A great deal of attention has been paid in Japanese history to the rising levels of ultranationalism in the ruling classes in the years leading up to and into World War Two. But what of the lives of everyday civilians and soldiers who worked to live their lives in the midst of these times? and how did the major trends and events affect them?

This talk focuses on the experiences of soldiers and civilians in the increasingly militarized society of pre-1945 Japan as revealed by the objects created and used by people of that era, particularly those that reveal the interaction of soldiers and civilians, and the social processes that shaped their thoughts and beliefs. For example, boys were turned into soldiers through the use of objects of both an obviously military nature (such as imitation rifles and bayonets for drill and training purposes) and the militarization of everyday items (such as candy package prizes that valorized the military). Women were recruited into the war effort through the development of new cultural practices such as sending care packages (“comfort bags”, or imonbukuro) and preparing souvenirs of home, such as signed flags (hinomaru yosegaki) and “thousand stitch” belts (senninbari). Soldiers were constantly reminded of what they were told they were fighting for when the y saw objects bearing the names of friends and family, or carried good luck charms (omamori) from temples in their home region to protect them from the dangers of battle.

Using actual period objects from the speaker’s extensive collection, this talk considers both the universal and Japan-specific aspects of such practices and allows the audience to draw its own conclusions about their nature and prevalence in contemporary societies.

Speaker’s Biography
Teri Jane Bryant received her Honours B.A. in Economics from Laurentian University in 1980, followed by her MBA from UBC in 1982. She worked in international banking with Scotiabank from 1982-86, and then returned to UBC for her Ph.D. in International Business from 1986-1990. She taught International Business and Doing Business with Japan and held several administrative posts at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business for 25 years, retiring in July, 2015.

Teri’s interest in Japan began with courses in Japanese language and Japanese economic and business history in 1980, and developed into a passion that spanned her professional and personal life. Her university research covered topics as diverse as Japanese-Canadian trade, Japanese boards of directors, women in management, new religions, and the role of “cuteness” in pop culture, while her personal interests in Japan include military history, sumo, wood block prints, hot springs, calligraphy and incense. A former President of the Japan Studies Association of Canada and Japan Foundations Fellow, in “retirement” she is building an on-line virtual museum of artifacts related to Japan’s military history from 1880 to 1945.

Date and Time
Thursday January 21, 2016
6:00pm Doors open
6:30pm Dinner with the speaker (reservation required)
8:00pm Speaker Presentation (open to the public)

Venue
Saskatoon Club
417 21st Street East
Saskatoon, SK  S7N 4J8

Registration
There are two ways to attend this event. If you would like to attend the dinner and presentation it is $30.oo/person and you are required to register online by clicking the button below or call Leah at (306)966-4654 before Tuesday January 19th at 4:00pm (calls will not be accepted after this time). If you would just like to attend the Speaker Presentation at 8:00pm, please click the button below to register for free.

*Please note: Any cancellations after Tuesday January 19th at 4:00pm cannot be processed and you will be expected to pay regardless of attendance. We encourage you to find someone to take your place.

Event Contact
Martin Gaal | martin.gaal@usask.ca | (306)202-9863,