A Documentary on the Chronicles of Japan 日本書紀

 The university students's television studio at Kōgakkan University have completed an English version of a documentary on the Chronicles of Japan 日本書紀. 

I provided a brief introduction to it at the beginning. However, the rest of the English narration in the video was provided by one of Ms. Kunimoto, who was responsible for the project from the initial planning stages to the final editing. 

Below is a transcription of my introduction to the video:

"Hello, and welcome to this video documentary. My name is Christopher Mayo, and I am a faculty member at Kogakkan University 皇學館大学. Our university is located in Ise City, Mie Prefecture. It is one of only two universities in Japan where students can become certified as Shinto priests. One of the most sacred sites in the Shinto tradition, the Ise Jingu shrine complex 伊勢神宮, is located nearby. The documentary you are about to watch was produced by the Kogakkan University Student Television Station, which is run by students who create the material from start to finish, including the planning, filming, and editing of videos. This documentary is focused on an ancient text called the Nihon Shoki, or Chronicles of Japan. The Nihon shoki 日本書紀, or Nihongi, was compiled and written down in the eighth century based on earlier written records and oral traditions. As the first of the so-called Six State Histories 六国史, or Rikkokushi, it took the form of an official history. The first two volumes contained material dealing with the divine origins of Japan. The remainder followed the activities of Japan’s sovereigns up until the end of Empress Jitō’s reign in 697. W.G. Aston first translated it into English in 1896. As this video explains, the Nihon shoki remains a key source for anyone interested in learning more about Japanese beliefs, customs, history, and ideas. We hope you enjoy the video."

 

“Images of Ise in Essays in Idleness at the Intersection of Literature and History”『徒然草』における伊勢像 ～文学と歴史の接点～

I recently gave a talk in Japanese about Kenkō’s Essays in Idleness at Isuzujuku 五十鈴塾, a beautifully maintained set of traditional-style buildings in Ise that hosts educational and cultural events. The title was “Images of Ise in Essays in Idleness at the Intersection of Literature and History”『徒然草』における伊勢像 ～文学と歴史の接点～. 

Although most people in Japan are familiar with the text, researchers generally focus on literary and cultural themes rather than the connections made between the words on the pages and physical places. In my talk, I examined images of Ise that appeared in this 14th-century medieval text authored by an individual known to us by the name of Kenkō. What I tried to do is to read Japanese history through the text, especially passages related to Ise such as the 24th and 50th essays in it.  I hope that the participants found it as enjoyable as I did to explore history, culture, and ideas in this text.

This is a brief description in Japanese that I used for the talk:「兼好法師が十四世紀に著した『徒然草』を題材にして、そこに描かれた伊勢像を考えてみます。第二十四段の「斎王の野宮におはしますありさまこそ」や第五十段の「伊勢国より、女の鬼に成りたるを」などの文学を通して日本文化史を読んでみませんか。このお馴染みの古典文学を「伊勢」という視点から見直してみたい方は、ぜひご参加ください。」

If you ever have an opportunity to visit Ise or Ise Shrine 伊勢神宮, please stop by and join a class or take a look at the Isuzujuku buildings.

Publication: 「これ英語で何と言うの？」身の回りのモノ・コト英語小辞典

 Toyozumi Makoto and Christopher M. Mayo メイヨークリストファー, proofreader 校閲. “Kore Eigo de nan to iu no?”: Mi no mawari no mono, koto Eigo jiten. 「これ英語で何と言うの？」身の回りのモノ・コト英語小辞典. Ise City: Kōgakkan University Press 皇學館大学出版部, 2022年9月25日.

Professor Toyozumi wrote this dictionary for teachers in K-12 who are teaching English and want to be able to use words and phrases that are familiar to students in their school and social environment. He invited me to do the proofreading for it, and we spent quite a bit of time with each entry, trying to find the best English equivalent and providing Japanese explanations as necessary.

Publication: 図録 特別展「生きる正倉院―伊勢神宮と正倉院が紡ぐもの―」

 Jingū Shichō 神宮司庁. Zuroku tokubetsu ten: Ikiru Shōsōin: Ise Jingū to Shōsōin ga tsumugu mono 図録　特別展「生きる正倉院―伊勢神宮と正倉院が紡ぐもの―」. Ise City: Jingū Shichō 神宮司庁, 2022年9月13日. (English translation 翻訳: Mayo, Christopher M. メイヨークリストファー, et al.)

Ise Jingū organized a gorgeous exhibition of sacred shrine objects to be displayed with the replicas of items from the Shōsōin treasures, which are designed and crafted in the original manner with no expense spared. I worked with the organizers and Professor Emeritus Sakurai Haruo 櫻井治男 to complete the translation, which was a complicated and time-consuming project that had many challenging constraints. Thanks to the tremendous efforts of everyone involved, though, I think we were able to produce a solid English translation that can be a useful reference for future exhibitions.

Publication: “Teaching Premodern Japanese Violence: History and Heritage in the Classroom”

 Mayo, Christopher M. メイヨークリストファー. “Teaching Premodern Japanese Violence: History and Heritage in the Classroom.” In Kōgakkan ronsan: Kōgakkan Daigaku sōritsu hyakuyonjū shūnen saikō rokujū shūnen kinen 皇学論纂: 皇學館大学創立百四十周年再興六十周年記念, 739–736. Ise City: Kōgakkan University 皇學館大学, 2022年3月31日. 

I translated and revised an essay I originally wrote in Japanese for a 2021 publication, 交錯する宗教と民族―交流と衝突の比較史. I think I was able to expand and deepen some of the points I made in the original Japanese essay. The essay is included in a beautiful volume that was published to commemorate Kogakkan University's founding 140 years ago and its re-opening after the war 60 years ago. Although my essay was a small contribution, it was quite an honor to be part of the university's long tradition of scholarship.

Publication: 日本中世の「暴力」と現代の「教育」

 Mayo, Christopher M. メイヨークリストファー. “Nihon chūsei no ‘bōryoku’ to gendai no ‘kyōiku’ 日本中世の「暴力」と現代の「教育」. In Kōsaku suru shūkyō to minzoku: Kōryū to shōtotsu no hikakushi 交錯する宗教と民族―交流と衝突の比較史. Edited by Kage Toshio 鹿毛敏夫, 161–180. Tokyo: Bensei Shuppan 勉誠出版, 2021年7月5日.

This edited volume was the product of a research project led by scholars at Nagoya Gakuin University 名古屋学院大学. They kindly invited me to join it, and I think it was a great experience for everyone involved. Looking back on it, I am amazed we managed to do so much during the pandemic. 

Publication: Communities and Sacred Spaces: Canterbury and Ise in Historical and Cultural Context

 Mayo, Christopher M. メイヨークリストファー, ed. Communities and Sacred Spaces: Canterbury and Ise in Historical and Cultural Context. Ise City: Kogakkan University 皇學館大学, 2020年3月19日.

This international collaboration between scholars in Japan and the UK is the first edited volume I have published. It focuses on topics related to the Shinto shrine of Jingu in Ise and the Christ Church Cathedral in Canterbury.