• Notice of schedule change and cancellation
• Business Overview
• 2021 Kyoto Studies Course




• Infection Prevention Initiatives and Requests
• Criteria for deciding whether to open courses when a state of emergency is declared (extended)
• Inquiries

AY2021 Kyoto Studies Schedule Change and Cancellation Notice

Due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection, we would like to inform you that we have decided on a replacement date for the following three courses, which have been postponed.

[Schedule change]

Saturday, February 19 (Revised from Saturday, September 11)
“The Black Death, a Pandemic of Threat that Struck Europe in the Early Modern Period”

Saturday, February 26 (changed from Saturday, August 28)
“Kyoto’s Bon Festival: Sending the Dead with the Ancestral Spirits”

Saturday, March 19 (Revised from Saturday, August 21)
“Thinking about Ancient Epidemics: Epidemics in Heijokyo and Heiankyo”

Please refer to the revised leaflet for details

Business Overview

The University Consortium Kyoto has been publishing the results of its research in Kyoto studies as the “Kyoto Studies Course” at Plaza College, which was established in 2001. Since 2009, we have been conducting an annual theme from among various events related to Kyoto as part of the Kyoto Skills Development Course at Miyako College, a lifelong learning project that opens up the university’s knowledge resources to the community, which is operated in cooperation with Kyoto City.

Kyoto City Collaborative Project

2021 Kyoto Studies Course

Theme: Tracing Back to Factor X: Kyoto and the Plague

Outline of the event

Kyoto, which has long been densely populated with people and has been active in foreign travel, was destined to be prone to frequent epidemics of infectious diseases. Right now, the world is in the midst of the onslaught of the new coronavirus. Japan is no exception. However, it is not under strict alert like in other countries, and strange daily life continues. In the background, there may be hidden factors in the simple beliefs, lifestyles, and ways of thinking of Japan people. We will trace “Factor X”, which cannot be easily verified, together with experts in each field.

Date

Saturday, June 5, 2021 ~ Saturday, October 30, 2021 Capacity for each course: 130 people
【Morning Course】 10:00~11:30 (Reception 9:30~)
【Afternoon Course】 12:30~14:00 (Reception 12:00~)
※Both lectures have the same content.

Venue

Campus Plaza Kyoto, 4th Floor, Lecture Room 2
(Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Nishitoin-dori, Shiokoji)

Fees

10,000 yen (10 basic courses)
* A separate application and participation fee is required for the practical course.

About the application

The application has been closedFor details, please refer to the “Kyoto College Page”.
https://www.consortium.or.jp/project/sg/details

Contents

University Consortium Kyoto Kyoto Skills Training Course Kyoto Studies Leaflet Schedule Changed Edition [PDF]

A commemorative lecture will be heldSubmissions are now closed.

A commemorative lecture will be held as the opening project of the 2021 Kyoto College Kyoto Studies Course.

2021 Kyoto Studies Commemorative Lecture
“What is ‘Factor X’: From ‘Language’ and ‘Science'”

Lecturer:

Shinya Yamanaka
(Director, Professor, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, President, Kyoto University iPS Cell Research Foundation)
Beni Nagata
(Poet, Center for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Education and Research, Kyoto University, Specially Appointed Assistant Professor, Specializing in Cell Biology) Kazuhiko Kobayashi (Professor, Faculty of Cultural Studies, Kyoto Sangyo University)

Date:

Saturday, March 13, 2021

Time:

13:30 ~ 15:00 (Doors open at 13:00)

Venue:

Campus Plaza Kyoto, 4th Floor, Lecture Room 2

Capacity:

130 people (advance registration required) * If there are many applications, a lottery will be held.

