Attending the Mita Historical Society Conference 2024

On Saturday, June 22, 2024, I attended the annual conference of the Mita Historical Society. I am a member of the society, although not as an active researcher myself — mostly the kind of member who pays the annual fee and enjoys reading Shigaku, the society’s journal published three times a year.
the Mita Historical Society

The morning session, beginning at 10:00 AM, was divided into four parallel sections: Japanese History, Asian History, Western History, and Folklore & Archaeology. Each section featured four presentations by researchers sharing the results of their work. Since all four sessions ran simultaneously, it was impossible to attend everything that looked interesting if the schedules overlapped.

I was able to join from the second presentation of the Asian History section. My academic advisor and sub-advisor were both present in the room, so casually slipping out to another session was not really an option. As a result, I spent the entire morning attending the remaining three presentations in the Asian History section.

Afterward, I had lunch at the campus cafeteria, which was both inexpensive and surprisingly good. While wandering around campus afterward, it was suddenly time for the afternoon symposium to begin.

This year’s symposium theme was:

“The Sea, Knowledge, and Diplomacy — Intellectual Networks of the Early Modern and Modern World Through the Lens of Individuals.”

Following an introduction by Associate Professor Satoshi Katsunuma of Keio University’s Faculty of Letters, presentations were given by Professor Akito Kudo of Gakushuin University and Professor Hidemitsu Kuroki of the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. There were many fascinating discussions, including topics related to the coral trade.

From 5:45 PM, a reception party was held at “The Cafeteria” on the 4th floor of the South Building. I had a wonderful time speaking with many people there. Some attendees also showed interest in Maplat, and I was very happy to introduce it to them. I hope it may prove useful for both research and personal projects.