Plenary Roundtable "The Future of Japan Studies," moderated by William Tsutsui, Ottawa University
Channel: Japan Studies Association
Date: 2022-03-18

This Roundtable was moderated by William Tsutsui, President, CEO, and Professor of History at Ottawa University at the 2022 Japan Studies Association Conference.

Although a provocative panel at the 2019 Association for Asian Studies conference declared the “death of Japan studies”—with the geopolitical rise of China, the decline of the humanities and area studies, and the appearance of new theoretical paradigms—reports of the demise of the field may be greatly exaggerated.  This roundtable discussion brings together Japan specialists from a range of institutions, disciplines, and career stages to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the study of Japan in the United States and in a global context.  How will (and how should) teaching and research in Japan studies change in a post-pandemic, post-area studies, post-Squid Game academic world?
 
A specialist in the environmental, economic, and cultural history of twentieth-century Japan, William Tsutsui is the author or editor of eight books, including Japanese Popular Culture and Globalization and Godzilla on My Mind.  He previously taught at the University of Kansas, Southern Methodist University, and Hendrix College.  He current serves on the boards of the Association for Asian Studies and the US-Japan Council, and was appointed in 2020 to the Japan-United States Friendship Commission.