Thursday, September 3, The Encorepreneur Cafe hosts a virtual lecture by Dr. Jon Holt, Associate Professor of Japanese Language and Literature at Portland State University.

Golden Kamuy, the manga series written and illustrated by Satoru Noda, is a thrilling adventure story filled with Japanese cultural, historical, and geographic references. A war hero known as the “Immortal” Sugimoto is on the hunt for a secret treasure in the wilderness of Hokkaido. Aided by an Ainu girl, his dangerous quest puts him in the path of evil bandits, giant wolves, monster bears, and escaped convicts. Dr. Holt will explore the references to Ainu culture, history of the Hokkaido region, and many other points that make this series such a deep and fascinating read.

Dr. Jon Holt received his Ph.D. in Japanese Literature from the University of Washington. His research interests include modern Japanese poetry and children’s literature. He wrote his dissertation on the works of Miyazawa Kenji, arguably one of the most important figures in modern Japanese literature. At PSU, Dr. Holt teaches Japanese literature and film as well as upper-division Japanese language courses. His secondary research interests include manga and Japanese Buddhism.

Tickets for the lecture are available on a sliding scale for $0-15 ($25 includes a t-shirt) through EventBrite.