役職/
Position

Former Visiting Lecturer

研究分野/
Field

Japanese Film Studies

【日本語のページ】

・Tell me about your research briefly.

I am researching stakes in and methods of preserving films on videotape, primarily from the video rental shop era. Original materials of many of those films are lost now, so we must be careful to preserve what is left. Many of today's globally famous Japanese filmmaker made such works, while video has been the world's dominant form of cinema culture for more than three decades now. Preservation is therefore important both for artistic reasons and from the viewpoint of material culture.

・At TUFS what is your lecture?

I teach three classes during my term at TUFS: Introduction to Anime Studies (theoretical approaches to studying Japanese animation); Film & Society: Japan in the World, the World in Japan (approaches to using film in studying discourse and international relations); and a course related to my research topic, Video from Revolution to Rubbish, looking at film consumption and distribution for the home, from the silent era to file sharing and streaming.

・Japan studies in TUFS have issued a policy to lay emphasis on the reinforcement of the Japan's ability to deliver a message to the world. What do you think is necessary for that?

TUFS is not representative for Japan as a whole - and that is a good thing! But it's true that foreign students who would like to come here will think about "studying in Japan" first before choosing which university to go to. I believe TUFS can have the biggest impact if it offers something that is characteristic to this institution. Japan will automatically benefit if its higher education offers a diverse range of programs and each university has its own unique identity.

・How about TUFS and students?

Coming to TUFS in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic sadly means that I do not get to meet my students. This is regrettable, because what I love most about teaching is class discussions. But even from online teaching I can clearly tell that there are many intelligent, motivated, and creative students at TUFS, from many different backgrounds. Also, university staff and colleagues have done everything in their power to make me feel at home and at ease, and I am very grateful to have this experience during such a dramatic time for everyone around the world.

・Compared with overseas, what is good in Japan and not good in Japan?

The pandemic is bringing out both the best and the worst in people (and governments!) everywhere. It should be a time for profound reconsideration of how we live and organize our lives, particularly for those in power. The people of Japan can be hugely resourceful and resilient, and there is huge potential among young people. I hope that those in positions of power will come to realize this soon.