Carmen Blacker Lecture – Paragons of Culture: The Soft Power of the Japanese Emperors

In this third annual Carmen Blacker Lecture Series, Professor Ben-Ami Shillony will examine the role of the imperial family in Japan. The emperors of Japan, for at least the last twelve hundred years, lacked political, military, economic and judicial power. Nevertheless, their dynasty has never been toppled or challenged. The enormous prestige of the imperial family derived not only from the belief that the emperors were descendants of the Sun Goddess, but also from the soft power which they wielded as paragons of culture. Detached from the hard power of other heads of state, they engaged in performing religious rites, composing poetry, compiling anthologies and pursuing arts. The imperial court played a crucial role in the cultural development of Japan. It preserved Shinto, patronized Buddhism, advanced Chinese civilization, promoted Confucianism, and championed Western culture. The Sh?wa emperor started a new tradition of imperial family members engaging in science. During the period between 1894 and 1945, when the emperors were used to sanction Japan’s wars of aggression, their cultural activities continued unabated. Today the imperial family of Japan excels in science and poetry more than any other royal family in the world.

 

The Carmen Blacker Lecture Series honours the memory and scholarship of Carmen Blacker (1924-2009). Each year a senior scholar will lecture on a theme related to Japanese religion or folklore. Professor Ben-Ami Shillony was twice awarded the Michael Milken Prize for Excellence in Teaching. In 2000 the Emperor of Japan, through the Japanese ambassador to Israel, bestowed on him the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver star (Kun-nito Zuihosho). In October 2010 he received the Japan Foundation Award and was granted an audience with the emperor and empress. The Japan Society and Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures are pleased to have the opportunity to present Professor Ben-Ami Shillony as part of this series.

 

Free – booking recommended

To reserve your place, please call the Japan Society office on 020 7828 6330 or email events@japansociety.org.uk or submit the online booking form.