Yokai Talk 4: Writer Dan Taipua - To Be Pacific

Image: Courtesy of Dan Taipua

Yokai Talk 4: Dan Taipua - To Be Pacific: Cultural Connections to Yokai

The nation of Japan rests at the very edge of the so-called ‘Ring of Fire’, which is the border of tectonic forces delineating Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the Pacific Ocean. Despite the enormous span of this ocean, a kinship of cultures can be observed between the people of Japan and Māori, and peoples of the Oceanic continent.

Join speaker Dan Taipua as he starts with the bare fact of our Pacific connection, then charts a course into the more specific ways that yokai express a bond between the cultures and histories of the Japanese people and tangata whenua o Aoteroa.

Moving from ancient folk traditions to the experience of industrialisation, this talk offers points of exchange for cultural knowledge and the closer relation of peoples within that Ring of Fire.

About the speaker:
Dan Taipua (Waikato-Tainui) is a writer and critic working in Tāmaki Makaurau. He has published works for Radio New Zealand, Metro Magazine, The Spinoff, Flicks.co.nz and has appeared as a commenter on TVNZ1, Three and Māori Television.

He has a range of interests that cross through art history, popular culture and Te Ao Māori with a particular focus on futurism and imagined worlds. His interest in Japan springs from a childhood student exchange and continues through ongoing study and visits to the country.

Booking:
To attend in person, booking via Eventfinda is recommended.

To attend via Zoom, please register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwoc-ygqDwoH9PEJl5CVLFfunMtUr9ijxm4
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.

Enjoy this exhibition in Central City Library before and after the talk!
‘Yokai Parade: Supernatural Monsters from Japan’ exhibition is organised in collaboration with the Consulate-General of Japan in Auckland and the Japan Foundation from 29 September to 06 November 2022. Free entry.