20. Treffen des Arbeitskreises Vormoderne japanische Literatur: Zeit in der vormodernen japanischen Literatur

足びきの 山鳥の尾の しだり尾の 長々し夜も 明けてける哉（道元）

Universität Zürich, 2.–4. September 2020

Organisation: Raji C. Steineck, Simone Müller, Sebastian Balmes

20. Treffen des Arbeitskreises Vormoderne japanische Literatur: Zeit in der vormodernen japanischen Literatur

On the 2.–4. September 2020, the working group on premodern Japanese literature of the Gesellschaft für Japanforschung came together for their yearly conference, this time hosted by University of Zurich.

The conference marked a special occasion: the 20th anniversary of the working group. To honour this milestone, the conference opened with a reflection on the past 20 years by Prof. Judit Árokay, one of the founding members of the group.

Following this introduction, both established researchers and doctoral students presented research on a broad range of subjects related to the conference theme of „Time in premodern Japanese literature“. Notably, the themes spanned - on a temporal dimension - from investigations into Manyōshū poetry from the 8th century to the study of contemporary renga-poetry groups. Aside from diverse studies of poetry, various presentations revolved around monasteries and religious practices, and ritual at the imperial court. The final day of the conference was dedicated to an in depth discussion and synthesis of the points raised during the previous days.

The working group was very happy to have the opportunity to come together on its 20th anniversary, despite the challenges faced because of the pandemic. The event organisation required thoughtfulness, and the careful development of an adequate safety concept. The conference took place in the aula - a more formal setting than usual - in order to adhere to social distancing regulations. And for the first time it was conducted partly online, with some presenters joining remotely.

Thanks to these safety measures, and the patience and consideration of all participants, the conference was a full success.

Website of the working group: http://www.japanischeliteratur.de/home

Photo by Jannick Scherrer