Thursday, March 9, 2023 – Wilder 101
On March 9th, Professor Emer O’Dwyer presented a talk entitled “海幸 The Happiness of the Sea: Lessons Old and New from Japan’s Atsumi Peninsula” as part of the LIASE Research-in-Progress series. During the talk, Professor O’Dwyer introduced the Atsumi Peninsula of Japan, which had thrived due to abundant fish resources and agricultural bounty, with regards to its 20th-century history of overlapping disasters and local politics. Specifically, Sugiura Minpei was featured, known as the author of “A Chronicle of Typhoon 13,” for his roles as a journalist, politician in a town council, and scholar of Italian literature, which suggests that he was a Renaissance man. These figures imply that the people in this region have fought and coexisted with disasters such as typhoons, red tides, coastal erosion, and earthquakes. Currently, there is an ongoing movement to examine archives for measures to protect against future disasters and to cultivate citizens’ connection with the sea through leisure. Professor O’Dwyer concluded the talk by encouraging the audience to find something beautiful in nature occasionally, like Marine Day in Japan. Roughly 50 students, faculty, and community members gathered in Wilder 101 for the talk and a lively Q&A session.