「Food and Drink at a Japanese Standing Bar: An Appetizing Production」@ ICAS 12 - August 28, 2021 (and video on-demand)

I will be presenting at the 12th International Convention of Asian Scholars (ICAS), held August 24-28, 2021. The host is Kyoto Seika University but it will be a virtual event. The presentations have two parts. The first part is a pre-recorded 15-minute lecture available on-demand at the ICAS website (you must be registered for the conference to view the lectures). The second part is a live discussion session. While my paper has changed a bit since I submitted my proposal, here is the original abstract:

In Japan, food is prominent in documentaries, cooking shows, travel shows, variety shows, dramas, manga, anime, books, magazines, blogs, Facebook and Instagram. This food, not eaten but consumed, provides gratification and knowledge. Many of these media descriptions are set in izakaya (Japanese-style pub) and tachinomiya (Japanese standing bar) that serve B-kyu gurume (B-rank food)—comfort food and/or local food. These are fascinating shops and sites to explore the production (cooking) and consumption (eating) of food.

This presentation is a multimodal visual ethnography of a 40-year-old tachinomiya in Osaka called Tenbun. Tenbun features many kinds of food and drink, a lively and relaxed atmosphere and plenty of colorful characters including the owner, employees and regular customers. Based upon long-term patronage, focused participant-observation and photography, a photo exhibition and other post-fieldwork encounters, my analysis positions the research within the intersection of food anthropology and the popular Japanese “foodie” media. Matthew Longcore discusses how Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsey and other Western food experts feature “ethnographic culinary adventures [that] bring food and film together for the enjoyment, entertainment, and enlightenment of foodies and anthropologists alike” (2019). Current popular TV series about food and drink including Yoshida Rui’s Sakaba hōrō-ki (“Bar Hopping Report,” BS-TBS) and Kodoku no Gurume (“The Solitary Gourmet,” TV Tokyo), and others, will be described and analyzed to show that media portrayals are another form of production, that of information and recreation, that is “good to think” (Levi-Strauss 1962), “communicated” (Barthes 1966; Dusselier 2009) and “shared among people” (Cheung 2002).

My video: available on demand before, during and after the conference until October 15.

My discussion session: Food, Taste and Memory
Saturday, August 28, 2021, 17:15-18:15 (Japan time).

Chair: Floper Gershwin Manuel, Assistant Professor, Central Luzon State University, Philippines

Food and Drink at a Japanese Standing Bar: An Appetizing Production
Presenter: Steven C. Fedorowicz – Kansai Gaidai University

White Rice vs. Dark Bread: Inheriting and Crafting Rural Identity, Local Heritage and Sustainable Future in China and Estonia
Presenter: Siyun Wu – Leiden University - Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology

Farming Conditions of Draught Cattle in Western Japan During 19th Century
Presenter: Akiyo HERLEDANT-KUBO – INALCO

Conference information and a complete program schedule can be found at the ICAS website.

url: https://www.eventscribe.net/2021/ICAS12/

For more information about the Tenbun/tachinomiya project:

url: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2016/01/photo-exhibition-and-visual-ethnography.html

Even more on the project: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2020/12/behind-scenestenbun-closingpresentation.html

「The Last Call: A Visual Ethnography of Drinking Establishments in Japan Before and During COVID-19」Presentation at the Central States Anthropological Society Virtual Annual Meeting

The Last Call: A Visual Ethnography of Drinking Establishments in Japan Before and During COVID-19

Steven C. Fedorowicz

Asian Studies Program

Kansai Gaidai University

Abstract: This presentation is a multimodal visual ethnography of drinking establishments such as izakaya (“Japanese pubs”) and tachinomiya (“standing bars”) in Japan before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus will be on a 40-year-old standing bar in Osaka called Tenbun. Tenbun serves many kinds of alcohol and food items and has a lively atmosphere with plenty of colorful characters, including the owner, employees and regular customers. Not only is it a popular place to eat and drink, it is an important setting for socialization. This study is based upon over two years of dedicated participant-observation and photography, a photo exhibition and other post-fieldwork encounters. Since the onset of COVID-19, out of necessity, eating and drinking behavior has changed and many izakaya, tachinomiya and restaurants have been forced to close. Tenbun closed shop in March, 2020. This research project examines the intersection of food anthropology, multimodal research methods, recent research on drinking establishments and the plethora of “foodie” media productions. It has also become a form of salvage ethnography. My data and photographs not only preserve Tenbun but also document the eating, drinking and socializing habits of Japan before the COVID-19 pandemic.

