Part of the Toyota Visiting Professor 30th Anniversary Special Lecture Series.

Cherry blossoms have been and remained a/the most cherished flowers for the Japanese. Using power-point images, the talk will present many, often contradictory, meanings and ethos assigned to the flower – from life and love to death – while becoming a symbol of various social groups, and, ultimately, the Japanese as a whole. Highlighted is its abuses during Japan’s military period, culminating in its use for the tokkōtai operation towards the end of World War II. The talk will conclude by deliberating the opacity in symbolic communication and its impact on the people.

Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney (Ohnuki Emiko), William F. Vilas Research Professor is native of Japan and specializes in historical and interpretive anthropology. Beginning with the Detroit Chinese and the Sakhalin Ainu, resettled in Hokkaido, her work on the Japanese began with their health care, followed by symbols of the Japanese collective self, including rice, monkey and cherry blossoms. Her work is published both in English (10) and Japanese (5), and have been translated into 10 different languages.

If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation to attend this event, please reach out to bkinzer@umich.edu at least 2 weeks in advance of this event. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.