Produced by × JIU TIMES Vol. 19 WINTER 2017 Stone monument celebrates Chinese award-winning poet by JIU Times project aims to conserve Mizuta Sakura trees tiful sakura trees, as well as culturally valu- planted by Josai University founder Mikio able monuments that will be visited by many A ceremony to unveil a stone monument Mizuta and community residents. There are people. for a Chinese poet was held at the Awa Cam- currently 700 “sakura,” or cherry blossom, In a separate event, Josai University held pus of Josai International University in Ka- trees on the Mineoka Forest Path. “The Third V4+Japan Student Conference” at mogawa, Chiba Prefecture, on Nov. 19. The Bei monument is the first poetry its Kioicho Campus in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward, The poet, Bei Dao, is a Cikada Prize win- monument stone along the Mineoka Forest on Friday. ner whose name has been floated as a candi- Road, where there are already three haiku The conference had presenters from the date for the Nobel Prize in literature in recent monument stones, including one for haiku Visegrad 4 — the Czech Republic, Hungary, years, was present at the ceremony as he was poet Fusei Tomiyasu. The road is also nick- Poland and Slovakia — and Japan. Japanese in Japan to participate the second Cikada named Poetry/Haiku Road. JU and JIU students, exchange students from Prize Winners Commemorative Internation- The Mineoka Forest Road is expected to V4 countries and guests from V4 universities al Symposium that was held at the Kioicho become a new tourist site lined with beau- attended the conference. Campus of Josai University on Nov. 18. Bei was born in Beijing in 1949 and found- ed a literary magazine, Jintian, in 1978. The Cikada Prize winners discuss magazine was meant to promote freedom of artistic expression and received support Chinese poet Bei Dao, Josai University Educational Corporation former Chancellor Noriko Mizuta and others stand with Bei’s from many young people at a time when the modern poetry and reality stone poetry monument in Kamogawa on Nov. 19. world’s most-populated country was going through major democratic movements. by JIU Times The symposium, which consisted of scribe. factual is not as important as a work being Bei was one of the leaders in modern po- several readings and panel discussions Panelists argued that terrible incidents complete as poetry.” etry in China during 1980s, but the crack- The second Cikada Prize Winners Com- throughout the day, saw participation by are actually good subjects for poems, and Mizuta expressed her own philosophy on down on the Tiananmen Square protests memorative International Symposium was Mizuta, Cikada Prize President and former the worse the incidents, the better they are this subject. forced him into exile, and he moved around held at the Kioicho Campus of Josai Uni- Swedish Ambassador to Japan Lars Vargo for poetry. “In times of changing reality, poetry various places in Europe and the U.S. Since versity on Nov. 18, in which Josai University and Japanese, Chinese, South Korean and Bei responded with a different point of asks itself of its own meaning. Poetry is a 2007, he has lived in Hong Kong where he Educational Corporation former Chancellor Vietnamese poets. view, saying: “I’ve had doubts about real- way of expression, and thus it will survive works as professor of Humanities at the Chi- Noriko Mizuta, a Cikada Prize winner her- One of the events during the symposium ity in my life. Do novels have anything to only by asking itself of its own meaning,” nese University of Hong Kong. self, and others discussed poetry. was a panel discussion, titled “Poetry and do with reality? I would say what is said in she said. He has been awarded Sweden’s Tucholsky The Cikada Prize was founded in 2004 Reality,” with Mizuta, South Korea’s Moon a novel becomes reality. I’m always trying The symposium was hosted by the Jo- Prize, Morocco’s International Poetry Argana following the 100th anniversary com- Chung-hee, China’s Bei Dao and Vietnam’s to write what’s beyond reality, rather than sai International Center for the Promotion Award, the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Free- memoration of the birth of Nobel Prize Y Nhi taking part in the talks. All four of reality itself.” of Art and Science, co-hosted by the Japan dom to Write Award, among other awards. winner Harry Martinson, a Swedish poet. the panelists are Cikada Prize winners, and Responding to another of Vargo’s ques- Sweden Association and publisher Shityosya A panel discussion, titled “Poetry and Reality,” was held during the second The ceremony was part of the Mineoka Because of his interest in East Asian lit- Vargo moderated the panel. tions as to whether poetry should be true Co. and endorsed by several companies in- Cikada Prize Winners Commemorative Sakura Project founded by JIU’s Department erature, the prize is awarded to Asian Vargo made the point that some people