This presentation will be in session 2-08 on Sunday, April 25, 2021. Session time slot is 4:45-6:30 Central Daylight Time.
(Monday, April 26, 2021, 6:45-8:30 AM in Japan.)

For information about the CSAS Annual Meeting: http://csas.americananthro.org/annual-meeting/

Tenbun Closing 「天文のれんを下ろす」Paper/Presentation at 2020 AJJ Annual Meeting

「Tenbun Closing」

「天文のれんを下ろす」

Abstract:

This visual-ethnography presentation is the latest chapter of the saga of Tenbun, a tachinomiya (“standing bar”) in Osaka, Japan; the focus will be the shop’s final days. Tenbun, with its long counter and blue noren curtains, has a lively atmosphere and plenty of colorful characters, including the owner, employees and regular customers. Based on my years of patronage, nearly two years of dedicated participant-observation and photography, a photo exhibition and other post-fieldwork encounters, the project has examined in the Japanese context the complexities of personal privacy in public spaces, and the intersection of food anthropology, multimodal research methods, recent research on drinking establishments and the plethora of “foodie” media productions.

In March 2020, Tenbun’s noren came down for the final time, after 40 years of business (for reasons unrelated to coronavirus). During Tenbun’s last week, customers rushed to visit the bar, taking a break from earlier attempts at social distancing. For me, it was a period of intense photography and salvage ethnography. I could not unobtrusively capture the natural setting, or rely upon the serendipity of street photography (Luvaas 2017), as I had previously. The owner called me his personal photographer, and he and others wanted posed photos. Margaret Mead wrote about the importance of salvage ethnography through visual anthropology methodology (1967). Out of necessity, eating and drinking behavior has changed and many izakaya, tachinomiya and restaurants have been forced to close. My photographs not only preserve Tenbun but also document the eating, drinking and socializing habits of Japan before the COVID-19 pandemic.

AJJ (Anthropology of Japan in Japan) 2020 Annual Meeting

Sunday, December 6, 2020 @ 10:00 AM (Japan time)

The conference is online and free. Participants must register. For registration, schedule and more information:

https://tinyurl.com/AJJ2020

See also:

Photo Exhibition and Visual Ethnography - "Tachinomiya: There Are Two Sides to Every Noren"

AJJ Presentation - Tachinomiya: Photo Exhibition as Research Method

「Tachinomiya: Photo Exhibition as Post-Fieldwork Encounter」- Society for East Asian Anthropology Regional Conference 2019 in Tokyo

「Anthropology of Japan in Japan」 2020 Annual Meeting (December 5-6)

Sponsored by Temple University. Held on Zoom. Lots of great papers! Free! Registration is required.

Of special interest might be a presentation at 10:00 AM on Sunday, December 6.

For registration, schedule and other information:

https://tinyurl.com/AJJ2020

Film Screen and Discussion about "Distributed Multimodalities: Ethnographic experiments in Memory and Performance" at Visual Anthro-Film Laboratory

You have another chance to see the film and hear about the project! (announcement from Anthro-Film Laboratory)

Film Screen and Discussion about "Distributed Multimodalities: Ethnographic experiments in Memory and Performance" (Zoom Meeting)

Date: 2020 June 20th 10:00~12:00 am. in Japanese time

※Request for participation is required by June 17th to tamagonotamago@gmail.com The Zoom link will be sent to participants. The number of participants will be limited to 30 people.

This session aims at discussing about the theme "Distributed Multimodalities: Ethnographic experiments in Memory and Performance", which originally took place as a panel of the International Biennial Online Conference Distribute 2020, organized by the Society for Cultural Anthropology (SCA) and the Society for Visual Anthropology (SVA). The 40 min. panel consists of 5 min. segmented presentations made by 8 anthropologists or performers/artists. By discussing this panel, we would like not only to deepen the understanding of the topic, but also to envision the future of multimodal panel presentations and ethnographic collective works.

