Also the London conference demonstrated how expansive Milton's influence is, not only in his homeland, but across the world.
Milton's influence is universal, and Milton scholarship has never been more multicultural and multinational than it is now.
In order to celebrate Milton's far-reaching influence, the IMS10 will be held in Tokyo, Japan.
Participants in the IMS10 will therefore travel east, and well beyond Milton's England, to explore Milton's far-reaching global and cultural legacy.
To supplement this eastern theme, the conference will feature two highly engaging cultural events. The poet, Mutsuo Takahashi, will adapt Samson Agonistes to the Noh style. There will also be a concert by mezzo-soprano, Mutsumi Hatano, and lute-player, Takashi Tsunoda, with a performance of Milton’s poems byTimothy Harris, actor and director.
Just beyond the gates of Aoyama Gakuin University, there are also a number of world-class museums and galleries in the area. Tokyo itself is a vibrant metropolitan city. In 1603, coincidentally in the same year the Stuart dynasty ascended, the Tokugawa Shogunate moved the capital from Kyoto to Edo, now called Tokyo, and started their rule to continue until 1868.
There will be planned visits to places where some vestiges of the Edo period remain so that participants may imagine what life was like for Milton’s contemporaries in old Japan. Also, participants can easily visit museums and galleries on their own. In sum, the IMS10 will offer a superb forum for scholarly exploration and an exciting venue for cultural exchange.
