Mariko Azuma reflects on experience presenting at the 2026 Harvard-Nichibunken International Presentation Workshop

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From May 25 to May 29, 2026, I participated in the Harvard-Nichibunken International Presentation Workshop. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet other scholars in adjacent fields, receive presentation feedback, and learn more about the resources and opportunities at Nichibunken, located in southwestern Kyoto. 

The five-day workshop consisted of practical presentation lessons led by Professor Shigehisa Kuriyama from the Reischauer Institute of Japanese Studies. On the first day, we did our first run of presentations, which was then improved over the course of the workshop through feedback sessions from professors and peers, leading up to our final presentations on the last day of the workshop. I truly appreciate this opportunity to improve my presentation skills in Japanese with intensive feedback from scholars based in Japan and outside Japan.

I learned that it is increasingly important to not only be able to share the detailed nuances of my research argument, but to effectively portray the big picture of my project in a succinct manner for broader audiences. Learning more about these broader communication abilities helped me reflect on aspects of my research that are accessible entry-points for adjacent field scholars as well as areas that require further contextualization and analysis. 

If this workshop is held again, I encourage anyone to apply who is interested in learning more about effective presentation styles alongside scholars from various disciplines focused on Japan.

Read an official summary of the event written by the organizers (in Japanese) >>

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About the author:

Mariko Azuma is a Ph.D. candidate in art history with a focus on modern Japanese art and visual culture. Her studies examine the spatial constructs of travel and tourism through mediums such as the built environment, photography, and travel pamphlets in the late-19^th-20^th century.