Prof.
KOJIMA, Yasunori

I specialize in the history of Japanese thought, especially that of the Edo Era. My research interests include systematized or doctrinal thought such as Confucianism, Buddhism, study of Japanese classical culture, as well as the commoners’ view of life and death.
The university is a place to train the intellect, not an institution that provides prepackaged information for efficient learning. This is why I avoid overprotecting my students. The Comparative Culture Program enables students to study across various disciplines from a multi-lateral perspective. But this breadth should not lead us to resemble a continuing education center. We need to delve deeply into our specialty and use this foundation to cross borders into other fields. Join us in forming an exciting community of intellectuals.

TANAKA, Mieko

My field of concentration is history of Japanese thought. I have been studying under the tutelage of Professor Kojima since my undergraduate years at ICU. My present research focuses on the effect of the Meiji Restoration on social mores in Japan, in relation to the life of Sadayakko Kawakami (1871-1946), a former geisha and actress who won the admiration of many elder statesmen including former Prime Minister Hirobumi Ito. She won great acclaim in the West for her performances with her husband Otojiro Kawakami’s drama troupe, at a time when overseas voyages were beyond the means of the general public. After her husband’s death, she raised eyebrows by living with the businessman Momosuke Fukuzawa. The woman from the demimonde eventually wins high esteem in the West, her social standing changing in the eyes of the public who experience great upheaval with the Restoration. She provides an excellent subject for my research into the social mores and view of life at the time.