Sophia University Institute of Comparative Culture Lecture Series 2016

Trans-Asia as method

Koichi Iwabuchi (Monash Asia Institute, Monash University)

October 14, 2016, 18:30~20:30
L-821, 8F, Library, Sophia University Yotsuya Campus

With the intensifying globalization processes, transnational connections engendered by human
mobilities, media culture flows and people's solidarity across Asian region have been much developed
and we are required to understand how transnationally shared issues are specifically and inter-
relatedly articulated in a particular country or society. This talk will address the potential of
"trans-East-Asian" approaches to further advance such intellectual engagement. Referring to trans-
Asia research projects that I have been conducting such as dialogic mediation, multiculturalism from
below and migrant diplomacy, it will discuss some ways to engage and tackle the issues that East
Asian societies share through tactical progression of trans-Asia comparison, referencing and
reciprocated learning as well as the enhancement of collaboration across various divides and borders.
Referring to my research on trans-Asian connections since mid 1990s, I will also address the current
Japanese situation in which the growing East Asian rivalry and antagonism has been deterring the
progress of cross-border dialogue and would like to discuss how to get over the predicament with
participants.

Koichi Iwabuchi is Professor of Media and Cultural Studies and Director of Monash Asia Institute,
Monash University in Melbourne. His main research interests are media and cultural globalization,
trans-Asian cultural flows and connections, and multicultural questions and cultural citizenship in
the Japanese and East Asian contexts. He has published more than one hundred books, journal articles
and book chapters in English and Japanese and his work has been translated in Chinese, Korean and
French. His English publication includes Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese
Transnationalism (Duke); East Asian Pop Culture: Approaching the Korean Wave (HKU); Resilient
Borders and Cultural Diversity: Internationalism, Brand Nationalism and Multiculturalism in Japan
(Lexington); Multiculturalism in East Asia: A transnational exploration of Japan, South Korea and
Taiwan (Rowman & Littlefield); Handbook for East Asian pop culture (Routledge). His Japanese book,
Transnational Japan (2001) has been republished in the famous Iwanami Contemporary Library in 2016.
Iwabuchi is the editor of the new book series, Asian Cultural Studies: Transnational and Dialogic
Approaches (Rowan & Littlefield International).

Free of charge/Open to all/Language: English

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