- Sep 16, 2011
- Thank you for attending the IFTR Osaka Conference !
Thank you for attending the IFTR Osaka Conference !
Dear all,
We thank you all for attending the IFTR Osaka conference. We are so happy that many
participants seemed to be satisfied with the conference. We have uploaded some photos of
the conference, please visit and enjoy.
Looking forward to seeing you in Santiago next year!
Best Wishes,
Organizers
IFTR Osaka Conference
Message on/from Disasters
Dear friends and colleagues,
First of all, I would like to thank all of you for offering sympathy and encouragement since the earthquake in the Tohoku region on March 11. We were completely devastated by the unprecedented scale of the damage caused by the earthquake and Tsunami, but to know that so many friends and colleagues abroad care about us has given us great hope for recovery in the future. We really appreciate your consideration.
What has made the damage by the earthquake even worse is that it also caused accidents at nuclear power plants. This could have caused tremendous damage, not only to Japan but also the rest of the world. Fortunately, the damage has been kept to a minimum thanks to the courageous efforts of those concerned.
Needless to say, at the moment chain fission reaction is in abeyant since the accident. Unless whole core meltdown takes place, its recriticality is vanishingly improbable because their control rod still works. As some of the expended fuel was aired out, relatively more lightweight radioactive materials were already diffuse, as you know. However, since the recriticality accident is not a possibility, amount of radiation won’t get higher any longer.
Areas outside the Tohoku region, such as Osaka and Kyoto, did not suffer any damage from the earthquake and radioactivity. These prefectures, for example, are more than six or seven hundred kilometers away from Fukushima, where the accidents happened. Therefore there is no reason for concern about possible damage caused by radioactivity. I would like to assure you that Osaka and Kyoto is a perfectly safe place to stay, so please do not worry about the earthquake and radioactivity.
It is true that the earthquake and Tsunami has destroyed many towns and caused many human casualties. People in Japan are trying hard not to be devastated by this daunting fact. I believe that what we in Osaka can do for the victims of the earthquake at this moment is to mourn, pray, and sincerely do the task right in front of each of us. For me, it is to invite all of you to the IFTR Osaka Conference and conduct it successfully.
I really look forward to seeing all of you in Osaka in August.
Sincerely,
Yasushi Nagata
Organizer
IFTR Annual Conference, 2011
Welcome to the FIRT/IFTR Annual Conference in Osaka!
“Tradition, Innovation, Community”
The 2011 Annual Conference of the International Federation for Theatre Research, or La fédération internationale pour la recherche de théâtre (FIRT/IFTR), will be held in Osaka, Japan, under the theme of “Tradition, Innovation, Community.” The conference is to be held at the Toyonaka Campus of Osaka University in Toyonaka City, Osaka Prefecture, from August 7th to 12th, sponsored by the Section of Theatre Studies of the School of Letters of Osaka University, and co-sponsored by the Japanese Society for Theatre Research. People involved in theatrical plays, including researchers, graduate students and those engaged in the presentations of theatrical plays, will join the conference from all over the world.
The theme of this year’s conference is “Tradition, Innovation, Community.” Under this theme, the conference will examine traditions and innovations in theatrical plays, and the relationship between theatrical plays and communities. Conventional studies of theatrical plays, even though they have fully examined the values of innovative theatrical plays, have failed to delve into their traditional aspects. However, it is clear that traditional elements are necessary in theatrical plays. For example, traditional theatrical plays still exist in abundance around the world, with continuing popularity. It is often said that the modern era closely connected individuals to art. It can also be said that the post-modern era has reunited local communities with theatrical plays by way of traditional elements. The conference will present opportunities to examine these traditions and innovations in theatrical plays and their relationships with local communities, citing examples from a variety of theatrical plays around the world.
Photo by Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau
Osaka, the venue for this conference, has been a commercial city since ancient times and has developed into Japan’s second largest city. The Kansai region, which includes Osaka, has cities with their own unique traditions and histories. Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara are typical examples of these cities and each has a variety of tourist spots.
Osaka is proud of the cultural events, such as theatrical plays, that it offers. You can enjoy not only traditional Japanese performing arts, including Noh, Kabuki and Bunraku, but also modern plays such as those provided by the Takarazuka Review Company and other modern theatres. You will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of theatrical plays during the time of the conference.
Osaka is also well known as a “gourmet town.” The foods that you can enjoy in Osaka range from dishes with common-man qualities to the more expensive ones. Of course, you can enjoy not only Japanese foods but also foods from many other countries. The area close to the conference site has numerous reasonably-priced restaurants for the many college students living nearby. Equally, when looking for accommodation, there is a lot to choose from. You can stay at a hotel near the site or you can select from among many hotels located in the center of Osaka, with easy access to the conference site.
The executive committee of this conference involves the Section of Theatre Studies of the School of Letters of Osaka University, and researchers of theatrical plays, and those engaged in the presentation of theatrical plays all across Japan.
You can check out how the conference is being prepared right here.
