese Literature, Film, and Culture (3 credits)
*JPN4005 Advanced Japanese: Learning through Content and Multimedia (3 credits)
*JPN4501 Japanese for Global Market (3 credits)

Intermediate Japanese Courses:
Students are required to take TWO of the following capstone courses: 
JPN3001 Intensive Intermediate Japanese I (4 credits)
JPN3002 Intensive Intermediate Japanese II (4 credits)

Join us for the event, featuring artist, writer, and translator Tana Oshima!

Tana Oshima is a Japanese-Spanish writer, literary translator and visual artist exploring the field of comics. She has self-published eight mini-comics, and has translated to Spanish female novelists from Japan, such as Yuko Tsushima, Hiroko Oyamada, and Yu Miri. She is based in New York.

The event is organized by the Sidney Harman Writer-in-Residence Program.
https://weissman.baruch.cuny.edu/arts-and-culture-at-weissman/the-sidney-harman-writer-in-residence-program/

Two Baruch alumni from The Consulate General of Japan in New York visited Baruch College in March. They spoke about their post-graduation experiences and career paths in US-Japan relations with Japanese language students at Professor Miho Fujimori’s class.

Talk Title: “Let’s make your story with Baruch!”

Speaker: Mr. Koichi Ito, Chief Representative of the Ministry of Finance at the Consulate General of Japan in New York

Mr. Koichi Ito is an alumnus of Baruch College, having obtained a Master’s Degree in Taxation in 2011. He currently serves as the Chief Representative of the Ministry of Finance at the Consulate-General of Japan in New York. He has worked for various government offices, such as the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C., fostering bilateral economic relations, the Ministry of Finance in Japan, where he designed the foreign ministry’s budget, modified corporate tax, and introduced a new tax for tourism policies, and the Prime Minister’s Office, managing a portfolio of domestic and political issues. He kindly offered the students a special talk on his life milestones, discussing memories from his student days, career path, missions, and more. Through his life journey, the students learned a mindset to thrive in a diverse environment on a global scale, leveraging professional skills.

We were also fortunate to have Ms. Lelani Pacific-Jack join us for a talk. She currently serves as a Researcher at the Consulate General of Japan in New York. During her final year at Baruch College, Lelani held the position of president at the Baruch Japan Club. Additionally, she was recognized as a recipient of the prestigious Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) grant!
https://newscenter.baruch.cuny.edu/news/baruch-graduate-lelani-pacific-jack-wins-grant-to-japan/

This event was organized by all the students in JPN1001 PMWA, with leadership from Ms. Samaria Wilson, a freshman majoring in Entrepreneurship, and Mr. Daniel San, a senior majoring in Economics.

Thank you for creating a wonderful opportunity for our students!

Lecture Title: “Cats, Single Ladies, and Manga: Feminist Fantasies of Cohabitation in East Asian Discourses”

Date: Thursday, April 4th
Time: from 12:50 to 2:00 pm 
Location: Baruch College, 55 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10010
Venue: VC-4-165
Registration: https://forms.gle/obrMgAnKF9LLCG6H6
*Registration is required to attend the event (updated on 3/19). For non-Baruch students: Please note that members of the general public are welcome, but registration is required and must be completed by April 1st. You must also bring a valid ID in order to enter the venue.

Abstract:
My talk opens with an analysis of the 2023 anime series The Masterful Cat is Depressed Again Today (Dekiru neko wa kyō mo yūutsu), based on a manga by Yamada Hitsuji. The Masterful Cat depicts an incompetent protagonist who cannot cook and has an apartment full of trash before her new cat begins to manage her household. From a queer feminist perspective, how might we analyze the depiction of an utterly fulfilling lifestyle in which a cat prepares dinner everyday for an unmarried young woman? 

This manga can be contextualized within Japanese popular cultural representations of platonic cohabitation as well as anthropomorphic cats functioning as charming figures. In particular, I read The Masterful Cat against recent manga discourses about women building everyday lives together, especially those LGBTQ-friendly in nature. 

At the same time, these texts are linked to broader transnational discussions within East Asia concerning heteronormative pressures regarding marriage and reproduction. My talk touches upon Two Women Live Together (2019), a Korean essay collection by Kim Hana and Sunwoo Hwang that details the cohabitation of two women and four cats, as well as the term sheng nü  (“leftover woman”) and struggles over reproduction in mainland China. Especially compared with so-called “radical” East Asian feminisms harshly denouncing heterosexual marriage and childbirth, what kind of critique does Japanese popular culture offer?

About the Lecturer:
Grace En-Yi Ting is an assistant professor of gender studies at the University of Hong Kong, specializing in queer feminist approaches to Japanese literature and popular culture, particularly women writers and girls’ culture. She also writes on race and gender in academia. Her recent work reorients Japanese literature through transnational encounters with the Sinophone and women of color feminisms, theorizing a queer feminist ethical praxis for marginalized readers in diasporic Asian contexts.

Co-organized by The Japanese Program in Modern Languages and Comparative Literatuer and Baruch Japan Club and sponsored by the Harman Writer-in-Residence Program.

Should you have any questions/concerns, please contact Professor Shige (CJ) Suzuki SHIGERU.SUZUKI@baruch.cuny.edu

En-yi’s Queer Study 恩宜老師的酷兒書房:
A border-crossing practice of teaching, healing, and solidarity from Hong Kong

Date: Wednesday, April 3rd.
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Venue: VC14-270

Registration: https://forms.gle/41vDJ76fYLVmDem97
*Registration is required to attend the event (updated on 3/19). For non-Baruch students: Please note that members of the general public are welcome, but registration is required and must be completed by March 31^st. You must also bring a valid ID in order to enter the venue.

A border-crossing practice of teaching, healing, and solidarity from Hong Kong

How does a queer feminist window into Hong Kong unsettle ideas about social justice in a North American context?

What are challenges of teaching on language, colonialism, ethnicity/race, and politics in a gender studies classroom in Hong Kong? 

What forms of trauma, discrimination, and violence divide feminist and queer communities?

Can we move beyond anger and “survival mode feminism” to imagine queer and feminist practices in terms of both justice and care?

This event welcomes anyone with an interest in learning about and discussing feminist/queer issues in the context of Hong Kong, particularly students and non-academics. The concept is a “traveling classroom” in which Professor Grace En-yi Ting will give an informal lecture followed by small group discussion, before concluding with a discussion between her and the participants as a whole. Topics will include: 

• Rethinking North American/Anglocentric frameworks for social justice
• A brief intro to issues in Hong Kong: assumptions vs. complex realities
• What is it like to be a student in Prof. Ting’s gender studies classroom in Hong Kong?
• LGBT+/gender-related advocacy outside the classroom in Hong Kong
• Prof. Ting’s experience: a Taiwanese American in Hong Kong, being a “bridge” between communities and places, teaching as a queer woman of color academic, experiences of discrimination in feminist/queer communities

The event will be conducted primarily in English, with partly bilingual lecture slides (English/Chinese). Small group discussion will take place using English as well as Mandarin and/or Cantonese depending upon the makeup of participants. 

Speaker:
Dr. Grace En-yi Ting 丁恩宜 (she/they) is an assistant professor of gender studies at the University of Hong Kong. She previously specialized in queer and feminist approaches to Japanese literature and popular culture. After moving to Hong Kong in 2020, she began to teach on Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan while engaging with Sinophone and Asian American studies. As a Taiwanese American, she is a heritage speaker of Mandarin, fluent in Japanese, and a beginner in Cantonese. 

She came up with the idea for “En-yi’s Queer Study”—informal lectures/events on Hong Kong planned in different cities in North America, Japan, & elsewhere—after noticing a lack of dialogue on queer/feminist issues x Hong Kong. As a queer feminist teacher and advocate, she hopes to create makeshift spaces for new connections and possibilities while sharing with others the Hong Kong that she sees.

The lecture event is co-organized by The Asian and Asian American Studies program, The Japanese Program in Modern Languages and Comparative Literature, and Baruch Japan Club

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an immersive summer opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world.

Japanese: https://clscholarship.org/languages/japanese

Applications are now open for next semester’s fiction writing course with Daphne Palasi Andreades, who is not only a Baruch alum (class of 2015) but a graduate of the Harman Program itself. 

JRN/ENG 3610/3610H: VORACIOUS STORYTELLING

Apply from the link below:
https://baruch.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0cuCSqpCqBCWZVk

Wed. 2:30 – 5:25 pm

In this fiction writing workshop, we will explore how disciplines outsideof literature—from visual art, pop culture, music, history, politics,science, and much more—as well as experimental forms, can help uscreate stories that are innovative, fresh, and in conversation with theworld at large. For example: How can we synthesize history, visual art,and pop culture into our work, so that our stories have greatercomplexity? How can we expand our storytelling repertoire beyondrealism, and integrate techniques from other genres—poetry, nonfiction,speculative fiction—into our work? How can we use experimental forms,such as vignettes, diary entries, photographs, found objects, and more, asways of expanding upon our stories’ themes? Through an-class creativewriting exercises, and by examining the work of authors and artists fromthe U.S. and around the world, we will explore these questions. Ourreadings will primarily consist of work by BIPOC and queer artists. 

Daphne Palasi Andreades’ acclaimed debut novel Brown Girls was a NewYork Times Editor’s choice, a finalist for the Center for Fiction First NovelPrize, and Baruch’s First-Year Text for 2022-23 & 2023-24. A Baruchgraduate (2015), she received an MFA from Columbia University and is the first former Harman student to return as Harman Writer-in-Residence.