Institute for Japanese Studies (IJS) has been hosting a series of talks encompassing Japanese politics, economy, cultures and arts. With the experts from Europe, U.S. and Japan, we deliver the talks in multiple languages including Japanese, Korean and English.

We are pleased to host the 296th lecture as a part of Japan Specialist Seminars, titled “Cultural Diplomacy of Japanese Art in 1930s France: France-Japan, Exhibitions, and Translation.”

Anyone interested is welcome to attend without prior registration. Lunch boxes will be provided starting at 12 p.m. (Please note that availability may be limited.)

Date: September 9, 2025 (Tuesday) 12:00-14:00 (The lecture will start from 12:30).

Venue: GL Room, SNU GSIS (Bldg. 140)

Lecturer: SHIN Minjeong (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies)

Title: Cultural Diplomacy of Japanese Art in 1930s France: France-Japan, Exhibitions, and Translation

France-Japon was a French magazine first issued in 1934 with the stated aim of promoting cultural exchange. However, its publication structure—organized by the Comité Franco-Japonais (日佛同志會) and issued by the Paris office of the South Manchuria Railway Company—reveals a far more complex set of functions. This presentation builds on previous discussions of the magazine’s propagandistic aspects and examines its art-related pages and images, together with parallel practices such as exhibitions, critiques, and translation in contemporary Paris. By situating its networks of publication and authorship within the context of Japanese modern art, the study explores the tensions between Westernization and identity formation, as well as the visual politics of colonial representation. Ultimately, it seeks to clarify the roles assigned to art and artists at the intersection of the discourse of “exchange” and the practice of “propaganda.”

Language : Korean

Inquiry : SNU-IJS (880-8503 / ijs@snu.ac.kr)