With Japan Week 2025: “Time of Great Change, Time of Great Connection,” Seton Hall University will welcome the community to its 27th annual celebration of Japanese culture, cuisine, international relations, business and language.
Coinciding with the emergence of the Japanese cherry blossoms, the Japan Week 2025 program runs from March 28 to April 4, 2025 and is hosted by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures (LLC).
“Japan Week 2025 aims to provide a better understanding of Japan, while demonstrating the University’s ongoing commitment to building bridges between cultures while bringing together people of various disciples and backgrounds to engage in a flourishing dialogue and celebrate together as one community,” noted Japan Week Director Shigeru Osuka of the Asian Studies Program and Japanese Program in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Numerous Japanese and Asian-inspired events are free open to the community. (Please note, programs are subject to change so check the Seton Hall website to confirm.)
Tuesday, April 1
Interned in Wartime Japan: Diary of a Young British National
The fact that there were internment camps for enemy civilians in wartime Japan is not well known. Born in Japan to a Japanese mother, Sydengham Duer, a physician at Jikei Medical School, is troubled by his own identity. He was arrested and interned by the Totsuka Police Department’s Special Higher Police on December 8, 1941. His diary from 1944 to 1945, during his internment, vividly describes the conditions at the Uchiyama Internment Camp in Kanagawa Prefecture. One day in his diary, he wrote, “Japan treats me as an enemy, but as for me, I love Japan….” Kei Sakayama, the first daughter of Sydengham, shares the diary which her father kept during the harsh days of WWII. The bilingual book, Interned in Wartime Japan: Diary of a Young British National, was published in 2021 by Ronsō-sya publishing company in Tokyo, Japan. Presented by Kei Sakayama, Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest, FDU and Ramapo College (Retired). Hosted by Asian Studies Program & Japanese Program.
3:30-4:45 p.m. (Bishop Dougherty University Center, Chancellor’s Suite)
Wednesday, April 2
Kendama contest
Kendama (literally sword and ball) is a traditional Japanese toy. It consists of a handle (ken), a pair of cups (sarado) and a ball (tama). Kendama is a popular toy for developing skills such as hand-eye coordination, focus and perseverance. Currently, people use Kendama as a means of improving their concentration or as a stress-relief tool. Test your Kendama skills. Hosted by Advanced Japanese Class.
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Bishop Dougherty University Center)
Thursday, April 3
It’s raining Pikachu: Pokémon as a Window to Nostalgia, Consumerism and Globalization
When Pokémon came to America in 1996, hundreds of stuffed Pikachu fell to earth in Topeka, Kansas (renamed To Pikachu for the day). This talk will explore the humble beginnings of a game that merged a popular pastime (bug collecting) with traditions from Shinto and Daoist folklore. We will look at how the Pokémon Corporation then went globally, forging an empire of product lines, movies, tv shows, books, manga and even themed cafés. Ultimately, we will see how Pokémon encapsulated not just “pocket monsters” in their “Poké Balls,” but also captured and commercialized childhood nostalgia. Hosted by Anne Giblin Gedacht, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of History.
12:30 -1:45 p.m. (Bishop Dougherty University Center, Chancellor’s Suite)
Japanese-style curry: Strengthening Nutrition, Military and Identity of Japan
Have you ever tried Japanese-style curry? Curry is famous in India and nearby regions, but it is also popular in Japan. In this workshop, participants will learn the history of curry, Japanese-style curry and the evolution of curry. There will also be a tasting opportunity at the workshop. Hosted by Shigeru Osuka, Ed.D., professor, Asian Studies Program and Japanese Program.
3:30-4:45 p.m. (Bishop Dougherty University Center, Chancellor’s Suite)
Japan Week events take place on the Seton Hall University campus at 400 South Orange Ave., South Orange, NJ, 07079.
Learn more about Japan Week 2025 and the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures here.
Sponsorship for Japan Week 2025 is provided by Seton Hall University’s Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Dean’s Office of the College of Arts and Sciences, Office of International Programs, LLC Global Learning Center, Asian Studies Program, Japanese Program, The J.C.C. Fund of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of New York, and New Jersey Association of Teachers of Japanese (NJATJ).
