The Undergraduate Program in Japanese Language and Culture, Faculty of Humanities, Diponegoro University, in collaboration with Brawijaya University and Udayana University, successfully held a literature-themed public lecture via Zoom Meeting on Saturday, May 17th 2025. The event featured two speakers from the respective universities: Fitriana Puspita Dewi, M.Si., Ph.D. and Dr. Silvia Damayanti, S.S., M.Hum.. This public lecture was part of the study program’s effort to provide deeper academic preparation for 4th, 6th, and 8th semester students as they approach the selection of specializations and the writing of their final thesis.
The first speaker, Fitriana Puspita Dewi, M.Si., Ph.D., delivered a presentation titled “Exploring War Narratives in Japanese Women’s Literature.” The presentation as a whole explained that war has long been a central theme in modern Japanese literature, yet the narratives have predominantly reflected male experiences. This presentation explores how Japanese women have voiced their perspectives through literature as acts of resistance, reflection, and expressions of trauma. Positioned on the periphery of wartime narratives, women’s experiences are often silenced. Through feminist lenses such as l’écriture féminine, female authors articulate personal and collective traumas that challenge dominant patriarchal and militaristic discourses. Works by Yosano Akiko and Ibaragi Noriko offer poetic critiques of war and its impact on youth and identity, while prose by Hayashi Fumiko and Sata Ineko expose colonial and gendered violence. Media such as Cocoon and Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni further illustrate the everyday lives and resilience of women during that era.
The event then continued with a session titled “Graduate Faster with Research on Japanese Children’s Literature” presented by Dr. Silvia Damayanti, S.S., M.Hum. She highlighted the potential of ehon (Japanese illustrated storybooks) as both an educational medium and a compelling subject of academic research, particularly for students preparing their final thesis. Through a case study of Tatta Hitotsu no Oyakusoku by Mayuko Kanazawa and Yokobayashi Yoshizumi, she discussed how ehon can represent Japanese local wisdom, especially the concept of Tsunami Tendenko, a traditional principle of self-evacuation passed down through generations in the Sanriku region in response to tsunami disasters. She also examined the core elements of ehon, such as plot, characters, illustrations, and language style, all of which are tailored to a child’s world. With its simple yet culturally and morally rich narratives, ehon presents an accessible and engaging alternative for thesis research in the field of children’s literature.
The highly detailed presentation successfully sparked participant’s enthusiasm to ask questions. Although the Q&A session was relatively brief, it proceeded smoothly. The meeting then were closed with the symbolic handover of certificates by Zaki Ainul Fadli, S.S., M.Hum. to the two speakers.