Asian Studies

Events

A Japanese painting of a dynamic scene unfolds across a vibrant landscape, depicting figures engaged in a spirited struggle on a grassy incline. Various individuals, some adorned in traditional attire and others in Western clothing, are seen pulling on ropes connected to a large, ornate cart. In the background, soft green hills rise against a pale pink sky, where stylized clouds drift. A prominent tree with textured bark stands to one side, while additional figures observe the action from a distance.

2026 New York Conference on Asian Studies (NYCAS)

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With the theme “Asia and Environment across Time and Space,” NYCAS will bring scholars together to explore a wide range of topics related to Asia, including environmental issues, technological innovation, sociopolitical movements, geopolitics, cultural and social change, economics and politics, education, and migration and diaspora.

Panels and sessions are open to the Vassar Community as well as to local academic communities.

Woodblock print: Tomoe Gozen in bright red samurai armor holding a tall naginata polearm against a backdrop of Japanese calligraphy.

A Swordswoman Worth a Thousand: Tomoe the Warrior in Literature, Legend, and Cultural Heritage

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Professor Roberta Strippoli (Associate Professor, University of Napoli L’Orientale) will take us on a journey across Japanese history, exploring the interplay of literature, gender, and cultural heritage by tracing a famous episode from The Tale of the Heike, Japan’s most celebrated medieval epic, and its many afterlives.

This event is free and open to the public.

Past Items
Header image: Gyeongbokgung Palace, South Korea