UNCA to Host Talk on Imperial Tombs of Japan

UNC Asheville will host a talk on "The Imperial Tombs of Japan" by J. Edward Kidder, professor emeritus of the International Christian University in Tokyo, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2, in UNCA’s Owen Conference Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Built between 200-600 C.E., the Japanese imperial tombs are a symbol of the ancient imperial system. The mounded tombs are protected by the Imperial Household Agency, which has refused to allow them to be investigated because they have been the object of worship for centuries and are hallowed by tradition. Although untouchable by archaeologists, academics are slowing finding ways to obtain more information about them. Kidder will discuss the tombs’ history, importance in Japanese culture and possible changes to their untouchable status.

Kidder, who holds a doctorate from New York University, worked at the International Christian University for 37 years. He served as professor, vice president for academic affairs, director of the ICU Museum and of the ICU Archaeology Research Center. From 1972-1993, he directed 15 archaeological excavations for the Tokyo government. Kidder is the author of more than a dozen books and received the Order of the Sacred Treasure conferred by the Japanese emperor.

The talk is co-sponsored by UNCA’s Classics Department and the American Institute of Archaeology.

For more information, call Laurel Taylor, UNCA adjunct professor of classics, 828/251-6466.

Media Contacts:

• Dr. Laurel Taylor, UNCA Classics Department Adjunct Professor, 828/251-6466
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526