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From the late twelfth through mid-thirteenth century the conditions of the
Japanese courtly world shifted dramatically, impacting the lives of
aristocratic women and men and giving rise to new forms of cultural
expression. As civil wars began, the aristocratic system of government was
supplanted by Kamakura institutions embodying samurai authority, a
transition that resonated within the socio-literary field. The crumbling of
old power structures and establishment of new ones created unique
opportunities for cultural production and enabled the rise of select female
writers whose aesthetic often responded to the waning of courtly elegance
through expressions of melancholy, reminiscence, and impermanence, ideals
also reflected in the religious sphere.Despite increasingly limited
patronage, and sometimes precarious positions, women continued to write and
carry out literary and ascetic practices. Extant sources show how people
such as Kenreimon-in, Shikishi Naishinnō, Shunzei’s Daughter, Abutsu-ni,
and Eshin-ni responded to challenging circumstances with ingenuity and a
myriad of approaches. This workshop will take up these women as
personalities, both powerful and controversial, examining them as talented
individuals born in difficult times.Program:Friday, May 22th9:30: Sonja
Arntzen (University of Toronto) & Moriyuki Itô (Gakushuin Women’s
University), “Takasue’s Daughter: Writing and Faith in Times of
Trouble”Rajyashree Pandey (Tallinn University/Goldsmiths College,
London), “Poetry, Sex and Salvation: The ‘Courtesan’ and the
Noblewoman in Medieval Japanese Narratives”11:00-11:15 Coffee and tea
break11:15: Edith Sarra (University of Indiana), “Likeable Ladies: Late
Heian Conversations About Ideal Women”Robert Khan (School of Oriental and
African Studies, University of London)
“Just a Beautiful Lyre: Medieval
Fictionality, Sexuality, and the Supernatural Female
Musician”12:45-14:00: Lunch break14:00: Miika Osamitsu (University of
Helsinki)
“Dream-text in Shinkokinshû: Poetic Response to Women’s
Salvation”Rein Raud (Tallinn University/University of
Helsinki)
“Textual/Personal: Strategies of Symbolic Success for Late
Heian/Early Kamakura Creative Women”15:30-15:45 Coffee and tea
break15:45: Monika Dix (University of Hawaii)
“Motherhood, Misery,
and Agency in Heian Women’s Self-Writing: A Case Study of the Jôjin
Ajari no haha no shû”Kimura Saeko (Tsuda University)
“Towazugatari
as a Writing of Salvation”Saturday, May 23th9:30: Rieko Kamei-Dyche
(University of Southern California), “Gathering Old Leaves in New Winds:
Ômiya-in and the Commissioning of the Fuyôshû”Ethan Segal (Michigan
State University)
“Memory, Gender and Politics in the Life of Hôjô
Masako”11:00-11:15 Coffee and tea break11:15:  Rose Bundy
(University of Kalamazoo), “Men in Their Sights: Anecdotes about Women
Poets in Fukuro zôshi”Stefania Burk (University of British Columbia),
“The Last Empress? Eifukumon-in and the Poetics of Empress-ness at the
End of the Kamakura Period”12:45-14:00 Lunch break14:00:  Laeticia
Söderman (University of Helsinki), “The Many Faces of the Faithful
Eshinni”Aleksi Järvelä (University of Helsinki), “Kôan waka: An
Attempt at Existence”15:30-15:45 Coffee and tea break15:45:  C. Miki
Wheeler (University of California, Davis), “Of Memory and Traditions in
Times of Trouble: The Case of Kengozen, Experienced
Lady-in-Waiting”Christina Laffin (University of British Columbia),
“Love, Locks, and Loyalty: Nunhood in the Diaries of Abutsu-ni
(1222-1283)”Miika Pölkki (Helsinki University), “Abutsu-ni”17:30
Closing receptionAdditional information:Lauri Kitsnik,
lauri.kitsnik@tlu.ee, 56664377