Free Public Symposium: 'Transcending Knowledge: Four Scholars Analyze the Exhibition 'Outlaws Speak the World' – What Can the Bakumatsu Murayama Incident Teach Modern Society?' Hosted by Meiji University Liberty Academy on July 18 (Sat)

Meiji University's lifelong learning institution, 'Meiji University Liberty Academy,' will host a face-to-face symposium titled 'Transcending Knowledge: Four Scholars Analyze the Exhibition 'Outlaws Speak the World' – What Can the Bakumatsu Murayama Incident Teach Modern Society?' on July 18 (Saturday) at Meiji University's Surugadai Campus.

The event requires prior registration and is free of charge.

■ Course Overview

In 1866 (Keio 2), the Murayama Uprising occurred in Murayama District, Dewa Province, where impoverished crowds, suffering from soaring rice prices, forced wealthy households to hand over money and food, and destroyed the homes of those who refused. The core of the uprising was said to consist of gamblers, ronin (masterless samurai), and homeless people (those without fixed residence). At the time, such outlaws—gamblers, ronin, and homeless people—who carried weapons and caused disturbances were called 'akutō' (evil parties). However, they referred to themselves as 'tenka gishi' (righteous warriors of the realm). Were they 'akutō' or 'gishi' who spoke for justice? This incident contains universal themes such as law and order, deviant behavior, and popular violence—issues that remain relevant today. In this symposium, leading Meiji University faculty members from the fields of history, law, philosophy, and cognitive informatics will analyze this event from fresh perspectives. This symposium is designed for anyone interested in history and for all those seeking deeper understanding of human beings and society.

Free Public Symposium: 'Transcending Knowledge: Four Scholars Analyze the Exhibition

'Outlaws Speak the World' – What Can the Bakumatsu Murayama Incident Teach Modern Society?'

Date

July 18, 2026 (Saturday) 14:00–15:30 (Doors open at 13:30)

Venue

Meiji University Surugadai Campus (1-1 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)

※ Room details will be announced on the Liberty Academy course information page once confirmed.

https://academy.meiji.jp/course/detail/8042

Speakers

Tsutomu Suda (Executive Director for External Affairs, Professor, School of Information and Communication)

Research Focus: Social culture and popular history in early modern and modern Japan, popular violence.

Makoto Kurosawa (Vice President, Professor, School of Law)

Research Focus: Theoretical examination of issues surrounding criminal justice.

Masato Goda (Professor, School of Letters)

Research Focus: Intellectual exchange history between Germany and France in the 19th and 20th centuries, modern Jewish thought, boundary theory.

Mikito Ishikawa (Director, Meiji University Museum, Professor, School of Information and Communication)

Research Focus: Cognitive informatics. Longtime interdisciplinary research integrating biology, psychology, and artificial intelligence.

Moderator: Kayoko Hibi (Curator, Criminal Division, Meiji University Museum)

Research Focus: Examining the impact of domain transfers (daimyo land relocations) on domains and their people during the Edo period.

Fee

Free

Registration

Advance registration required.

Please register via the following URL (Liberty Academy homepage) or through the Liberty Academy office.

URL: https://academy.meiji.jp/course/detail/8042

TEL: 03-3296-4423

※ Media representatives should apply via the 'Press Inquiry Application Form.'

■ This symposium is a collaborative program with the 'Outlaws Speak the World: The World of the Keio 2 Murayama Incident' column exhibition at the Criminal Division of Meiji University Museum.

For details on the exhibition, please visit the Meiji University Museum website:

https://www.meiji.ac.jp/museum/news/2025/qfki0t00000gaswl.html

Meiji University Museum Column Exhibition: 'Outlaws Speak the World: The World of the Keio 2 Murayama Incident'

Period

March 26, 2026 (Thursday) – August 31, 2026 (Monday)

Venue

Meiji University Museum, Permanent Exhibition Hall, Criminal Division

Opening Hours

Weekdays: 10:00–17:00 (Last entry at 16:30)

Saturdays: 10:00–16:00 (Last entry at 15:30)

Closed: Sundays, holidays (except July 20), Saturdays from August 1 to September 19, and summer break (August 10–16)

Admission

Free

About Meiji University Liberty Academy

Meiji University aims to be a university open to local communities and actively promotes social collaboration initiatives aimed at returning academic knowledge to society, such as this lecture series. Meiji University Liberty Academy, established and operated by the university as a lifelong learning hub, offers lectures by university faculty and invited external speakers to the general public.

(Details: Meiji University Liberty Academy website https://academy.meiji.jp/)