To Be Pacific: Cultural Connections to Yokai with Dan Taipua

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.

Speaker Dan Taipua 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.

Yokai Talks is part of the Yokai Parade Exhibition events 29 September - 6 November 2022.

This talk was recorded on 14 October 2022 at Central City Library.