Related Programs

Lecture

Introduction to the Exhibition—The Life of Animals in Japanese Art
May 5, noon
East Building Auditorium
Robert T. Singer, curator and department head, Japanese art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and chief curator of The Life of Animals in Japanese Art

Public Symposium

The Role and Representations of Animals in Japanese Art and Culture
June 7, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium
Moderated by Robert T. Singer, with illustrated lectures by noted scholars, including Barbara Rossetti Ambros, department chair, religious studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Rory Browne, director of the academic advising center and associate dean of Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Boston College; R. Keller Kimbrough, professor of Japanese, department of Asian languages and civilizations, University of Colorado, Boulder; Federico Marcon, Associate Professor of East Asian Studies and History, Princeton University; Daniel McKee, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University; and Miwako Tezuka, consulting curator, Reversible Destiny Foundation.

Concert

Yumi Kurosawa, koto
With special guests Anubrata Chatterjee, tabla, and Virgil Gadsen, dancer
May 19, 3:30 p.m.
West Building, West Garden Court
This performance brings together the elements of Japan's spiritual philosophy and the importance of the animal world, as represented in literature, art, dance, and music. To illustrate the soundscape of our story, the koto's melodic timbre recalls Japan's history with chant, the tabla reminds us of the heartbeat, and the featured element of dance echoes the natural world of movement.

Films

The Life of Animals in Japanese Cinema
Summer 2019
Japanese filmmaking has over the years made rich use of animal forms as symbol and object, offering varied meanings and observations about the natural world. This series of approximately 30 films—narrative features, documentaries, and shorts, both contemporary and classic—includes Hachi: A Dog's Tale, Godzilla (1954 original), What the Snow Brings, Pom Poko, Princess Raccoon, Ghost Cat of Arima Palace, Samurai Cat, Madadayo, The Hidden Fortress, Ran, I Am a Cat, and Song of the Horse. Animations by Koji Yamamura and Osamu Tezuka, Kihachirō Kawamoto puppet shorts, plus two productions from the famed Shochiku series Cinema Kabuki—Triple Lion Dance (Renjishi) and The Heron Maiden—are also featured.