Organizer: Takashi Terada, Doshisha University, Japan Discussants: Takashi Terada, Doshisha University, Japan; Kitti Prasirtsuk, Independent Scholar, USA; Phan Hai Linh, Vietnam National University, USA; Karl Ian Uy Cheng Chua, Ateneo de Manila University, USA; Ranjana Mukhopadhyaya, University of Delhi, USA Japanese Studies throughout the world continues to advance. Amidst its growth, the study of Japan has diversified, nurturing studies in more specialized fields. More research is being made in non-Japanese languages, enabling a wider range of scholars to take part in Japanese Studies. From the context of Asian Studies, as the study of countries like China and India become more active, Japanese Studies is being put under examination, with a need to re-establish and define its significance and relativity.
In October 2009, the Japan Foundation organized the “Global Japanese Studies Scholars Forum” which brought together sixteen scholars from twelve countries to survey and compare the state of Japanese Studies around different geographic regions in the world and to discuss the future needs of the filed. One key issue discussed was that although there is collaboration among scholars between Europe and the US, there is a need to from a worldwide network of Japan specialists that connects Europe, the US, and Asia. In this context, the Japan Foundation will utilize the opportunity afforded by the annual AAS conference and in conjunction with ICAS, by inviting prominent scholars from Japan and other Asian countries to the conference to participate in discussion on the current state and agendas of Japanese Studies from a global perspective. This roundtable is intended to further promote Japanese Studies through the construction of the worldwide network of scholars, beyond the framework of regions and areas of study.
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