For more details: http://www.itsushikawase.com/anthro-film_lab/news.html

For more info about the project: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2020/04/distributed-multimodalities.html

DISTRIBUTE 2020 Kadoma-shi, Osaka, Japan Node

#DISTRIBUTE2020 #DISTRIBUTEDMULTIMODALITIES

SPECIAL MULTIMODAL BONUS RESOURCES AND PHOTOS FOR「Neighborhood Autumn Festival in Japan: A Multimodal Visual Ethnography and Performance」@ DISTRIBUTED MULTIMODALITIES @ DISTRIBUTE 2020

Click here for project abstract and background.

Scroll down to the end for 2020-2022 updates.

Segment I: Introduction

Previous VAOJ Fall Festival Photo Essays:

Really Late - Better Late Than Never - 2019 Neighborhood Fall Festival Shots From Sunday, 13 Oct. (Saturday was canceled due to a typhoon...) https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/11/really-late-better-late-than-never-2019.html

もうすぐ「秋祭り」ですね... Getting ready to press the shutter and push the danjiri at the Fall Festival! https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/10/getting-ready-to-press-shutter-and-push.html

「Visual Anthropology of Japan: Neighborhood Fall Festival」Presentation at AJJ 2019 Spring Workshop @ Minpaku: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/04/visual-anthropology-of-japan.html

2018 Fall Festival in Six Parts: 1) Pre-departure: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2018/11/2018-fall-festival-in-six-parts-1-pre.html

2018 Fall Festival in Six Parts: 2) Taking a break with another neighborhood association: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2018/11/2018-fall-festival-in-six-parts-2.html

2018 Fall festival in Six Parts: 3) Push-pulling the danjiri through the narrow streets: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2018/11/2018-fall-festival-in-six-parts-3-push.html

2018 Fall Festival in Six Parts: 4) Lunch break: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2018/11/2018-fall-festival-in-six-parts-4-lunch.html

2018 Fall Festival in Six Parts: 5) Celebration with another neighborhood association: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2018/11/2018-fall-festival-in-six-parts-5.html

2018 Fall Festival in Six Parts: 6) Post-matsuri and getting busted by the cops: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2018/11/2018-fall-festival-in-six-parts-6-post.html

2017 Fall Festival: https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2017/10/2017-it-was-rainy-fall-festival-this.html

2016 Fall Festival: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.jp/2016/10/2016-autumn-festival.html

2014 Fall Festival: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.jp/2014/11/2014-fall-festival.html

2013 Fall Festival: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.jp/2013/11/2013-fall-festival.html

2012 Fall Festival: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.jp/2012/10/2012-fall-festival.html

2010 Local Matsuri in Classic Black & White: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.jp/2010/11/local-matsuri-in-classic-black-white.html

2010 Local Matsuri In Living Color: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.jp/2010/11/local-matsuri-in-living-color.html

Kadoma-shi and Danjiri

The area now known as Kadoma-shi has a long and rich history going back to the Jomon Period, Edo Period and of course more modern times.

Details from the Kadoma-shi web page: https://www.city.kadoma.osaka.jp/shisei/shokai/index.html

Danjiri festivals are popular and numerous not only in Kadoma-shi but all over Japan. These web pages have a lot in great photos that show an interesting diversity of celebrations:

https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/danjiribayashi0

https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/danjiribayashi0/48948748.html

http://www.danjirigoya.danjiri.info/tanig/dnjr/index.htm

http://danjirigoya.fan-site.net/dnjr2007/look13/kadoma/index5.html#1

This site introduces neighborhood groups and danjiri in Kadoma-shi (scroll down to see Shirogaki-cho's danjiri 城垣町祭保存会):

http://kadoma.mypl.net/article/dentobunka_kadoma/28629

Rough translation of text: The upper part [of the danjiri], including the stage pillars, is said to have been made in the late Edo period... Although [the neighborhood festival] had been suspended for a while after the war, it is still centered around its young power... As a feature, the front rider is wearing a traditional pink long-sleeved robe.

Kadoma-shi gathers its danjiri together to celebrate the opening of a new expressway (this was before I began my research...).

Kadoma-shi gathered its danjiri together to celebrate Culture Day (national holiday on November 3) in 2012 and 2013.

2012 Danjiri Culture Day Festival in Kadoma-shi https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2012/10/2012-danjiri-culture-day-festival-in.html

2013 門真市地域伝統文化まつり (Kadoma-shi Neighborhood Traditional Culture Festival) https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2013/11/2013-kadoma-shi-neighborhood.html

Kadoma-shi also gathered its danjiri together to celebrate the new emperor and new era.

