About the Event
Suiko (554 ~ 628) ruled Japan for 35 years, the first of eight recognized female sovereigns who were not
empress-consorts. Because of renewed interest she is the subject of manga, documentaries, biographies, and
other media. This presentation will review a few of her notable achievements, as well as representations of her
complex and extraordinary life.
About the Speaker
Laura Miller is the Ei’ichi Shibusawa-Seigo Arai Endowed Professor of Japanese Studies at the University of MissouriSt. Louis where she teaches courses on Japanese visual and material culture, ancient history, food culture, and yōkai.
She has published more than ninety articles and book chapters on Japanese culture and language, and has authored
or co-edited five books. Her forthcoming book is Occult Hunting and Supernatural Play in Japan (University of Hawai’i
Press).