The hard work of Sachiyo Kanzaki and her team at UQAM created a very successful conference October 24-27, 2024. 

Attendance at JSAC’s 36th meeting was the highest In many years, as the site and bilingual format attracted a broad range of scholars who spoke to a timely theme, “A laboratory for a future Japan”, which was inspired by Expo 2025 in Osaka linking Japan’s past, present and future with its Society 5.0 initiative and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The conference’s opening featured a lecture by Bernard Bernier (University of Montreal) followed by remarks by prominent dignitaries including Kanji Yamanouchi (Ambassador of Japan to Canada), Christine Nakamura (VP, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada), Laurie Peters (Director General, Canada’s Participation at Expo 2025 Osaka), Claude-Yves Charron (former Delegate General of Quebec in Tokyo), and David Rangdrol (Head of Japan, Korea and Oceania Desk, Ministry of International Relations and La Francophone (Quebec). 

The sessions Friday through Sunday ranged across several topics, including: “Les « animes » japonais diffusés à la télévision québécoise de langue française entre 1980 et 1999” (Phillippe Fournelle, UQAM), “The spread of Japanese culture I Toronto 1970- (Norie Yazu, Kwansei Gakuin University), “Japan’s Strategic Quest for Leadership in the Global Artificial Intelligence Landscape” (Scott Harrison, SFU) and “What's new in Japan's middle class? Neoliberalism, Globalization, and Digitalization”(Hiroki Igarashi, Chiba University).

Expo-themed talks examined the display of “computer physiognomy” at Expo ’70 in Osaka (Takahiro Yamamoto, Singapore University of Technology and Design), “Robert Lepage and the Osaka Expo 1970 and 2025” (Mai Kanzaki, Doshisha University), “Canada’s presence at the 1970 Osaka Expo” (Kenji Suzuki, Doshisha’s Women’s College of Liberal Arts) and the “Anti-Expo “Environment” as Transpacific Art Movements: Artists’ Critical Responses to Expo '70” (Yuta Shimoyama, University of Tokyo). 

The many excellent student presentations offered a glimpse of the future of Japan Studies.  The Klaus Pringsheim Awards for best student presentations went to Elsa Chanez (Washington University in St. Louis) for “Histoires Comiques Bilingues : Traduction, adaptation et humour dans le rakugo d'Ogino Anna”, Victor Bélanger (UQAM) for “Le techno-hōyō: une nouvelle forme de hōyō Jōdo Shinshū” and Chris White (Western University) for “Contentious Islands and the Loss of "Manageable Instability" in East Asia”.

The best aspect of the conference was, as always, connecting with old friends and making new ones who share our interest in Japan.  It was wonderful to acknowledge two of JSAC founders Bernard Bernier and Fumiko Ikawa-Smith at the banquet.

Thanks go to UQAM for welcoming us and the Japan Foundation for their continued support.