令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード - Kadoma-shi New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19). See The Reiwa Experience below.

Segment II: Day One

Segment III: Day Two Part 1

Segment IV: The Reiwa Experience

「令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.1 https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/11/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in.html

「令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.2 - Preparations https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/11/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in_29.html

「令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.3 - Truckin' the Danjiri to the Parade https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/11/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in_30.html

「令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.4 - Gathering at the meeting place... And then they're off! https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/12/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in.html

「令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.5 - The Parade! https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/12/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in_2.html

「令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.6 - More Parade! https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/12/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in_10.html

令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.7 - The Performances https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/12/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in_15.html

令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.8 - The Finale: Battle! https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/12/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in_16.html

令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.9 - The Finale: Battle! Video as Raw Data https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/12/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in_86.html


令和の門真の発展を願ってだんじり・太鼓台パレード」--- Hope and Well Wishes for Kadoma-shi in the New Reiwa Era Danjiri and Taiko Drum Parade (11/23/19) - pt.10 - Lest We Forget the Mochi Maki... https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2019/12/hope-and-well-wishes-for-kadoma-shi-in_19.html

Segment V: Day Two Part 2

I was sitting, enjoying the delicious meat and chu-hai with my family and about 30 neighbors, appreciating their efforts over the last two days and the past several years I have been participating in the fall festival. I was thinking about these people getting up early Saturday morning to prepare the danjiri, push the beast through our neighborhood, returning to the shrine and preparing it for an evening festival of food, drinks and games for children and hosting special guests from other neighborhood associations before cleaning up the shrine grounds until late in the night. Then they got up early Sunday morning for another procession and events with other neighborhood groups. Technically they were parading the local kami (deity) from the shrine to bestow its blessings on the people of the parish but perhaps more importantly from an anthropological perspective they were spreading good will and friendship within our parish and with other neighborhood associations. Very respectful to say the least. I was also thinking what a shame it was that so few people participate in this important event. None of the people in the area around my house participate or even greet the shrine as it blesses their streets.

It was about 8:00 PM when I was thinking these thoughts. Then a young police officer showed up. Apparently somebody had complained about the noise from our celebration. This was not a loud and crazy party. It was a dinner party at our local shinto shrine - most of us had to work or go to school the next day. The police officer looked uncomfortable as he asked our community leaders to keep the noise level down. We were stunned and amused at the same time. And even more so when another (older) police officer came about 20 minutes later responding to the same complaint. I was able to snap a couple of pictures on my iPhone that shows the nervous/uncomfortable gestures of the police officer. We promised once again to keep it down and then ended our party 30 minutes later as scheduled.

It seems sad that few people participate and that one would even complain about perhaps the second most important shrine festival in our neighborhood (the most important the celebration on New Year's Eve that goes well past midnight). One worries about the traditional culture of Japan until they see the determination and efforts of my neighbors. See you next year!

Still to be continued...

UPDATES: 

(2020) No Fall Festival this year - the danjiri remained locked in the shed - but a kagura dance was performed, attended by (in addition to the Shinto priest and dancers) 7 old men (the shrine board of directors), a visual anthropologist and his 7-year-old assistant

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2020/10/no-fall-festival-this-year-danjiri.html

(2021) 秋祭 / Fall Festival 2021 (pt.1): canceled again due to COVID-19, but a few of us got together in the morning to drag the danjiri out of storage and clean it for the the first time in two years; it was good to see my friends again and participate in other activities at the shrine in the afternoon (to be continued...)

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2021/10/fall-festival-2021-pt1-canceled-again.html

(2021) Transitions

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2021/10/transition.html

(2021) 秋祭 / Fall Festival 2021 (pt.2): canceled again due to COVID-19; the shrine elders gather in the afternoon for the yudate (boiling water purification) ceremony - raw video data and photographs

https://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2021/10/fall-festival-2021-pt2-canceled-again.html

(2022) Fall Festival - Day One
http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2022/10/2022-fall-festival-day-one.html

(2022) Fall Festival - Day Two

http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2022/10/2022-fall-festival-day-two.html

(2022) Fall Festival - I'm feeling like monochrome...

http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2022/10/2022-fall-festival-im-feeling-like.html