NEWS
2026.03.31
- Study Group
- Research Organization
event
4/25 (Sat) Musashi University The 14th Regular Meeting of the Society for the History of Eastern and Western Cultural Convergence "Exchange and Fusion of Knowledge and Technology: What Happened in the Asian World" will be held
【Date and Time】 Saturday, April 25, 2026, 15:00 ~ 17:00
[Method of holding] The event will be held both in person and online (there will be no technical support for participating via Zoom).
Location: Musashi University Professor Research Building 02C Meeting Room
The Zoom ID will be sent to you by email closer to the event date.
【Online Application Deadline】
Friday, April 24, 2026 *Advance application required
If you are attending in person, no application is required. Please come directly to the venue.
Overview
Regardless of whether it is in the East or the West, "slavery" has existed since ancient times. In this regular meeting, we will approach the history of European slavery and the intersection of slavery in East Asia and Japan in the early modern period, the era at the beginning of globalization (with particular attention to Europe, Portugal and Venice, which were called maritime empires). Among those who were enslaved in the early modern era, there were many "skilled workers" who played an important role in a specific field, rather than just "livestock". I would like to examine what the actual situation was based on specific examples. I would also like to consider what "owning" slaves meant to the owners at that time. It also mentions how the debate on emancipation or abolition of slavery arose on the European continent. It is a well-known fact that in the early modern era, Japanese people were also sold overseas as slaves, and that the Japanese themselves bought and sold slaves during the war, so this issue will also be touched upon in the discussion. I will not directly deal with it in the report, but since human trafficking and slave labor have not disappeared in the modern world, I would like to consider the differences and commonalities between the past and the present. This is a study group that is widely open to the public, so please feel free to join us.
Program ※Titles omitted
| 15時00分 |
Opening remarks by Professor Tomoji Odori representative of the research group (Musashi University)
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|---|---|
| 15時05分～15時55分 |
Report: Norihiro Soya (Professor, Oita Prefectural College of Arts and Culture)
"Globalization and Slavery in the Early Modern Period: Livestock or Craftsmanship?"
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break
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| 16時10分～16時30分 |
Comment: Shino Kobayashi (Musashi Musashi University Comprehensive Research Organization Specialist Researcher)
"How Painters Depicted Slaves and Servants: From the Example of Venice, a Cosmopolitan City in the Early Modern Period"
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Q&A
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| 17時00分 |
Closing remarks Information on the next regular meeting
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[Recent research by presenters and commentators]
Norihiro Choya
Co-authored "Introduction to Spanish and Portuguese History Studies" (Yamakawa Publishing, 2024)
Paper: "On Pombar's Emancipation Decree," Bulletin of Oita Prefectural College of Arts and Culture, Vol. 57 (2020)
Shino Kobayashi
Paper, "Gender Consciousness of Rosalva Caliella: On the Reasons for Not Leaving Her Hometown of Venice," Musashi Journal of Culture, No. 24, 2024
Paper, "The Social History of Masks: Visual Historical Sources of 18th-Century Venice," Musashi Journal of Culture, No. 22 (2022)
Applications and inquiries
Research group members and university affiliates do not need to apply in advance. Those from outside the university who wish to participate online must apply in advance. Please fill out the form below and press the "Submit" button.
Application deadline: April 24 (Friday)
[Responsible person] Shino Kobayashi (Research Assistant, Institute for Comprehensive Research, University of Tokyo)
[Secretariat] Research Support Division Management Department Musashi University