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Michael Toole

@mtoole

Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies. He/Him. All Views/Likes are my own.

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Latest posts by Michael Toole @mtoole

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Jingyi Li (Occidental College), Fumiko Kobayashi (Hลsei University), and Laura Moretti (University of Cambridge) are the other scholars on my panel. #AAS2026

12.03.2026 08:25 ๐Ÿ‘ 4 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

For attendees of #AAS2026 โ€“ are you free this Saturday morning at 10:30? If so, please check out my panel: "Paper Publics: Mediums and Social Transitions in Popular Prints of Early Modern Japan. I will be presenting my paper on the ukiyo-e artist Hishikawa Moronobu.

12.03.2026 08:18 ๐Ÿ‘ 5 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
An image with the logo for the Association for Asian Studies 2026 Conference Meeting in Vancouver. Above the image is written "I'm Presenting."

An image with the logo for the Association for Asian Studies 2026 Conference Meeting in Vancouver. Above the image is written "I'm Presenting."

12.03.2026 08:18 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I participated in Ellen Tilton-Cantrell's book workshop last summer. Her workshop helped me focus on making meaningful changes to my book project. I was able to take a breath and tarry with the big issues in my manuscript in a supportive space. I highly recommend her workshop!

27.02.2026 16:58 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Excerpt of a Japanese painting in light colors with a beige background showing a hawk looking to the left. To its left is a sprig of pink flowers, and to its right the truck of a pine tree with pine needles surrounding it.

Excerpt of a Japanese painting in light colors with a beige background showing a hawk looking to the left. To its left is a sprig of pink flowers, and to its right the truck of a pine tree with pine needles surrounding it.

JPP is pleased to announce the launch of A World of Edo Art. This web portal, spearheaded Linda Hoaglund (director, Edo Avant Garde), brings together 200+ captivating Edo-period (1603โ€“1868) artworks related to animals and nature from around the world. edoart.japanpastandpresent.org

19.02.2026 20:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 41 ๐Ÿ” 24 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 3
February 19, 2026

INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY

As survivors and descendants of the mass removals, detention, deportation, and family separation targeting our community during WWII, we refuse to stand by idly while our friends and neighbors are violently disappeared, forcibly removed, mass incarcerated, and separated from family members.

We decry the murders of community members and at least 37 people in ICE custody and enforcement in 2025.

We reject false narratives that state violence is "unavoidable," a "justifiable military action," necessary for "national security"โ€”the same arguments used as they forced our parents, grandparents, aunties, and uncles into U.S. concentration camps in 1942.

On this Day of Remembrance, we call on Japanese Americans and all people who believe in "Never Again" to demand justice for those we have lostโ€”on the streets and hidden away in ICE detention centers. To break this cycle of state violence. To rise up and resist, together.

We bravely commit to being the allies our familes needed during WWII.

STOP REPEATING HISTORY.

#TsuruForSolidarity #FreeFamilies #FreeThemAll

February 19, 2026 INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY As survivors and descendants of the mass removals, detention, deportation, and family separation targeting our community during WWII, we refuse to stand by idly while our friends and neighbors are violently disappeared, forcibly removed, mass incarcerated, and separated from family members. We decry the murders of community members and at least 37 people in ICE custody and enforcement in 2025. We reject false narratives that state violence is "unavoidable," a "justifiable military action," necessary for "national security"โ€”the same arguments used as they forced our parents, grandparents, aunties, and uncles into U.S. concentration camps in 1942. On this Day of Remembrance, we call on Japanese Americans and all people who believe in "Never Again" to demand justice for those we have lostโ€”on the streets and hidden away in ICE detention centers. To break this cycle of state violence. To rise up and resist, together. We bravely commit to being the allies our familes needed during WWII. STOP REPEATING HISTORY. #TsuruForSolidarity #FreeFamilies #FreeThemAll

84 years ago today, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, ordering the removal and incarceration of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans, about two-thirds of whom were US citizens. The Day of Remembrance this year comes as we see DHS buying land and warehouses for more camps now.

