Past events
Fall 2025 Washin Kai Lecture
Binging Shogun: Can Historical Fiction Be Good for History?
Speaker: Prof. David Spafford, Dept. of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Univ. of Pennsylvania
Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Washin Kai. Co-sponsored by UW Center for Japanese Studies and UW Department of Asian Languages & Literature. Nominal support by the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle.
Click here for details about the event.
Click here for video-recording.
Spring 2025 Washin Kai Lecture
Ryukyuan Landscapes and Identity in the Omoro Sōshi
Speaker: Prof. Davinder Bhowmik, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event Details
Recording
Fall 2024 Washin Kai Lecture
The Popularization of the Hundred Poets in Edo-Period Japan
Speaker: Prof. Joshua Mostow, Dept of Asian Studies, Univ. of British Columbia
Event details
Spring 2024 Washin Kai Lecture
Chinese Characters Across Asia: Continuity and Transformation in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese
Speaker: Prof. Zev Handel, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Recording
Winter 2024 Washin Kai Conversation:
Kukai’s Gravitational Force in Japan’s History
Speaker: Venerable Taijo Imanaka, Seattle Koyasan Temple
Event details
Spring 2023 Washin Kai Conversation
Manga, Light Novels, and Renga: A Talk with Three Translators
Speakers:
Fall 2023 Washin Kai Lecture
Visions of the Katsura Imperial Villa
Speaker: Prof. Ken Tadashi Oshima, Dept. of Architecture, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Fall 2022 Washin Kai Lecture
What is Haiku?
Speakers:
Recording
Fall 2021 Washin Kai Lecture and Performance
What is Noh?
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Recording: https://youtu.be/6VPYXO6hlG0
The World of Noh Drama with Takeda Munenori
Recording: https://youtu.be/WuqFr4Og6z4
Artist: Takeda Munenori, Noh Master
Event details
Spring 2021 Washin Kai Lecture
Hyakunin Isshu and the world of Japanese medieval poetry
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Fall 2020 Washin Kai Performance
Rakugo by Katsura Sunshine
Artist: Katsura Sunshine
Co-sponsored and live-streamed by Town Hall Seattle and Washin Kai
Event details
Recording
Spring 2020 Washin Kai Lecture
Zen Master Zekkai: The Life of a Medieval Japanese Monk
Speaker: Prof. Paul S. Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event Details
Recording
Fall 2020 Washin Kai Performance
Recitation (Rodoku 朗読): Benkei at the Barrier
Performed in Japanese by Kima Hotta with English subtitles
Event details
Recording
Washin Kai Talk at Japan Fair 2019
REIWA: the new Japanese reign name
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Recording
Spring 2019 Washin Kai lecture
A Fistful of Incense: Basara and the Medieval Origins of Japanese Maximalism
Speaker: Ross Henderson, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Recording
Fall 2018 Inaugural Washin Kai Lecture
Friends from a World Unseen: Fujiwara no Teika and Medieval Japanese Poetry 見ぬ世の友：藤原定家と中世和歌
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Recording
Washin Kai talk at Japan Fair 2018
Tanabata
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
The talk was presented as part of Japan Fair in July 2018.
Event details
Recording
Binging Shogun: Can Historical Fiction Be Good for History?
Speaker: Prof. David Spafford, Dept. of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Univ. of Pennsylvania
Presented by Town Hall Seattle and Washin Kai. Co-sponsored by UW Center for Japanese Studies and UW Department of Asian Languages & Literature. Nominal support by the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle.
Click here for details about the event.
Click here for video-recording.
Spring 2025 Washin Kai Lecture
Ryukyuan Landscapes and Identity in the Omoro Sōshi
Speaker: Prof. Davinder Bhowmik, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event Details
Recording
Fall 2024 Washin Kai Lecture
The Popularization of the Hundred Poets in Edo-Period Japan
Speaker: Prof. Joshua Mostow, Dept of Asian Studies, Univ. of British Columbia
Event details
Spring 2024 Washin Kai Lecture
Chinese Characters Across Asia: Continuity and Transformation in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese
Speaker: Prof. Zev Handel, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Recording
Winter 2024 Washin Kai Conversation:
Kukai’s Gravitational Force in Japan’s History
Speaker: Venerable Taijo Imanaka, Seattle Koyasan Temple
Event details
Spring 2023 Washin Kai Conversation
Manga, Light Novels, and Renga: A Talk with Three Translators
Speakers:
- Anna Schnell, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
- Amanda Schiano di Cola, freelance translator
- Juan Felipe Arroyave, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Fall 2023 Washin Kai Lecture
Visions of the Katsura Imperial Villa
Speaker: Prof. Ken Tadashi Oshima, Dept. of Architecture, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Fall 2022 Washin Kai Lecture
What is Haiku?
Speakers:
- Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
- Scott Oki (roundtable participant), poet, entrepreneur
- Mitsuko Miller (roundtable participant), haiku poet, Rainier Ginsha
- Bruce Rutledge (roundtable moderator), publisher, Chin Music Press
Recording
Fall 2021 Washin Kai Lecture and Performance
What is Noh?
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Recording: https://youtu.be/6VPYXO6hlG0
The World of Noh Drama with Takeda Munenori
Recording: https://youtu.be/WuqFr4Og6z4
Artist: Takeda Munenori, Noh Master
Event details
Spring 2021 Washin Kai Lecture
Hyakunin Isshu and the world of Japanese medieval poetry
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Fall 2020 Washin Kai Performance
Rakugo by Katsura Sunshine
Artist: Katsura Sunshine
Co-sponsored and live-streamed by Town Hall Seattle and Washin Kai
Event details
Recording
Spring 2020 Washin Kai Lecture
Zen Master Zekkai: The Life of a Medieval Japanese Monk
Speaker: Prof. Paul S. Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event Details
Recording
Fall 2020 Washin Kai Performance
Recitation (Rodoku 朗読): Benkei at the Barrier
Performed in Japanese by Kima Hotta with English subtitles
Event details
Recording
Washin Kai Talk at Japan Fair 2019
REIWA: the new Japanese reign name
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Recording
Spring 2019 Washin Kai lecture
A Fistful of Incense: Basara and the Medieval Origins of Japanese Maximalism
Speaker: Ross Henderson, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Recording
Fall 2018 Inaugural Washin Kai Lecture
Friends from a World Unseen: Fujiwara no Teika and Medieval Japanese Poetry 見ぬ世の友：藤原定家と中世和歌
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
Event details
Recording
Washin Kai talk at Japan Fair 2018
Tanabata
Speaker: Prof. Paul Atkins, Dept. of Asian Languages and Literature, Univ. of Washington
The talk was presented as part of Japan Fair in July 2018.
Event details
Recording