"Rakugo" is a type of Japanese story-telling in which the storyteller uses a paper fan and a small cloth to perform a comedic story. The storyteller remains seated throughout the entire performance and relies on their voice and slight movements of the head to depict the different characters in the story. This year's performance will be conducted in Japanese and English by Yanagiya Tozaburo, and a mini workshop will be given to all attendees. This event is free, open to the public, and wheel chair accessible. Wednesday 10/23, 4:55pm to 6pm, 12 Wavery Pl, Room G08

Yi Gwangsu (1892-1950) was by far the most popular novelist in colonial Korea in the 1920s. However, his works from that period have received little scholarly attention partly because about half of his output was melodramas that were considered to be nothing more than low-brow escapism. It has been virtually forgotten that Yi’s Rebirth was the first full-length novel to feature the so-called “modern girl” as well as one of the first to be set against the backdrop of the March First Movement of 1919. This talk discusses how the novel used the conventions of melodrama to offer a sophisticated critique of colonial capitalism. Friday 10/25, 5:30pm to 7:00pm, Silver Building Rm 207, 100 Washington Sq. E.

Join The Department of East Asian Studies in our annual celebration of Japanese Culture Day. Experience Japan through cultural demonstrations, live performances and more. Visit our Eventbrite page for updates on the schedule of demonstrations, performances, and performers/experts. This event is free and open to the public, and wheelchair accessible.  Friday 11/8, beginning at 12pm, 19 University Pl, Room 102

Apply now to the 5th annual Chinese Speech Contest by submitting a 3-minute video introducing yourself and your speech! Applicants are also encouraged to submit an outline of your speech of no less than 200 characters, but it is not required. The deadline to apply is November 5th. Fifteen finalists will be selected to take part in the final contest and will be notified by November 8th. Friday 11/15, 2:30pm to 4:30pm, 19 University Pl, The Great Rm. 

EAS will host the 2019 Chinese Karaoke Contest! Come belt your heart out and sing some of your favorite Chinese tunes for a chance to win big at EAS' 2019 Chinese Karaoke Contest. Vocalists of all genres of music are welcome to sign up. Singers can pick any Chinese songs to perform, either as an individual or as a group. Simply record yourself and send us the audio file by October 19th. Ten finalists will be announced via email by October 25th. Friday 11/1, 2pm to 4pm, 19 University Pl, The Great Rm.

WATCH THE TRAILER. On the margins of Tokyo, a dysfunctional band of outsiders is united by fierce loyalty and a penchant for petty theft. When the young son is arrested, secrets are exposed that upend their tenuous below the radar existence. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and winner of the Palme d'Or. This event is free, open to the public, and wheelchair accessible.  Friday 11/1, 5pm to 8pm, 19 University Pl, Room 102. 

He Yafei, the Former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, joins Susan A. Thornton, the former Acting Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, to discuss the future of China-U.S. relations. The panel will be moderated by Jeffrey S. Lehman, the Vice Chancellor of NYU Shanghai. This event is free, open to the public, and wheelchair accessible.  Monday, 11/25, 5:30pm to 7pm, Kimmel Center for University life, Room

This year's first Comparatorium event in collaboration with the Department of English, The speaker, Dr. Udaya Kumar, is a distinguished scholar of literature and theory at Jawaharlal Nehru University, India. His lecture, entitled "The Resistant Life of Emotions: Notes on Death, Narration and Agency," will take place on Thursday,  10/31, 2:30pm to 4:30pm, 244 Greene Street. 

The 2019 CineCina Film Festival will be showing 15 films from 17 different countries throughout the end of October and the beginning of November. The CineCina Film Festival is dedicated to showing films from countries whose national cinema was historically under-appreciated by mainstream American audiences and will be hosting a special screening of "Fukuoka" with a Q & A with the director on November 1st. Use the promotion code "EAS10" for a special discount on tickets!