Participation Fee:

free

Here’s how to apply:

Basic Courses

Saturday, June 5, 2021 “Through Shinto Exorcism”

Lecturer: Mr. Mitsutaka Inui, World Cultural Heritage Kamobetsu Rai Shrine

Kyoto, which has functioned as a capital for a long time, is also evidence that there was an awareness of a sustainable society. In order to prevent the spread of the plague and to pass on the wisdom of passing on to our children and grandchildren on a daily basis, we will check through the “festival” that has been passed down to the present. Let’s examine together whether there are any hints for the future that can be seen from it.

Saturday, June 26, 2021 “The Founding and Transition of the Gion Festival: From the Festival of Epidemic Eradication to the Festival of the Giant City”

Lecturer: Toru Yagi, Professor, Faculty of History, Bukkyo University

There are various theories about the founding of the Goreikai, the predecessor of the Gion Festival, and the exact date is unknown. However, it is certain that it has a history of at least 1,100 years from the Heian period to the present day. It is not difficult to imagine that the Gion Festival has undergone many changes over the course of its eternal history. In order to understand this process, in this course, we will divide the turning points into seven major periods and consider the characteristics of each period.

Saturday, July 24, 2021 “The Life of the Common People and the Plague in the Dynasty -Machi and the Life of the People in Kyoto-” [Substituted on May 22]

Lecturer: Mitsuo Inoue, Director, Kyoto City Historical Museum, Professor Emeritus, Kyoto Sangyo University

During the dynastic period, plagues constantly struck the people living in the city of Kyoto. Rather, it was the fate of a densely populated city. It is unlikely that ordinary people will benefit from medicine, so the damage was significant. But you have to live. It is not easy to find out what the lives of ordinary people are like in such an era, but I would like to get as close to their actual situation as possible.

Saturday, July 31, 2021 “The Elder of the Province and His Glory Bringing Illness to Luck -The Successive Deaths of the Mother and Brother, the Ouster of Emperor Sanjo, and the Song of the Mochizuki”-“

Lecturer: Hisashi Kukutani, Professor Emeritus, Doshisha Women’s University, President of the Paleological Society

Fujiwara Michinaga, who enjoyed “this world” as “my world,” lived a long life at the age of 62, even though he was sickly. He had many illnesses, including a serious illness at the age of 33 that made him want to leave the house, but he is in good spirits at important moments. This is something that those who stand at the top should be aware of. She was also blessed with children who became queens, and many talented women served there. Murasaki Shikibu was one of them, and without Michicho, The Tale of Genji would not have appeared in this world.

October 2, 2021 (Sat) “National Treasure “Sick Grass Paper” -Heian Picture Scroll Problem Works-“

Lecturer: Dr. Rintaro Inami, Researcher, Kyoto National Museum

“Sick Grass Paper” is a picture scroll from the end of the Heian period that depicts people with various diseases and deformities. It was originally transmitted in one volume, but before the war, they were separated one by one, and nine of them in the collection of the Kyoto National Museum are designated as national treasures. This work, which depicts a unique and unusual subject, is believed to have been established against the backdrop of the Pure Land Buddhist faith, which wishes to leave this world and be reincarnated in the Pure Land of Paradise. However, I would like to talk about the mystery and charm of this problematic work, which cannot be fully understood by itself.

October 16, 2021 (Sat) “Smallpox and Medicine in Kyoto”

Lecturer: Toyoko Kasai, Professor, Department of Sociology, Bukkyo University

In the past, there was a plague that broke out every few years and killed many people. High fever is followed by a large red rash on the skin. Everyone suffers from it once, but never again in their lifetime. What is the cause of this mysterious plague and how best to deal with it? In Kyoto, which was the center of medical research until the Meiji period, various theories and coping methods were devised. We will look at the history of medicine in Kyoto to see how people have dealt with the unknown plague.

