W@TC: Daily Life in Nineteenth Century Japan: Reflections from a Pandemic Year

In this discussion, Professor Simon Partner will reflect on what he learned while researching the life of a samurai family during the COVID-19 pandemic year.

Partner was in Japan in 2020 to research the life of Kawai Koume, an artist and wife who recorded in her diary her experiences of the dramatic decade leading up to the 1868 Meiji Restoration (his book on Koume's life was published December 2023). Although his research was disrupted by the pandemic, it helped him with new insights into human behavior in times of fear and social, economic and political stress.

This event will be hybrid. Registration is required to join via Zoom. Light refreshments will be provided.