"An Imperial Sake Cup and I" is a lecture-performance by Dr. Charnvit Kasetsiri, a renowned historian and specialist in Southeast Asia Studies, and recipient of the Fukuoka Academic Prize in 2012. In 1964, Emperor (then Crown Prince) Akihito and his consort officially visited Thailand, and as a junior member of the Bangkok Municipality welcome team, Charnvit was given a royal sake cup, which he has kept ever since.

In this lecture-performance, Charnvit traces personal and micro-narratives to reflect objects and memories as well as his witnessing of global social transformations from the Japanese presence in Thailand, the Vietnam War, and the 1970s student uprising in Thailand.  He juxtaposes Thai and Japanese history and subtly unravels the comparison of these two countries. 

The performance was first staged as part of ‘The Breathing of Maps’ project at MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, Chiang Mai in 2020 and had its Japan premiere at the Tokyo Festival in October 2022.