Mansfield Freeman Center

One spring day in 2011, 15,000 people gathered in the streets of Tokyo, all of them singing a song that had been released online just three days prior. It was a self-cover of a love song, but re-configured and lyricized to protest the use of nuclear power in Japan following the Fukushima nuclear disaster. A tale of a teenage crush reignited at a high school reunion was turned into accusations of governmental lies about nuclear safety. Flickering love to unwavering anger. A sentiment that carried thousands to the streets. The song “Zutto Suki Datta” (“I Always Loved You”) by Kazuyoshi…

There is a quote attributed to Mao that is still used in daily conversation in China to encourage people to develop better health habits. “The healthy body is the fundamental investment for the revolutionary cause,' (or shenti shi geming de benqian)," said Ying Jia Tan, assistant professor of history and East Asian studies. To illustrate how important this sentiment has been in shaping China’s response to disease, faculty and students have curated an exhibit called “Strong Bodies for the Revolution: Pursuing Health and Power in the People’s Republic of China,” an exhibition featuring a collection of propaganda posters donated by…

Visiting Professor Talks Protest Music in Japan Following the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

“How Societies Choose to Confront Disease:” Tan and Murray on “Strong Bodies for the Revolution” Exhibition