The 2nd International Conference on New Frontiers in Japanese Studies

In many parts of the world, Japanese Studies typically emerged from basic assumptions of Japan’s cultural “uniqueness” or technological, economic, as well as industrial advancement. Such assumptions put Japan as the country worth learning about. However, contemporary contexts, such as the growing global perception of Japan’s declining “coolness” and economic prowess, have triggered reconsiderations of the significance of Japanese Studies. Will Japanese Studies’ significance fade along with the dynamics of the global perceptions of Japan’s position in the world? Nowadays, such a question has been discussed by various Japanese Studies’ scholars who are concerned about the future of their field of studies.  

The New Frontiers in Japanese Studies (NFJS) project launched by the Modern Japanese Studies Consortium, an academic hub initiated by the University of Melbourne Asia Institute and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies School of Japan Studies, is reconsidering the significance of the study of Japan. It prioritizes an important discussion that Japanese Studies should bring wider conceptual and theoretical contributions to knowledge by moving beyond observation of “the real” Japan. The project started with the 1st International Conference on New Frontiers in Japanese Studies held at the University of Melbourne Asia Institute on 17-19 September 2018. The conference aimed at: 1) enhancing the prominence of Japan and Japanese Studies within global academia; 2) rooting Japanese Studies more firmly within the international environment and academic disciplines. 

In 2020, a book containing critical ideas for developing Japanese Studies from international scholars discussed in the conference, New Frontiers in Japanese Studies, was published. The book was edited by the two initiators of the project, Akihiro Ogawa and Philip Seaton. In the introduction of the book, the editors emphasize that the term “new frontiers” refers to efforts in envisioning a Japanese Studies that: 1) is inclusive to ideas from those considered as ‘peripheral’; 2) provides direct solutions to common global challenges; 3) presents theoretical contributions to knowledge (Ogawa and Seaton, 2020).  

As reflected in the definition of “new frontiers” above, the NFJS project aims to gather and share global ideas for the advancement of Japanese Studies. As a continuation of this effort, the second conference will be hosted by the Center for Japanese Studies Universitas Indonesia. The conference aims to include broader participation of international scholars, particularly from Southeast Asia, in envisioning new frontiers for Japanese Studies. The conference will also support a number of early career scholars (including PhD students) who will be part of the next generation of Japanese Studies. 

Southeast Asia is home to a sizable number of Japanese Studies practitioners. According to the Japan Foundation’s 2021 survey, Southeast Asia continues to be the region with the second-largest number of Japanese language learners, teachers, and institutions after East Asia (The Japan Foundation, 2021). The scholars from this region have also been actively producing critical thoughts on Japanese Studies. However, because of differences in the language used for knowledge transmission in each country and limited access to international Japanese Studies community, the dissemination of such critical thinking at a global level remains limited (Chua, 2017). Therefore, it is fair to say that the global dissemination of critical thinking about Japanese Studies from Southeast Asia has not yet fully realized its potential.

Acknowledging the potentiality of Japanese Studies in Southeast Asia, the 2nd Conference on New Frontiers in Japanese Studies will be held at the Center for Japanese Studies Universitas Indonesia on 27-28 August 2024 with the support from the Japan Foundation. The conference will be set as the platform for discussing the future significance of global Japanese Studies by including broader ideas from scholars of Southeast Asia and beyond. Conference themes will include the state of Japan-related research in Southeast Asian countries (continuing a theme started in New Frontiers in Japanese Studies), cutting edge topics in the 2020s such as Japanese Studies in the post-/with-Covid-19 era, and research by next generation scholars on youth culture, environmentalism, and multiculturalism in Japan. The conference aims to provide ideas for developing the prominence of Japanese Studies in global academia through cross-border collaborations between its scholars, including those from Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Australia. Following the success of the first conference, ideas discussed in the conference will be globally disseminated through a book published with a major international publisher.

Contact Information

For more information please email the Conference Organising Committee
Email: psj@ui.ac.id or newfrontierinter@gmail.com
Phone: (62)21-7863547
Fax: (62)21-7863548

Chief Conference Coordinator: Susy Aisyah Nataliwati

Venue
Center for Japanese Studies (Pusat Studi Jepang)
Jl. Prof. Dr. Selo Soemardjan 
Kampus UI, Depok 16424
West Java Indonesia