「From Hawai‘i to Japan: Community Networks and the Development of Autism Support around “Team Lenny”」

Annoucement forwarded from H-Japan in the H-Net Commons:

The final talk in the CIEE Kyoto Seminar Series this Spring, on Friday, April 3, 2026 by Benjamin Dorman (Senior Research Fellow, Nanzan University Anthropological Institute):

From Hawai‘i to Japan: Community Networks and the Development of Autism Support around “Team Lenny”

Abstract:

This talk examines the development of a community-based network around an autistic child in Japan and the forms of practical knowledge that emerged through that process. When our son began to show early signs associated with autism, we sought advice from specialists in Japan but were largely encouraged to “wait and see.” In contrast, time spent in Hawai‘i exposed us to a different environment of diagnosis, family services, and parent support networks. After returning to Japan, we gathered a small group of volunteers around our son in our home, forming what we called Team Lenny. Over several years, volunteers met regularly in a playroom environment shaped largely by what we learned through online communities andfrom teachers we later engaged directly. Through ongoing interaction and reflection, the group developed shared forms of practical knowledge about engaging with an autistic child. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some interactions later continued online before the network gradually wound down as our son grew older.

Although centered on one child, the experience later intersected with institutional settings. In 2016, a crowdfunding campaign connected us with the director of the NPO Tokotoko, who invited us to share our experience with teachers at the Hidamari no Ie center. Elements of the approach were later incorporated into Tokotoko’s "To Heart" program. The talk reflects on how knowledge about autism support can emerge through collaboration between families, volunteers, and childcare professionals.

Please note this talk begins at 18:00 and will be run in hybrid format from CIEE Kyoto (6th Floor, Gion Classroom) with Zoom access available.

Format & Venue

Time: 18:00–19:30 (JST), unless stated differently
Location: CIEE Kyoto, 6th Floor, Gion Classroom and Zoom (hybrid)

Registration

Please register in advance for either in-person or online participation:

In-person (CIEE Kyoto): [On-Site Registration] CIEE Kyoto Seminar Series - Benjamin Dorman – Fill in form

Zoom (online): https://ciee.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gMMpzz0VSJW08y-hDSr7WQ#/registration

The drama "Midnight Diner" is getting a new season after 7 years!

It was announced on the 17th that a new series of the drama " Midnight Diner," starring actor Kaoru Kobayashi, is in production. This will be the first new series in seven years, and it has been decided that it will be broadcast in the fall of 2026 in the "Dramaism" slot on MBS and TBS... "Midnight Diner" is based on the comic of the same name by Yaro Abe, which is known as one of Japan's leading national "food" comics, with the series selling over 9 million copies worldwide . It was first adapted into a drama in 2009 with Kobayashi in the lead role. The story is set in a diner in a corner of a bustling city, and depicts the small stories that unfold at the counter as various customers of different genders, ages, and backgrounds visit the shop.

See the full story at Yahoo News: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/ce9cae89a414dc176a596eb8c41ced767b5d7867

"Mari Katayama wins inaugural Mori Art Prize"

Photo source: https://www.akionagasawa.com/en/artist/mari-katayama/GINZA/

Mari Katayama received the inaugural Mori Art Award grand prize at a ceremony at the Roppongi Hills Club in Tokyo on Feb. 26. This biennial award for Japan-based, mid-career artists comes with a ¥10 million monetary prize and the opportunity to hold an exhibition at the Mori Art Museum. It is among the largest payouts for a single contemporary artist in Japan, surpassing the Tokyo Contemporary Art Award, which distributes ¥3 million each to two artists.
...
Katayama, 39, works with analog photography and handicraft practices such as embroidery and needlework, designing and handsewing objects she attaches to her body that she then captures in self-portraits. Her creations challenge preconceptions about the human body, disability, gender, nature, beauty and fashion. She was born with tibial hemimelia, a congenital condition affecting limb development, which resulted in a cleft hand and the amputation of both her legs at age 9. On her website, she describes the core of her artistic practice as “living every day within her own body, which she uses as a living sculpture, mannequin and lens through which to reflect society.”

Read the whole story at The Japan Times: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2026/03/02/art/mori-art-museum-prize/

Mari Katayama | 片山真理 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katayamari/

Cover your mouth please (Japan Today Picture of the Day)

Caption: A manners poster on the wall of a Tokyo subway station reminds passengers to cover their mouth when they sneeze or cough.

Source: https://japantoday.com/category/picture-of-the-day/cover-your-mouth-please