Saturday, October 30, 2021 “Plague in the Muromachi Period in the Middle Ages -Centered on the 13th Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru-“

Lecturer: Michiko Hayama, President, Kyoto Society for the History of Medicine

Since mankind inhabited this earth, has there ever been a time when we have not been plagued by plagues until the present day? Speaking of plagues, smallpox must be the first to be the spearhead of the plague. After all, until the eradication declaration was issued in 1980, people were directly threatened with death once they were infected. This story will focus on the smallpox of Ashikaga Yoshiteru, the 13th shogun of the Muromachi period in the Middle Ages in Japan, and explore the people around the capital and their historical background.

Saturday, February 19, 2022 “The Black Death, a Pandemic Threatening Crisis That Hit Europe in the Middle and Early Modern Period”
[September 11: Substitute date]

Lecturer: Naotake Ishizaka, Professor Emeritus, Doshisha University

In recent years, the modern world has been suffering from the new coronavirus, but looking back on history, the pandemic raged in Europe in the Middle Ages and the early modern period, and had a great impact on human society and culture. New discoveries can be made by reviewing history from the Black Death (plague). Let’s take a look at religion, art, and society from the perspective of the impact of the Black Death, and organically take into account their relationship with Kyoto.

February 26, 2022 (Sat) “Kyoto’s Bon Festival: Sending the Dead with the Ancestral Spirits”
[August 28: Substitute date]

Lecturer: Tadaki Murakami, Professor, Faculty of Cultural Studies, Kyoto Sangyo University

Kyoto’s Bon Festival is based on an event to welcome off the spirits of one’s ancestors, but it has also been fostered as an event over the years to send spirits that have the potential to harm the living. Perhaps the best example of this is the “Kyoto Gozan Fire Festival,” which involves the city and surrounding areas and turns it into a major pageant on the stage of the Kyoto Basin. In addition, there are various spirit-sending events in each town and Jizo Bon in each region. Through these events, let’s think about the mentality behind them.

Saturday, March 19, 2022 “Thinking about Ancient Epidemics -Epidemics in Heijokyo and Heiankyo-“
[August 21: Substitute date]

Lecturer: Hitomiko Sawada, Novelist

In the history of Japan, records of epidemics of plague appear frequently. We will also decipher ancient epidemics that took the lives of those in power or had a great influence on the course of Japan history based on historical sources such as “Japan Shoki” and “Continuation of Japan Ki”. You will also be exposed to the Chinese historical documents themselves, so you will be able to think more clearly about the events contained in the short words.

On-the-job training

In the Kyoto Studies Course, we incorporate “hands-on courses” in which you can actually experience Kyoto in the field.
※In order to participate in the practical course, you need to apply for the basic course.

Practical lecture (1) Tuesday, July 20, 2021 Scheduled start time: 15:30-16:30
Ghost Ceremony and Pilgrimage to the Mountains -The Mystery of the Treasures of “Koi Mountain”- Cancelled

Lecturer: Mr. Shigeharu Sugita, Advisor, Koiyama Preservation Society

The Gion Festival began as a prayer meeting to quell the epidemic of plague in Kyoto during the Heian period. Eventually, a mountain and a bowl appeared there, and it developed as a people’s festival. From 1500 after the Onin War, the townspeople took the lead in making the mountains and bowls gorgeous by competing with each other. It is decorated with tapestries collected from all over the world and sculptures made by master craftsmen. Here is the riddle of the treasure that “Koi Mountain” has.

Practical lecture (2) Saturday, December 4, 2021 Scheduled start time: 10:00-12:00/13:30-15:30
From the precincts of the shrine to Maruyama Park, tracing the transformation of Gionsha, a sacred place for “epidemic prevention” -How the relationship between the plague and urban residents changed the location-

Lecturer: Mr. Hideyuki Umebayashi, Director of the Kyoto High and Low Cliff Association, Part-time Lecturer, Kyoto Notre Dame Women’s University
Lecturer: Tomoo Kawashima, Professor, Institute of Contemporary Home Economics, Kyoto Kacho University

Located in the eastern suburbs of Heian-kyo, Gion Shrine (now Yasaka Shrine) served as a center of “spirit worship” and symbolically supported the epidemic prevention of urban residents. On the other hand, since the Meiji era, most of the precincts of Gion have been reborn as a new public space called “Maruyama Park” in parallel with the modern institutionalization of public health. Why was the infrastructure of parks necessary in modern cities? From the perspective of “epidemic prevention”, let’s trace the history of religious spaces and urban infrastructure on the ground.

