Announcements

The exhibition “Maternal Health and Images of the Body in Japanese Ukiyo-e" opened on November 1st at the Kalmanovitz Library, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Nearly 60 visitors, including members of the public, gathered at the library for the opening ceremony at 4:00 p.m. First, Ms. Alicia Murasaki, Assistant Vice Chancellor made opening remarks, next Ms. Polina Ilieva, Librarian at UCSF and Prof. Stephen Roddy, University of San Francisco, also made remarks on the exhibition. Next, Keynote Speaker and Guest Curator Manami Yasui, Professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken), presented a speech as the project team leader.

She expressed her sincere gratitude to the entire UCSF team and mentioned that this exhibition was the product of an important partnership between the University of California, San Francisco and Nichibunken. Also, she expressed her desire to continue the research collaboration.

Further, she mentioned that this exhibition would serve as an opportunity to unlock the treasures within the vast UCSF library collection and that it would explore how pregnancy and childbirth were perceived by society, including birth control methods and practices like abortion and infanticide, referred to as "mabiki," in Japan’s early modern period.

This exhibition will continue until the end of 2024.

More details on the UCSF website.

Along with this exhibition, online exhibitions will be held in Japanese, English, and Chinese, starting in January 2024 at the Nichibunken website.

（by Manami Yasui, Ph.D.）

• Exhibition located on the 3rd floor of the library
• View of an exhibit
• Greetings by Professor Stephen Roddy, University of San Francisco
• Greetings by Professor Yasui
• Professor Yasui explaining her handwritten proposal for the exhibit
• Ms. Alicia Murasaki (Assistant Vice Chancellor), Professor Yasui and Ms. Polina Ilieva (Librarian at UCSF)