Die Jause geht weiter! In Frankreich ist das café philosophique eine Veranstaltung zum Philosophieren, an der jede Person teilnehmen kann. Auch in Japan gibt es bereits ähnliche Programme auf dem Land. The University of Tokyo Center for Philosophy (UTCP) und das Deutsche Institut für Japanstudien (DIJ) organisieren gemeinsam ein philosophisches Café auch in Tokyo, allerdings mit einer kleinen Besonderheit: Wir möchten deutschsprachigen Personen die Möglichkeit des Austauschs bieten und daher das Café auf Deutsch abhalten. Das Organisationsteam (Yukiko Kuwayama, UTCP und Sebastian Polak-Rottmann, DIJ) freut sich, Sie am 22. November ins DIJ Tokyo einzuladen, um gemeinsam in entspannter Atmosphäre über ein Thema zu diskutieren. Fachliche Vorkenntnisse benötigen Sie nicht. Bei Interesse melden Sie sich bitte bis zum 20. November an. Weitere Informationen hier

In November 2021, Republican US Representative Paul Gosar shared an edited video clip taken from the globally popular anime series Shingeki no Kyojin – Attack on Titan (2013–2023) to attack political opponents and to criticize immigration. This is just one example of how anime is increasingly used in non-Japanese polarized political discourse. Drawing on fieldwork as well as materials from both Japanese industry and the fan community, the presentation focuses on the specific environment of the Japanese anime industry and the reception by Japanese audiences that builds on practices such as derivative works and non-narrative consumption. The aim is to elucidate the role that distinctive features of the Japanese contents industry play in both the national and international reception of anime as a potentially political form of media. Details and registration here

Youth climate activism is globally significant but varies across cultures. European studies highlight public protest and digital mobilization, whereas Japan shows subtler engagement, possibly rooted in cultural attitudes toward hierarchy, conformity, and harmony that encourage “quiet activism”. In our project “Mapping Japan’s Youth Climate Movement: Actors, Roles, and Strategies”, we want to identify the main youth climate movements and youth-led organizations in Japan, examining their goals, organization, mobilization and communication strategies, and relationships within the wider movement. Beyond official self-descriptions, we are interested in everyday realities such as leadership, informal structures, and decision-making, and in how these groups try to influence public debate and climate policy. The project is in the middle of fieldwork. Our speaker will present its concept, first learnings from the field, and preliminary findings from two focus groups with youth-led climate organizations. Details and registration here

Demographic change has created gaps in rural Japan, making it increasingly difficult to sustain patterns of community organisation and local activities in the natural environment. To address these gaps, local authorities and citizen groups have started initiatives in various parts of the country. The creation of “communicative spaces” lies at the core of several recent revitalisation initiatives. These spaces enable an open discussion among a diverse set of people and eventually create a productive atmosphere supporting adaptive community practices. Based on fieldwork in Kumamoto, Tottori, and rural Tokyo, DIJ researcher Sebastian Polak-Rottmann introduces examples of how communities set up and use communicative spaces and how they contribute to the resilience of local communities and the sustainability of the region. This talk is part of the Itinerant Seminar Series on Sustainability and takes place on December 14, onsite only at the DIJ. Details and registration here