19.02.2026 20:06 ๐Ÿ‘ 498 ๐Ÿ” 341 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2 ๐Ÿ“Œ 20
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Jayapal asks Epstein survivors in hearing room to stand and raise hands if they still haven't been able to meet with Bondi's DOJ. Every single one of them doe. Jayapal then gives Bondi an opportunity to apologize. She responds by trying to attack Jayapal and Merrick Garland but doesn't apologize.

11.02.2026 15:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 4848 ๐Ÿ” 1754 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 266 ๐Ÿ“Œ 164
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NEGUSE: AG Bondi, that man works for you now, right? The man in that video from J6 yelling 'kill them!' at cops. His name is Jared Wise.

BONDI: He does work for us, yes. I believe he was pardoned

NEGUSE: And you expect hard-working police officers to believe you take law enforcement seriously?

11.02.2026 18:28 ๐Ÿ‘ 33226 ๐Ÿ” 11219 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 943 ๐Ÿ“Œ 598
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Yesterday, five-year-old Liam and his dad Adrian were released from Dilley detention center. I picked them up last night and escorted them back to Minnesota this morning.

Liam is now home. With his hat and his backpack.

01.02.2026 15:49 ๐Ÿ‘ 67292 ๐Ÿ” 16089 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2571 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1826
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Edo-Tokyo Museum Finally Set to Reopen in March 2026 - Unseen Japan One of Tokyo's most beloved and culturally significant museums is finally set to reopen to the public on March 31st.

Huzzah! ๐Ÿ˜€
unseen-japan.com/edo-tokyo-mu...

12.01.2026 15:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Video: Videos Contradict Trump Administration Account of ICE Shooting in Minneapolis An analysis of footage from three camera angles show that the vehicle appears to be turning away from a federal officer as he opened fire.

Really good video breakdown of the shooting of Renee Good illustrating that yes, this was cold blooded murder by an ICE agent.

08.01.2026 15:06 ๐Ÿ‘ 2711 ๐Ÿ” 1084 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 151 ๐Ÿ“Œ 97

Stopped by the campus bookstore to look for an A4 picture frame. Left with four used books, each priced at 99 cents. I have no regrets.๐Ÿ“–

10.07.2025 20:31 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I donโ€™t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE.

This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion - making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA,& others combined.

It is setting up to make whatโ€™s happening now look like childโ€™s play. And people are disappearing.

03.07.2025 18:58 ๐Ÿ‘ 97249 ๐Ÿ” 37806 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 4430 ๐Ÿ“Œ 2659
Peace through strength - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_t...

23.06.2025 15:23 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Flyer with discount code DELPA30 for 30% off when you order my book "Language Ideologies and L2 Speaker Legitimacy: Native Speaker Bias in Japan."

Flyer with discount code DELPA30 for 30% off when you order my book "Language Ideologies and L2 Speaker Legitimacy: Native Speaker Bias in Japan."

My 2023 book is coming out in paperback in Sept. Use discount code DELPA30 for 30% off when you order from the publisher's website. Title: Language Ideologies and L2 Speaker Legitimacy: Native Speaker Bias in Japan. Here's the flyer.
#AppliedLinguistics #Japanese #L2 #sociolinguistics #SLA

16.06.2025 15:30 ๐Ÿ‘ 2 ๐Ÿ” 1 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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the regressiveness of the Trump's big bill, in one image

16.06.2025 12:33 ๐Ÿ‘ 1885 ๐Ÿ” 751 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 49 ๐Ÿ“Œ 40

The head of the department of homeland security announced that she planned to use military force to take over a democratically elected government in the state of California and we are arguing about whether a California Senator properly identified himself at the door.

13.06.2025 12:32 ๐Ÿ‘ 7216 ๐Ÿ” 2323 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 99 ๐Ÿ“Œ 85
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No Kings On June 14โ€”Flag Dayโ€”Donald Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isnโ€™t staged in Washington. ...

Join those of us marching in the "No Kings" Protest tomorrow! Find out where your closest march isโ†“https://www.nokings.org/?SQF_SOURCE=50501

13.06.2025 14:43 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Plaskett to Bessent: "Excuse me. Let me get something straight with you. I've seen you interrupt everyone. When you come to someone's house, you respect their rules. And in this house, we don't interrupt individuals. And you're not going to interrupt my time."

