In a world in which feudal hierarchies rigidly defined and differentiated the standings of individuals, premodern Japanese people carved out spheres in which various kinds of associational networks centering on arts and poetry allowed them to socialize horizontally outside the formal political order. The elucidation of the history of aesthetic civility in Japan not only clarifies the culture of sociability but also underscores its distinctive political dimension. Based on her recent book, Bonds of Civility: Aesthetic Networks and the Political Origins of Japanese Culture (Cambridge University Press), Professor Ikegami will discuss the social development that led to the formation of the aesthetic cultural identity of Japanese people before the rise of the nation state.