Remembering Ann Waswo

On Monday 20 September 2021, on the eve of the anniversary of her passing one year earlier, the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies and St Antony’s College held a joint memorial event for their much-missed colleague, Ann Waswo. Ann’s brother, Jim Lardner, and nephew, David Lardner, spoke about Ann’s family background - in particular the influence of her mother and father - and shared slides of her early years growing up in North America; Catherine Forsyth spoke about Ann’s life in Switzerland and France and their travels together in Japan; Martin Dusinberre spoke about Ann as a doctoral supervisor and the enduring significance of her writings for historians of Japan; and Jenny Corbett spoke about Ann as a colleague and friend to both the College and the Institute. Following the tributes, family and friends scattered Ann’s ashes on the flower bed directly outside the Nissan Institute which has a Japanese Cherry tree that blooms every spring and Japanese anemones which flower every year in the late summer and early autumn.  

A Video link to the scattering of Ann's ashes can be found here https://youtu.be/A4inW4mXnAQ