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Annual Report of the ASJ Council for 2002
Our 130th anniversary began in a
festive mood, but this was unfortunately overshadowed in November by the tragic
death of our patron, H.I.H. Prince Takamado, who passed away at the untimely age
of 47. His Highness was an active supporter of the Society, attending many of
our meetings and making his own unique contribution when he addressed us on the
subject of his distinctive collection of netsuke. Sadly we shall no longer be
able to enjoy his charm, his disarming humour, and his infectious enthusiasm. Under the energetic leadership of
our President, Dr. Erich Berendt, this anniversary year was celebrated with a
number of notable events: * The Annual General Meeting was
held at the British Embassy in the presence of our Patron H.I.H. Prince
Takamado. Mr. Yoshinobu Tokugawa spoke on the collection of the Tokugawa Art
Museum in Nagoya, and the Rev. Neal Henry Lawrence, OSB, was presented by His
Highness with the first of the Society's "Patrons' Awards for Distinguished
Scholarship and Service to the Asiatic Society of Japan". * A special event was held in
Kyoto on July 20th, and this was also attended by H.I.H. Prince Takamado. We are
most grateful in particular for their hard work and meticulous planning to our
Kansai members Dr. Peter McMillan (morning and lunch) and Dr. Robert Eldridge
and Prof. Hiroko Tajima (lecture, evening reception and logistics). The day
began with a tea ceremony at the iemoto headquarters of the Omotesenke school of
tea, followed by a tour of the gardens and buildings. We were shown great
kindness and courtesy. Lunch was at the picturesque restaurant Shozan. The main
event of the day was a lecture by Dr. Hubert Durt at the Kyoto University Kaikan;
he spoke on "The Role of Yoshidayama in the Development of Shinto and
Buddhism in Kyoto", and after the lecture Dr. Durt led His Highness and
many others who had attended the lecture in a walk over Yoshidayama itself. The
final event was a reception in the private gardens of Hakusa-sonso. * The October meeting was held in
the Swedish Embassy, with Dr. Donald Keene speaking on his biography of the
Emperor Meiji in the presence of T.I.H. The Crown Prince and Princess, and T.I.H.
Prince and Princess Takamado -- the princes being a great-great-grandson and a
great-grandson of the subject of Dr. Keene's lecture. The vote of thanks was
ably given, without notes, by Prince Takamado; this was to be the last time we
were to see him. * The December meeting was held
jointly with International House. The speaker was Dr. George Packard, President
of the United States-Japan Foundation in New York City. It was attended by Mrs.
Nancy Kassebaum Baker, wife of the American Ambassador, who proposed the vote of
thanks to the speaker. * Other special lectures were
given by experts of Japanese swords and Noh drama. As in previous years, Dr. Hiroko
Nishida, chief curator of the Nezu Institute of Fine Arts, gave conducted tours
of special exhibitions: "Hizen Porcelain -- Selected Masterpieces from the
Gift of Mr. Yamamoto -- Imari, Kakiemon and Nabeshima" on June 29th (joint
tour with the College Women's Association of Japan), and "Little-Known
Karatsu Wares of the Edo Period" on November 9th. Mrs. Shigeko Tanaka
continued to make available at the meetings complimentary tickets to exhibitions
at other places. Vol. 15 of the Transactions
was published in time for the 2002 Annual General Meeting, and Vol. 16 was made
ready for publication in time for the 2003 AGM. In February the Society's office
was moved to new quarters near Myogadani station, through the kindness of
Yushodo Co., Ltd., who have made available to us a generous amount of space in
one of their offices at a nominal rent. This year also saw the moving of our
library from storage to Prof. Morton's office in Chuo University, from where it
will ultimately be moved to a more accessible location in our own office.
Yushodo, besides printing and marketing the Transactions, have also
printed for us a redesigned brochure for the Society. Record of Meetings The speakers at the monthly
meetings and the titles of their papers were as follows: January 21st, Mr. Yoshinobu Tokugawa: "The Tokugawa Art Collection: An Illustrated Lecture" at the British Embassy (Annual General Meeting) February 18th, Prof. Kei'ichi Yamanaka: "Messages of Love: A Facet of Japanese Poetic Diction" at Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen March 18th, Prof. Ian Ruxton: "Readings from the Diaries of Sir Ernest Satow, British Minister in Japan, 1895-1900: A Diplomat Returns to Japan" at Shibuya Kyoiku Gakuen April 15th, Prof. Yoneo Ishii: "Material Exchange without Human Contacts: Pre-modern Japan-Southeast Asian relations"at Seisen University May 20th, Dr. William Johnston: "Towards an Asian Christianity" at Seisen University June 17th Dr. Charles Shull: "Images of Japan: Comments on the Stereographs Imported into American Popular Culture 1860-1910" at Seisen University September 30th, Mr. Kenji Mishina: "The Rediscovery of the Japanese Sword" at Seisen University October 30th, Dr. Donald Keene: "Writing a Biography of Emperor Meiji" at the Swedish Embassy November 18th, Dr. Naohiko Umewaka: "Introduction to the Noh Theatre--the inner world of Umewaka Noh" at Seisen University December 9th, Dr. George Packard:
"Edwin O. Reischauer: historian, missionary, prophet" at International
House (joint meeting) Membership We are happy to report that our intake of new members this year was above average, totalling 61 as compared with 45 in 2001; however, the total number of members was only slightly higher, at 344 compared with 333, showing that we always need to be on the lookout for new members in order to keep up our numbers. The names and nationalities of this year's new members are as follows: (The office will, I hope, put
this into two columns, 35 and 26, or 40 and 21 ---- DS) Prof. Nobuyuki Honna, Japan Mr. Daizaburo Tonoshima, Japan Prof. Kei'ichi Yamanaka, Japan
Sadly we have also to report that
one of our members, Dr. Jinnosuke Miyai, O.B.E., passed away in May. Dr. Miyai,
who was President of the Japan Productivity Center, read a paper to the Society
in November 1987 on "The Productivity Movement in Japan". Council All the Council members of 2000
continued in office, but Dr. Murray resigned in April as he was entering on his
sabbatical year, and handed over the editorship of the Transactions to
Prof. Robert Morton. We welcomed as new members Prof. Patrick Carey of Reitaku
University, Mrs. Sayoko Arai, President of Tokyo Forum, and Mrs. Hisami
Kurokochi, former ambassador to Finland. The Council meetings were all held in
the Yushodo conference room. On March 8th, the Council held a special party in
the Mikasa Continental Hiroo restaurant to make a formal presentation to Fr.
Neal Lawrence of the certificate of the Patrons' Award given to him in January.
After three years of very active
service for the Society, our President, Dr. Erich Berendt, is laying aside the
mantle as he will be away on sabbatical in the coming year. We wish here to
express our profound gratitude to him for the way he has laboured unstintingly
to steer us through a period fraught with change and challenge. We are also losing our office
secretary of the past two years, Ms. Mutsue Nagai, who is leaving us owing to
increasing pressure of other commitments. She has given of her best, and has at
all times been a pleasure to work with. As she has now become a member of the
Society we hope we will continue to see her at our meetings! Her place will be
taken by Ms. Haru Taniguchi, who is graduating from Shirayuri University in
March. Officers, Council and
Committee Members for 2002
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