Join the Department of History for Dreams and Nightmares of the Super-Express in 1960s Japan, a talk by Jessamyn R. Abel of Pennsylvania State University.

Abstract: Touted as a symbol of the “new Japan” when it opened in 1964, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen—the first bullet train, dubbed the “dream super-express”—represents the bold aspirations of a nation rebranding itself after military defeat, but also the deep problems caused by the unbridled postwar drive for economic growth. Understanding the various, often contradictory, images of the bullet train shows how infrastructure operates beyond its
intended use as a means of transportation to perform cultural and sociological functions and reveals the tug-of-war over the significance of the new line that is often hidden by commonplace stories of progress. This talk will trace contrasting meanings assigned to high-speed rail in order to find the ways in which it prompted a reimagination of identity on the levels of individual, metropolis, and nation in a changing Japan.’

Speaker: Jessamyn R. Abel is College of the Liberal Arts Endowed Fellow, Associate Professor in the Asian Studies Department, and Affiliated Faculty of the School of International Affairs at Pennsylvania
State University. She is a historian of modern Japan with interests in cultural history, technology, infrastructure, sports, and international relations. She is the author of two books including Dream Super-Express: A Cultural History of the World’s First Bullet Train (2022).

This talk is co-sponsored by the History Department and the MSU Asian Studies Center with funding from Title VI National Resource Center grant and Japan Council Endowment. The event is organized by Dr. Ethan Segal, Associate Professor of History at MSU.

11.16 Global Speaker Program – Jessamyn R. Abel Super-Express in 1960s Japan flyerv2