News & Events

Ishibashi Foundation Visiting Professor: Matsuba Ryōko

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Matsuba Ryōko as the 34th Ishibashi Foundation Visiting Professor this winter semester. Matsuba Ryōko is a specialist on Edo period printed culture. She is currently Lecturer in Japanese Digital Arts and Humanities at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, University of East Anglia. She received her PhD from Ritsumeikan University (2008). She was a curator of the Citi Exhibition Manga at the British Museum and co-author of the exhibition catalogue. Recently, she has led the Institute’s ‘Digital Japan’ project, which focuses on the digitization of museum collections such as tsuba and urushi lacquerware. This project involves collaboration with several institutions, including the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), the British Museum, and Chiddingstone Castle. The project also receives technical support from the Art Research Centre (ARC) at Ritsumeikan University. Her research also focuses on the recording of traditional craft techniques in Japan. Students can look forward to her classes on ‘Japanese Popular Prints: Traditions, Transformations, and their Impact on Visual Culture’ and ‘Authenticity in the Arts of Japan’.