to reality, Moon said: “I think it’s okay to cluding bookstore chain Kinokuniya Co. and International Symposium at the of Wellness and Tourism in April 2006. The poets. feel that reality can be too horrible to de- have a bit of a lie in poetry. For me, being The Japan Times. Kioicho Campus on Nov. 18. Foreign students get Japanese poem prizes by JIU Times The Josai University International Modern Poetry Center has awarded 12 prizes in an ef- fort to recognize international students who have created original Japanese poetry works. Dubbed “The Road Home Prize,” the ini- tiative is in honor of former Chancellor Nor- The Road Home Prize winners and judges pose at the Kioicho Campus on Jan. 27. iko Mizuta’s “Kiro” collection of poetry about international travel in a globalized world. Five students won Shorei commendation studying at Josai University (JU). Kiro is a Japanese word that literally means awards, while seven students took home Ka- Kasaku award winners were Hungarian the road home. saku (excellence) awards. students Vivien Nemeth of JU and Anita Ban- The prize, created last year, is sponsored The Shorei award winners were Jo- dzi of JIU and Chinese students Chen Xuan by publisher Shichosha and supported by nas Engesvik, a Norwegian and graduate of Hokkaido University, Huang Xiaoshuang The Japan Times and Mainichi Newspapers. student of Josai International University of the University of Tokyo, Liu Muyang of The prize is designed to build bridges be- (JIU) majoring in global communications; JIU, Tu Chuong of the Tokyo World Japanese tween Japan and international students and Andrew Campana, a Canadian studying Language School and Chen Lu of the Tokyo foster their literary and creative writing skills. at Waseda University’s School of Culture, University of Foreign Studies. “International students come to Japan Media and Society; Ukrainian Adelina To- Speaking on behalf of the award winners, and study Japanese very hard to be able to rubara, who is studying at JIU’s Faculty of Campana said, “Receiving such honorable write poems in it. That’s wonderful. I hope Media Studies; Luo Lijie of China, who is awards, we will keep walking the path of you will continue to write poems and sur- working on a doctorate in comparative cul- Japanese language learning and writing po- prise us,” said Mizuta. ture at JIU; and Xiao Bolun, a Chinese man ems in Japanese.” Mikio Mizuta Memorial Global Award by JIU Times Seven goals toward becoming Inside This Issue Joe Price, the director of the Shin’enKan a leading university in the world Scene on Campus Foundation, was conferred the Mikio Mizuta Memorial Global Award for his contribution 7 J-Vision (2016-2020) Page 2 in paintings from the Edo Period, including «▶ » Ito Jakuchu’s works. 1. Expanding the capabilities of our students to serve society ▶▶ New Chancellor’s New Price was the first recipient of the award, es- 2. Developing human resources with an international mindset and ex- tablished by Josai University Educational Cor- tensive knowledge of Japanese culture Year’s greeting poration in commemoration of the 50th anni- 3. Continually improving the quality of our educational programs, in col- laboration with local and international communities versary of its founding in 2015. Mikio Mizuta, Views from Abroad a former finance minister, is the corporation’s 4. Improving our research capabilities and promoting innovation founder and a statesman who devoted himself 5. Enriching the campus environment through internationalization and networking Page 3 to Japan’s postwar recovery, achievement of 6. Establishing a stronger university governance system to support the economic growth and the elevation of Japan’s dynamic development of teaching, research and contributions to the ▶▶ Exchange students discuss position in international society. Erina Uema, a student from the Faculty of International Humanities, preparing to community “Right now, Jakuchu is enjoying a boom interview Etsuko and Joe Price right after the award ceremony. 7. Strengthening the impact of our communication capabilities and so- their experiences and Price started that boom,” said Motoyuki cial presence Ono, the chancellor ad interim of Josai Univer- collector of Japanese art and has held various paintings, without even knowing who painted it. About Josai University Educational Corporation’s Medium-Term Goals JU Corner sity Educational Corporation. “I am pleased to exhibitions of items from his collection, igniting “I could not figure out why I liked (Jaku- The Josai University Educational Corporation Medium-Term Goals (2016-2020) are hold the first award ceremony and I would like the current Jakuchu craze. He also organized chu’s works) so much. Finally, after years of comprised of seven “J-Visions.” These seven visions are inter-related, multiplying their Page 4 to continue with the second and third.” exhibitions of his Jakuchu collections in 2013 in studying, I realized it wasn’t the image.