11.06.2025 18:36 ๐Ÿ‘ 6493 ๐Ÿ” 1399 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 264 ๐Ÿ“Œ 152
Rep. Sorensen Honors Navy Veteran Harvey Milk at House Armed Services Committee Hearing
Rep. Sorensen Honors Navy Veteran Harvey Milk at House Armed Services Committee Hearing YouTube video by Congressman Eric Sorensen

Rep. Eric. Sorensen on Harvey Milk: "He stood up for the same people who are being targeted, persecuted, and vilified by this administration today ... picking and choosing who deserves that thanks -- it's not just wrong, it's un-American."

11.06.2025 18:54 ๐Ÿ‘ 4224 ๐Ÿ” 1117 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 52 ๐Ÿ“Œ 30

I am so excited to see "The Blob"! I grew up close to The Colonial, where they filmed this masterpiece. Every few years they had a "save the Colonial"-type of event.

05.06.2025 19:02 ๐Ÿ‘ 0 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Japan's Agriculture Minister Resigns After Bragging He Never Buys Rice - Unseen Japan As Japanese consumers struggle with high rice prices, Etล Taku decided it was a good idea to rub his privilege in their faces.

Wouldn't it be nice if those in the US government who displayed apathy for voters were shamed into resigning? Of course, Etล's resignation has had no material effect on the price of rice. unseen-japan.com/japan-agricu...

28.05.2025 16:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 1 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, recently used my second-place finish in the 1,600-meter run, and that of my teammate in the 800-meter run, to malign Soren Stark-Chessa, the trans-identified athlete who finished first.

One of the reasons I chose to run cross-country and track is the community: Teammates cheering each other on, athletes from different schools coming together, and the fact that personal improvement is valued as much as, if not more than, the place we finish.

Last Friday, I ran the fastest 1,600-meter race I have ever run in middle school or high school track and earned varsity status by my schoolโ€™s standards. I am extremely proud of the effort I put into the race and the time that I achieved. The fact that someone else finished in front of me didnโ€™t diminish the happiness I felt after finishing that race. I donโ€™t feel like first place was taken from me. Instead, I feel like a happy day was turned ugly by a bully who is using children to make political points.

We are all just kids trying to make our way through high school. Participating in sports is the highlight of high school for some kids. No one was harmed by Sorenโ€™s participation in the girlsโ€™ track meet, but we are all harmed by the hateful rhetoric of bullies, like Rep. Libby, who want to take sports away from some kids just because of who they are.

Anelise Feldman
Freshman, Yarmouth High School
Yarmouth

Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, recently used my second-place finish in the 1,600-meter run, and that of my teammate in the 800-meter run, to malign Soren Stark-Chessa, the trans-identified athlete who finished first. One of the reasons I chose to run cross-country and track is the community: Teammates cheering each other on, athletes from different schools coming together, and the fact that personal improvement is valued as much as, if not more than, the place we finish. Last Friday, I ran the fastest 1,600-meter race I have ever run in middle school or high school track and earned varsity status by my schoolโ€™s standards. I am extremely proud of the effort I put into the race and the time that I achieved. The fact that someone else finished in front of me didnโ€™t diminish the happiness I felt after finishing that race. I donโ€™t feel like first place was taken from me. Instead, I feel like a happy day was turned ugly by a bully who is using children to make political points. We are all just kids trying to make our way through high school. Participating in sports is the highlight of high school for some kids. No one was harmed by Sorenโ€™s participation in the girlsโ€™ track meet, but we are all harmed by the hateful rhetoric of bullies, like Rep. Libby, who want to take sports away from some kids just because of who they are. Anelise Feldman Freshman, Yarmouth High School Yarmouth

this is a letter to the editor from a high school track runner who came in second to a trans girl in a race. her state house rep in maine started talking about it. so she wrote this: www.pressherald.com/2025/05/14/r...

16.05.2025 03:25 ๐Ÿ‘ 31633 ๐Ÿ” 9990 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 358 ๐Ÿ“Œ 1004

Ghoulish. She won't even agree to help a worried mother know whether her son is even alive.

Andry has been imprisoned without trial for 60 days, held incommunicado by the Salvadoran government as part of a deal where we handed Bukele a metaphorical briefcase of cash to detain hundreds of people!

