Miri Nakamura, assistant professor of Asian languages and literatures, spoke on "The Supernatural Writings of Ueda Akinari," Feb. 5 in the Freeman Center for Easy Asian Studies. Ueda Akinari (1734-1809) was a writer, poet, a medical doctor, and a scholar of the nativist movement in Edo period Japan.Nakamura explained how Akinari’s use of the supernatural is tied to his philosophy on nativism—a proto-nationalist movement that aimed to seek a “Japan” untainted by foreign (mainly Chinese) influences. Akinari's most famous works include Tales of Moonlight and Rain (1776) and Tales of the Spring Rain (1806).Vera Schwarcz, the Mansfield Freeman Professor of East Asian Studies, director of the Freeman Center, chair of the East Asian Studies Program and professor of history, listens to Nakamura's talk. (Photos by Stefan Weinberger '10)
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