The EAA Summer Institute 2024 started from 2nd September, bringing Peking University and University of Tokyo students to Sendai, Tohoku.
The first destination of our field trip was Matsushima, an island with its rich natural scenery and historical heritage. After having lunch at Matsushima’s fish market, we visited the coastal areas of Sendai City. We visited Arahama Elementary School, the ruins of the Great East Japan Earthquake which has been preserved as a disaster memorial site. We then visited Namiwake Shrine. As the name suggests, Namiwake translate to “separating wave.” This religious landscape reminds us of the ways in which people try to live with natural disasters by building sacred sites and engaging in worship and veneration practices. In Yuriage, we had the opportunity to learn about the city’s post-disaster reconstruction and how people try to rebuild their lives in post-disaster period.
This field trip offered a precious chance to reflect on the theme of this year’s Summer Institute– Climate/Fengtu/ Fudo and Civilization. As two lectures given by Professor Qu Jingdong and Professor Zhang Fan on the following day, Climate/Fengtu/ Fudo potentially orients us to an ontological shift in thinking the formation and transformation of civilizations.
The first day of Summer Institute ended with a warm welcome party.
Reported by Li Jia (Ph.D. student, The University of Tokyo)
Photographed by LI Jia ((Ph.D. student, The University of Tokyo)