14.05.2025 17:34 ๐Ÿ‘ 3627 ๐Ÿ” 1179 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 160 ๐Ÿ“Œ 54
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ใ€Œgoo่พžๆ›ธใ€ใ‚ตใƒผใƒ“ใ‚น็ต‚ไบ†ใฎใŠ็Ÿฅใ‚‰ใ› โ€“ gooใƒ˜ใƒซใƒ— ใ„ใคใ‚‚gooใ‚ตใƒผใƒ“ใ‚นใ‚’ใ”ๅˆฉ็”จใ„ใŸใ ใใ€่ช ใซใ‚ใ‚ŠใŒใจใ†ใ”ใ–ใ„ใพใ™ใ€‚ ย  ใ€Œgoo่พžๆ›ธใ€ใฏ2025ๅนด6ๆœˆ25ๆ—ฅ๏ผˆๆฐด๏ผ‰ใ‚’ใ‚‚ใกใพใ—ใฆใ€ใ‚ตใƒผใƒ“ใ‚นใ‚’็ต‚ไบ†ใ™ใ‚‹ใ“ใจใจใชใ‚Šใพใ—ใŸใ€‚ ็ช็„ถใฎใŠ็Ÿฅโ€ฆ

Oh no! Goo is stopping its online dictionary service on June 25.
help.goo.ne.jp/help/article...

14.05.2025 05:50 ๐Ÿ‘ 9 ๐Ÿ” 2 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 4

A fake version of the Disability Studies Reader 6th edition has been put up on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The 6th edition was never published. Routledge is working to get the listing taken down. Please do not order it because this is a scam. All the previous editions 1st through 5th are genuine.

12.05.2025 20:20 ๐Ÿ‘ 145 ๐Ÿ” 66 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 5 ๐Ÿ“Œ 6
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Pope Leo XIV, the new leader of Catholics worldwide, is a graduate of Villanova University Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, has a strong tie to the Philadelphia region.

I have many thoughts on the new Pope, Leo XIV. As a former Catholic School boy, I was quite touched by his call for bishops (and popes I assume?!) to not "be a little prince sitting in his kingdom." He also graduated from Villanova, minutes from my hometown.

09.05.2025 15:40 ๐Ÿ‘ 3 ๐Ÿ” 0 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0 ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Japanese Slang Review โ€“ April 2025 And itโ€™s time for the fourth Japanese slang review of 2025 (see all prior posts here)! In these posts I deep dive into the world of Japanese terms you probably wonโ€™t see in a textbook, โ€ฆ

New #Japanese ๆต่กŒ่ชž explanations are out! Click the link below to learn about:

ๆตทๅค–ใƒ‹ใ‚ญใƒใ‚ญ
้•ๅ’Œๆ„Ÿไป•ไบ‹ใ—ใ‚
ใกใใ‚ๅคงๆ˜Ž็ฅž
5000ๅ…†ๅ††ๆฌฒใ—ใ„!
ใ‚ใใ—ใ‚ใ‚ˆ
ๅˆ‡ใ‚Šๆ›ฟใˆใƒ”ใƒผใ‚น
้ขจๅ‘‚ใ‚ญใƒฃใƒณใ‚ปใƒซ็•Œ้šˆ
ใƒกใƒณใƒ–ใƒฌ
ใƒชใ‚ขใ‚ณ
ๆ‹ใฎHamburgโ™ช/ใŠๆ–™็†ใ€ๅพ—ๆ„ใชใ‚“ใงใ™

wesleycrobertson.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/j...

29.04.2025 22:09 ๐Ÿ‘ 63 ๐Ÿ” 16 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1 ๐Ÿ“Œ 3
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We hadnโ€™t won World War II by May 8th. I know because my family and I were still in an internment camp in Tule Lake, California.

03.05.2025 22:22 ๐Ÿ‘ 31275 ๐Ÿ” 6434 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2200 ๐Ÿ“Œ 474

Fellow authors, I love you, and I know it feels like we donโ€™t have a choice, but B&N and Am*zon both scheduled sales this week to preempt Independent Bookstore Day, a hugely vital source of income for indie bookstores. Please donโ€™t promote their sales; please promote your local indie this week.

23.04.2025 23:52 ๐Ÿ‘ 5187 ๐Ÿ” 2202 ๐Ÿ’ฌ 61 ๐Ÿ“Œ 123