The Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Kansas invites proposals for papers to be delivered at an interdisciplinary symposium "In Godzilla's Footsteps: Japanese Pop Culture Icons on the Global Stage." The symposium will be held in late October 2004 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the release of the original film Gojira. Proposals from all disciplines - history, film studies, culture studies, literature, anthropology, etc. - will be welcomed. The symposium will consider the Godzilla films and how they were shaped by (and in turn shaped) postwar Japanese culture, as well as the globalization of Japanese popular culture icons in the wake of the Godzilla phenomenon. Possible themes include Japanese science fiction and kaiju eiga, the history of Japanese tokusatsu (special effects), movies, Godzilla and Japanese nationalism, fan cultures, the domestic and international marketing of Japanese popular culture, Japanese animation and the legacy of Gojira, Japanese cultural imperialism, freedom of speech and censorship, transformations of Godzilla in American popular culture, and so forth. This symposium is intended to be a serious (but enjoyable) academic gathering, not a fan-oriented or commercial event.

Please submit a current curriculum vitae and a proposal of 250-500 words by December 1, 2002. Electronic submissions are encouraged. The organizers plan to publish selected papers and limited funding should be available to help defray travel costs for those participating in the symposium. Proposals from advanced graduate students will be given full consideration. For further information, please contact William M. Tsutsui or Michiko Ito.