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Jesus and Buddha are currently vacationing together in Tokyo?!

  • Thu, Apr 10, 2025
  • 4:00 pm–5:30 pm

Meeter Center Lecture Hall

Japanese manga series
A discussion on the Japanese comedic manga series, Saint Young Men, and how jokes are received in Japanese and other cultures, as well as what a dialogue might look like between Jesus and Buddha. Brought to you by the Asian Studies program.

Can you imagine that Jesus and Buddha are good friends?  Can you imagine that Jesus and Buddha are renting a small apartment together in Tokyo and enjoying well-deserved off time from their heavenly duties?  In this lecture, the speaker will introduce a popular Japanese comedic manga series entitled “Saint Young Men” and will discuss the following topics:

  •  What is the religious context in Japan where jokes related to religions are produced and accepted?

  • Are jokes considered funny in Japanese culture also funny in different cultures?

  • What are challenges of translating Japanese jokes that are deeply ingrained in its culture into English?

  • What dialogues would you imagine that Jesus and Buddha might have while living in 21st century Tokyo together?

Dr. Kaori D. Schau came to the US from Japan to complete her degree.  She holds a Ph.D. in Japanese Language Pedagogy from Purdue University.  She joined the faculty at Calvin University in 2010 and has taught all four levels of Japanese language courses, intensive Japanese culture course, and the Studio Ghibli film course.  Her research interests include language pedagogy with instructional technologies and nurturing cross-cultural competence with language learning.  She enjoys films, TV dramas, pop music, and soccer with her family. 

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