DATE AND PLACE

Thursday, May 31, 2018 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Akamon Sōgō Kenkyūtō Room 549, Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo Campus, University of Tokyo

ABSTRACT

What are the ways that societies goad architects produce "good work"? How does the profession evolve in the face of aging society, climate change and other challenges? Do incentives differ from place to place, and why? Local opportunities that drive architects result in Japan's greater success in international awards like the Pritzker Prize and in its inability to respond as effectively to electricity shortages as it did to the Oil Shocks. 

SPEAKER
Dana Buntrock is Chair of the University of California’s Center for Japanese Studies and a Professor in the Department of Architecture. Her work focuses on interdisciplinary collaborations in Japanese architecture and construction practices, starting with her first book, Japanese Architecture as a Collaborative Process: Opportunities in a Flexible Construction Culture (London: Spon, 2000). She has conducted fieldwork in Japan, the US, Taiwan, and Korea, supported by fellowships from the US National Science Foundation, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars, and the Social Science Research Council. The author of three books and dozens of articles in professional and academic journals, Prof. Buntrock has, since 2011, focused on how energy supply and architecture create opportunities for new approaches in Japan. 

CONTEMPORARY JAPAN GROUP
The ISS Contemporary Japan Group provides English-speaking residents of the Tokyo area with an opportunity to hear cutting-edge research in social science and related policy issues, as well as a venue for researchers and professionals in or visiting Tokyo to present and receive  knowledgeable feedback on their latest research projects. Admission is free and advance registration is not required. Everyone is welcome.

For more information, including maps and a list of past lectures, please visit our website:  http://web.iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp/cjg/ or contact Gregory W. NOBLE (noble at iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp)