Frankenreads Q&A: University of Tokyo

Frankenreads

Oct 12

Written By

We continue the Frankenreads Q&A series today by presenting an interview with Professor Nahoko Miyamoto Alvey, organizer of Frankenreads at The University of Tokyo. The University of Tokyo's Frankenreads schedule includes a public lecture on the 'Power of Language and Power of Science: Celebrating the 200^th Anniversary of Frankenstein' to be held on November 16. Sophia University Tokyo is also holding a Frankenreads symposium on 'Humanity and the Post-Human in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein' this weekend (October 14). Click here for more information.

What made you want to participate in Frankenreads, and what do you think is the relevance of Mary Shelley's iconic novel today?The idea of participating in an international, interdisciplinary project excited us and last year we discussed how to contribute to Frankenreads from Japan, a country geographically and culturally very much different from where the novel was first conceived and published.The novel continues to be relevant in countless ways, but the most important lesson for all of us, regardless of age, gender, nationality and profession, is, we think, the theme of what it is to be human(e) and how to become human(e). We focus on three aspects of the novel’s meaning in this regard: Mary Shelley’s insight into the ethics of science; the ways in which her 'hideous progeny' has gone out and prospered in various disciplines and in many parts of the world; and her emphasis on the importance of reading, through which we know different worlds and learn the subtle and delicate workings of the human mind. We would like to add that there is an additional relevance of the novel for young students who study English as a foreign language: the importance of learning foreign languages. The first language of Victor and his creature is French, but they also learn German and English. It is in English that they speak to Walton, who laments being monolingual.What are you doing for Frankenreads, who is involved, and what makes your Frankenreads event unique?Our Frankenreads project is unique in that we try to tailor our events not just to scholars of English literature but to all who are interested in Frankenstein (whether they read it or not) because we want to share its importance as widely as possible. For that reason, we collaborate with scientists and work together with the other Japanese universities and academic associations that have joined Frankenreads.Our events were held in English, with an eye to welcoming participants from abroad. We started by participating in an international conference, 'Romantic Regenerations', held July 6-8 at the University of Tokyo’s Komaba Campus and Sophia University, jointly, and funded by two large national grants (JSPS B 15H03187 [rep. Kaz Oishi, University of Tokyo], and JSPS B 16H03396 [rep. Kimiyo Ogawa, Sophia University]). The opening lecture, at Sophia University, was 'Frankenstein and Manga', a joint lecture by Alan Bewell (University of Toronto) and Nahoko Miyamoto Alvey (University of Tokyo). On the second day, at the University of Tokyo, Tomoko Nakagawa (a Frankenreads rep. for the University of Sacred Heart, Tokyo) gave a paper on the first Japanese translation of Frankenstein, 'An Ukiyo-e Artist Regenerating the Cultural "Other": Kobayashi Kiyochika and Frankenstein'. The conference was followed on July 11 by two events at the University of Tokyo: a special lecture by Alan Bewell, 'Frankenstein and Modernity' (co-funded by JSPS B 16H03396 [Kimiyo Ogawa] and JSPS C 18K00409 [Nahoko Miyamoto Alvey]), and a workshop by graduate students of the University of Tokyo, 'Reading Frankenstein and the Origin and Extinction of Species’ with Professor Alan Bewell (JSPS C 18K00409).In the fall semester, our events are organized mainly in Japanese, but with the English text of Frankenstein. I am teaching Frankenstein to the first-year students in both humanities and sciences (who are making many interesting discoveries). Our next event will be a public lecture, 'Power of Language and Power of Science: Celebrating the 200^th Anniversary of Frankenstein', that I will give as part of the Special Friday Lectures for High School and University Students offered by the University of Tokyo’s College of Arts and Sciences. It will be held at the Hall of Building 18 on Komaba Campus from 17:30-19:00 on November 16, and also broadcasted live to those high schools that are registered to this program, with a videoconference question-and-answer period to follow. On December 1, I will join as a respondent in another Frankenreads event, in Kyoto—a special symposium commemorating the 200^th anniversary of the novel’s publication, presided over by the president of the Japan Shelley Studies Center, Miharu Abe. Finally, we are also planning to publish a collection of essays on Frankenstein written by scholars in the humanities and sciences.The Eye of Gyre art gallery in Tokyo is also holding a special exhibition, 'Frankenstein in 2018: Bio-art throws light on art, science, and society today', until October 14. Click here for more information.