In Japan, despite women’s improved access to higher education, still only one in five applicants to the nation’s top university are women. This presentation focuses on the role of high school students’ “imagined futures” in the context of highly uncertain admission and diversified higher education to provide explanations for the underrepresentation of women in Japanese selective universities. It draws on data from qualitative interviews with high school seniors and teachers in high schools where almost everyone goes to college. In contrast to the expectation that students in these schools are homogeneous in terms of meritocratic aspirations, this study finds significant gender differences in “aiming high.” This presentation provides theoretical insights into how gendered imagined futures and macro-level contexts combine to allocate men and women with similar academic potential into different educational and occupational trajectories, with implications for inequality in higher education in other sociocultural contexts. Details and registration here

The DIJ, in collaboration with the German Centre for Research and Innovation (DWIH) Tokyo, is hosting an interdisciplinary workshop delving into both fictional and nonfictional portrayals of Japan’s technological future. We will juxtapose these visions with those from other cultures and analyze them through the lens of “narrative” and “sociotechnical imaginary” theoretical frameworks. Scholars whose research aligns with the thematic scope of our workshop are invited to send their abstracts for their planned presentations via E-Mail to mueller@dijtokyo.org by June 15, 2024. We welcome paper proposals by scholars from different career stages (including PhD students) and from a variety of cultural and disciplinary backgrounds. Participants who are accepted for the workshop will be notified by July 5, 2024. Before submitting your abstract, please see the full Call for Papers here

When the legal system is abused to merely cause harm to another person or the exercise of the law is grossly contrary to social norms, judges can prohibit the exercise of a legal right. This principle, known as “abuse of rights”, was adopted by Japan from Europe after the Meiji Restoration to resolve conflicts between written law and social norms. This presentation deals with the historical development and contemporary practice of the prohibition of abuse of rights in Japan and Germany. Decisions and the theoretical discussion from the first application in Japan to today will be presented, analyzed, and contrasted with German theory and practice. The aim is to answer the question of how and why the Japanese understanding of the prohibition of abuse of rights differs from that in Germany. This also leads to very fundamental questions about the relationship between legislators and courts, and society’s understanding of law as a whole. Please note that this is an online only event. Details and registration here

Southeast Asia faces the conundrum that its largest economic benefactor China is also a geopolitical challenger to the region’s cohesion and rules-based order. How do Southeast Asian states balance their economic interests and security interests? What is the role of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision (FOIP) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in that balancing process? How can we conceptualize these balancing actions using hedging? Using Cheng-Chwee Kuik’s hedging framework, this presentation comparatively investigates how Southeast Asian states hedge against China by leveraging the FOIP vision and BRI to secure strategic autonomy. This research finds that the competitive nature of Sino-Japanese relations, as manifested in the interaction between the BRI and FOIP, provides Southeast Asian states extra regional assets to lessen the contradictions that exist between the beneficial economic interactions with China and its geopolitical challenges. Details and registration here

Please note: this event is fully booked. Registration is no longer possible. Looking back upon the extra-long twentieth-century that begins in the latter half of the nineteenth century and that continues today, it has become increasingly clear that “freedom” is not necessarily the antithesis of oppression and domination. Instead, “freedom” has too often been the condition for the workings of power. One of the most obvious examples in modern Japan is the Japanese empire’s promise to free those in the Asia-Pacific from the bonds of Euro-American colonialism and racism. This relation between the promise of freedom and new oppressions has been a recurring theme in modern history throughout the world. This talk grapples with this question through the example of Japanese history, including during the Second World War, while discussing the complicity of freedom with the oppressions that have accompanied nationalism, imperialism, colonialism, the “emperor system,” and various forms of social discrimination. This DIJ Forum (onsite only) is the first event in the Max Weber Foundation event series ‘The Ends of War’, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two. Details here

The workshop “Building a Sustainable Future: Integrating Consumption, Finance, and Education” delves into the interconnected issues of sustainability, sustainable consumption, sustainable finance and education. Collectively, they form a holistic approach to creating a more balanced and resilient world. Sustainable consumption encourages mindful choices to minimize waste and environmental impact, while sustainable finance directs capital toward environmentally friendly and socially responsible investments. Together, they create a powerful framework that fosters innovation, promotes responsible resource management, and drives positive social and environmental outcomes, paving the way for a sustainable and prosperous future. This one-day in-person workshop, jointly organized by the DIJ and the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) Tokyo, brings together eights experts who will share they views and latest research on different aspects of sustainability. Details and registration here