This online presentation offers a novel perspective on the historical study of education in Japan by focusing on Japanese female medical students in Germany. It will examine the educational experience of two pioneer females, Dr. Urata Tada (1873-1936) and Dr. Fukui Shigeko (1874-1961) who received their MD degrees from Marburg University. Upon returning to Japan, Urata became dean of Dōjin Hospital in Tianjin, China, and Fukui worked as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Osaka Ogata Hospital. Urata and Fukui achieved a breakthrough in the status of female doctors in the Japanese medical profession. This presentation will argue for their roles in facilitating the dissemination of knowledge during Japan’s modernization in medical areas. Importantly, it offers insights into the reform of Japanese female higher education in modern Japan. Details and registration here

Compared to other industrialized nations, the litigation rate for traffic accident disputes in Japan is remarkably low, leading to the widespread belief that the Japanese tend to avoid taking legal action. This has sparked a debate about the ‘legal consciousness’ in Japanese society. Julien Schickling will present research findings from expert interviews conducted with judges, lawyers, insurance companies, and dispute resolution institutions to shed light on the system for resolving traffic accident disputes in Japan. In addition, he will analyze the rise in litigation rates for traffic accident disputes in Japan observed since the early 2000s, with the aim of providing comprehensive reasons for this shift. Details and registration here

Rural areas in Japan have been facing challenges due to ongoing demographic decline and high rates of aging — but they are often also home to vibrant places offering space for deliberation, communication, networking, and political activities. While some of these spaces can be small in size, focusing on specific local problems, others may have goals reaching far beyond the local sphere. The DIJ workshop Conceptualizing communicative spaces in rural areas in Japan and Germany brings together scholars who have been analysing and conceptualising such spaces in their research in Japan and Germany. The speakers will present their research, followed by a discussion to conceptualize these dynamic spaces and to reflect on the differences between Japan and Germany. The aim of the workshop is to exchange ideas on how these places might help to deal with current challenges in rural areas and to establish a network of scholars and practitioners working on the topic. Details and registration here

Japanese politics has a woman problem. Not only are women relatively absent from legislative assemblies; when they run for elections, and even after they’ve won, they are often faced with sexual harassment. These issues seem particularly acute in local level assemblies, and even more so in rural areas. In Japan, 15.6% of local assembly seats are occupied by women, and only 2 of the 47 governors are women. This is in spite of the enactment in 2018 of a gender parity law, the Act on Promotion of Gender Equality in the Political Field. The speakers in this DIJ Forum will explore the causes of women’s under-representation in local politics and highlight the sexism experienced by women who campaign for and get elected to office. By considering institutional and cultural barriers, they will present a big-picture analysis of the problem of male-dominated politics in Japan. Details and registration here

As part of the nationwide campaign “Japan Cultural Heritage”, the religious tradition Shugendō has been listed as cultural heritage by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs. Ever since, this label has been used to promote the tourist marketing of one of the main areas of Shugendō practice in Wakayama. Practicing groups across the country are also gathering in digital social networks, creating new structures and collaborating with international groups practicing outside of Japan. Shugendō is thereby involved in debates about the environment and sustainability, national identity and, of course, cultural heritage. This lecture explores how practitioners of this religious tradition and external sectors are related to each other and how religion influences socioeconomics and the imagination of “culture”. Latest field research by the speaker provides insights into the cultural heritage campaign and the role Shugendō plays regarding the Expo 2025 in Osaka. Details and registration here