◆ About each course

It is not possible to take each lecture one at a time.
However, the basic course is limited to 25 students each time, and regular students from the University Consortium Kyoto member schools (excluding graduate school and correspondence courses, etc.) and all non-degree students of the Open University Kyoto Study Center can take the course at a time.
Take a look below.

◆ Regular students of the University Consortium Kyoto member schools can take one basic course at a time

“Regular students of member schools” are regular students of the Consortium of Universities of Kyoto (excluding graduate schools and correspondence courses) and students enrolled in all courses at the Kyoto Study Center of the Open University of Japan. If you wish to take one course at a time, please come directly to the venue on the date and time of the course you wish to take in the basic course, and be sure to show your student ID at the reception. The course is free of charge. Please note that if the capacity of 25 people is satisfied, the course may be refused. In order to participate in the practical course, you must apply for the 10 basic courses as a Kyoto College student, so please be sure to attach a copy of your student ID card and apply within the application period using the application method on the left.

Infection Prevention Measures

Infection Prevention Initiatives and Requests

In response to the new coronavirus infection situation, a state of emergency was declared in Kyoto Prefecture on Sunday, April 25, 2021. For indoor events, we have been requested to hold them at 1/2 of the capacity after thoroughly implementing infection prevention measures.

We will implement it while taking the following infection prevention measures.

1) Infection prevention measures in course management

• The number of participants will be less than 50% of the classroom capacity.
• Each student will be seated so that the seats in front of and behind them are vacant, and the distance between students will be maintained.
• Materials will be placed on desks instead of handing them over at the reception desk, reducing opportunities for contact with staff.
• Ventilate will be provided as appropriate during lectures.

2) Infection Prevention Measures at Campus Plaza Kyoto

• Employees are required to take their temperature before going to work, wash their hands frequently, and wear masks.
• Doorknobs, toilet faucet levers, and other areas that are touched by an unspecified number of people are frequently disinfected.

3) (To participants) Please wear a mask and disinfect your hands

• When entering Campus Plaza Kyoto, please wear a mask and disinfect your hands with the disinfectant provided at the entrance.

4) (To participants) Request for health management

• Please take your temperature at home and refrain from taking the course if you have a fever (37.5 degrees Celsius or higher or more than 1 degree above the normal temperature), or if you are feeling unwell such as cough, sore throat, fatigue, or shortness of breath.

5) (To the participants) Refrain from talking in elevators and lobbies

• Please refrain from talking in the elevator or lobby, which tend to be crowded.

Based on future requests, we will notify you again if we decide to cancel. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Criteria for Determining the Establishment of the “Kyoto Studies Course” in the Event of the Declaration of a State of Emergency (Extension) in the Future

1) When the facilities of Campus Plaza Kyoto can be used
In principle, the course will be held as usual.
2) In the event of suspension of the use of rental rooms at Campus Plaza Kyoto
・ Do not hold (postpone) courses during the suspension period of the rental room.
3) When the event is postponed or canceled for reasons other than the above
・ Decide on a response based on judgment on a case-by-case basis.

Inquiries

University Consortium Kyoto
Kyoto College (Kyoto Studies) 9:00-17:00 (except Sundays and Mondays)
〒600-8216 Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Nishitoin-dori, Shiokoji Campus Plaza Kyoto 1st floor
TEL．075-353-9140　FAX．075-353-9121
MAIL: miyakare ■ consortium.or.jp (Please change ■ to @ and send)
* Inquiries reception hours: Tuesday ~ Saturday 9:00 ~ 17:00 (excluding year-end and New Year holidays)