Loading Events
Event Series Event Series: Artistry@Work

Artistry@Work: Alice Doublier-Akakpo

October 1 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Organisers:

Artistry@Work Series  

by Maison des Sciences de l’Homme–Université Clermont Auvergne, in collaboration with the RAI


Tuesday, 01 October 2024  4:00-6:00pm BST

This is an online event. Register here: 
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kkKWJwoUThmJ_JwGYED54A#/registration 


Image: Kôji molds blooming on soybeans and wheat at Suzuki Shôten brewery (Fukushima, March 2024) ©Alice Doublier-Akakpo

Cultivating the most beautiful kôji: the aesthetics of brewing soy-sauce in twenty-first century Japan

Discussant: Iza Kavedžija, Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology, University of Cambridge

Abstract:
In this paper I wish to explore an often-overlooked aspect of making craft soy sauce in contemporary Japan, namely the aesthetic dimension of soybeans and wheat fermentation. The revival of artisanal soy sauce that I have been investigating since 2018 aims mostly at promoting the distinctive good taste of their seasoning compared to industrial products. Yet, for some brewers, the pursuit of a tasty sauce is also rooted in a deeply aesthetic quest based on a constant attunement to the minute changes during fermentation. In this process, growing kôji (aspergillus oryzae) moulds on grains and soy until the texture becomes “fluffy” (mokomoko) and the colour bright green (moegi iro) is extremely delicate. I will focus here on the “microbrewery”  of the Suzukis (located in Fukushima prefecture in Northern Japan), whose quest to cultivate the most beautiful kôji is oriented at generating an unforeseeable taste.

Biographical note:
Alice Doublier-Akakpo is an anthropologist working on craft, materialities and transmission practices in contemporary Japan. She is currently investigating the revival of artisanal soy sauce production and how this movement transforms the circulation of knowledge within brewers’ networks. She is a research fellow at the National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris.

Iza Kavedžija is an Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology at the University of Cambridge. She has written on topics including meaning in later life, wellbeing and creativity. Her book publications include Meaning in Life: Tales from Aging Japan (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019); Values of Happiness: Toward an Anthropology of Purpose in Life (University of Chicago Press, 2016); and The Process of Wellbeing: Conviviality, Care, Creativity (Cambridge University Press, 2021).


_________________________

Artistry@Work is an online Seminar Series in the Anthropology of Artists & Artisans, running 2024–2025 

Maison des Sciences de l’Homme–Université Clermont Auvergne, in collaboration with the Royal Anthropological Institute

Organisers:  Dr Raphaël Blanchier & Professor Trevor Marchand

This seminar series in anthropology explores the situated practices of ‘artistry at work’ and, more broadly, the working lives and career trajectories of artists and artisans plying their trades in regions around the globe. The scope of the series also encompasses studies of occupations not conventionally categorised as “artistic” but that nevertheless foster creativity among (some) practitioners and even accommodate the development of “artist” identities. 

Find a list of all events here.



Your support makes all the difference to the RAI

The RAI needs your support. We are an independent charity dedicated to anthropology. Please can you help us with our essential work by making a donation today. With your support we can continue to deliver our inspiring online events programme and run our flagship events (London Anthropology Day, the RAI Film Festival and our international conferences). We can continue our essential support of anthropological research, to care for our archive, manuscript and photo collections and develop our education programmes to create globally informed citizens. Thank you for your interest in this event, we appreciate you supporting the RAI.

To make a donation
Donate with PayPal
Or send a Text Message to add a donation to your monthly mobile phone bill or pay as you credit :
• Text RAISE 3 to 70085 for a one-off donation of £3
• Text RAISE 5 to 70085 for a one-off donation of £5
• Text RAISE 10 to 70085 for a one-off donation of £10
• Text RAISE to 70460 to set up a regular gift of £3 each month, helping fund our vital work long term.

For more information and terms & conditions please go to: https://www.therai.org.uk/support-us/donate 

Have you considered becoming an RAI Fellow? https://www.therai.org.uk/joining  
Many people from all over the world are affiliated to the RAI. We welcome anyone with an interest in the subject, whether working in an academic institution or not. Our affiliates include academic specialists, students, those working in fields where anthropology has practical applications, and those whose interest is captured by the subject matter of anthropology.

Want to hear more about the RAI’s upcoming events? You can sign up to our mailing list here:
https://us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=94e3bf4c82be9b8d19299eb8a&id=f6438860ac 

How to give to the RAI

Your support makes all the difference to the RAI

The RAI needs your support. We are an independent charity dedicated to anthropology. Please can you help us with our essential work by making a donation today. With your support we can continue to deliver our inspiring online events programme and run our flagship events (London Anthropology Day, the RAI Film Festival and our international conferences). We can continue our essential support of anthropological research, to care for our archive, manuscript and photo collections and develop our education programmes to create globally informed citizens. Thank you for your interest in this event, we appreciate you supporting the RAI.

Have you considered becoming an RAI Fellow?

Many people from all over the world are affiliated to the RAI. We welcome anyone with an interest in the subject, whether working in an academic institution or not. Our affiliates include academic specialists, students, those working in fields where anthropology has practical applications, and those whose interest is captured by the subject matter of anthropology.

Join the RAI

Mailing list

Interested in news and updates from the RAI? Subscribe to our mailing list below.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name