Research

Main Research Focus

The Vienna School of Japanese Studies unites an anthropological/ethnographic tradition with reflexive social sciences, and critical cultural studies. Through our research and teaching activities, we frame Japanese Studies as interdisciplinary area studies, focusing on the intersectional, diverse, and complex realities constructed in, on, and through "Japan"

Interversity - Movements in unceratinty
Researching multiple layers, characteristics, and directions of diversity in Japan

Previous Research Foci

Based on its long-term engagement with the Aso Region (Kumamoto Prefecture) in Southwestern Japan, the Japanese Studies Division has developed a comprehensive interdisciplinary research focus on the socio-economic, political, and socio-cultural developments transforming rural areas in contemporary Japan.

Rural Japan in Transition
Prof. Dr. Wolfram Manzenreiter (working group leader)

Ina Hein has been and is currently conducting research on postcolonial representations of Okinawa in Japanese (and Okinawan) literature, film, television series and other media formats, aiming at a broader understanding of the discourse on Okinawa and its relationship to Japan since the 1990s. Other research interests include “Representations of (Ethnic, Social and Gender) Diversity in Japanese Literature and other Media”, “Interconnections between Japanese and ‘Western’ literatures”, “Literature and film as means of coping with trauma”, as well as exophony and multilingualism in contemporary Japanese literature.

Representations of Diversity in Japanese Media
Prof. Dr. Ina Hein (working group leader)

Current Research Projets

Ina Hein

Exophonic writing
as a Challenge to Dominant Notions of 'Japanese Literature'

Tim Heißenberger
PhD-Project

Portrayal of Transgender Characters
in Contemporary Japanese Literature

Marija Tomic
PhD-Project

Narratives of rape and trauma
in contemporary Japanese literature by female writers

Wolfram Manzenreiter

Exploring Rural Happiness in Japan

Ina Hein

Coping with Trauma:
The Role of Literature and Film

Ina Hein

Writing Back
Representations of Okinawa in Literature and Film

Hanno Jentzsch

Governing Decline
Changing Patterns of Local Governance in Japan‘s Peripheries

Hanno Jentzsch
Wolfram Manzenreiter

"Extremely lonely"?
Subjective loneliness and attitudes towards diversity in Japan

Dionyssios Askitis
Stefan Hundsdorfer
(funded by TIFO and ÖAW)

Social Capital and Wellbeing in Japanese Communities
An Urban - Rural Divide?

Tamara Kamerer
PhD-Project

Literature of the North
Representations of Iwate in Local Fiction

Sepp Linhart
Noriko Brandl
(funded by FWF)

Ukiyo-e Karikaturen 1842-1905
including a database of woodblock print caricatures

Bernhard Scheid
Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften

Religion in Japan
Ein digitales Handbuch

Wolfram Manzenreiter

Aso 2.0
Social networks and subjective well-being in rural Japan

Anna-Maria Stabentheiner
PhD-Project

Sharing Creativity
Āto purojekuto and the Negotiation of Change in Sumida Ward, Tōkyō

Florian Purkarthofer
PhD-Project

Urban Spaces
Perceived, Constructed, Lived

Liliane Höppe
PhD-Project

58 Years of Discourse about a 4-Page Long Essay
An Analysis of Journal Articles about Shimao Toshio‘s Concept of Yaponeshia

Wolfram Manzenreiter
(in cooperation with DIJ Tokyo)

Happiness in Japan
linkages between socio-structural aspects, individual agency and happiness in contemporary Japan

Previous Projects

Brigitte Pickl-Kolaczia
PhD-Project
(in cooperation with ÖAW)

Tokugawa Shintō against Tokugawa Buddhism
Religious Reforms in Mito in the second half of the seventeenth century

Judith Brandner
und Studierenden

150 Jahre Japanisch-Österreichische Beziehungen
Praktische Medienarbeit über die Stationen einer langjährigen Freundschaft

Bernhard Scheid
(ÖAW, IKGA, ACDH)

Deutschsprachige
Japan-Bibliographie 1980–2000

Bernhard Leitner
PhD-Project

A Question of Nerves
On a Transnational Neurological Thought Collective in the Making of Modern Japanese Psychiatry circa 1900

Dionyssios Askitis
Stefan Hundsdorfer
Antonia Miserka
Sebastian Polak-Rottmann
(funded by ÖAW)

Shrinking but Happy?
The Impact of Social Capital on Subjective Well-Being in Rural Japan

Barbara Holthus
(DFG-funded project)

Parental Well-being
Japan and Germany in Comparison

Barbara Holthus
Ralph Lützeler

Parental Well-Being in Japan
Regional Differences

Christina Gmeinbauer
PhD-Project

Thank You Mario – but Our Princess has Left the Castle:
Representations of Female Protagonists in Videogames

Mathias Huber
PhD-Project

Culture at Work
Cultural change and job satisfaction in a multinational manufacturing company

Habilitation is a qualification required in order to conduct self-contained university teaching, and to obtain a professorship in many European countries.

Habilitations

The doctoral thesis (dissertation) is the central element in all doctoral programmes. The doctoral thesis proves the ability of the doctoral candidate to conduct independent scientific work on a high academic level.

Dissertations

A master thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree presenting the author's research and findings.

Research

Main Research Focus

Interversity - Movements in unceratintyResearching multiple layers, characteristics, and directions of diversity in Japan

Previous Research Foci

Rural Japan in TransitionProf. Dr. Wolfram Manzenreiter (working group leader)

Representations of Diversity in Japanese MediaProf. Dr. Ina Hein (working group leader)

Current Research Projets

Exophonic writing as a Challenge to Dominant Notions of 'Japanese Literature'

Portrayal of Transgender Charactersin Contemporary Japanese Literature

Narratives of rape and traumain contemporary Japanese literature by female writers

Exploring Rural Happiness in Japan

Coping with Trauma:The Role of Literature and Film

Writing BackRepresentations of Okinawa in Literature and Film

Governing DeclineChanging Patterns of Local Governance in Japan‘s Peripheries

"Extremely lonely"?Subjective loneliness and attitudes towards diversity in Japan

Social Capital and Wellbeing in Japanese CommunitiesAn Urban - Rural Divide?

Literature of the NorthRepresentations of Iwate in Local Fiction

Ukiyo-e Karikaturen 1842-1905including a database of woodblock print caricatures

Religion in JapanEin digitales Handbuch

Aso 2.0Social networks and subjective well-being in rural Japan

Sharing CreativityĀto purojekuto and the Negotiation of Change in Sumida Ward, Tōkyō

Urban SpacesPerceived, Constructed, Lived

58 Years of Discourse about a 4-Page Long EssayAn Analysis of Journal Articles about Shimao Toshio‘s Concept of Yaponeshia

Happiness in Japanlinkages between socio-structural aspects, individual agency and happiness in contemporary Japan

Previous Projects

Tokugawa Shintō against Tokugawa BuddhismReligious Reforms in Mito in the second half of the seventeenth century

150 Jahre Japanisch-Österreichische BeziehungenPraktische Medienarbeit über die Stationen einer langjährigen Freundschaft

DeutschsprachigeJapan-Bibliographie 1980–2000

A Question of NervesOn a Transnational Neurological Thought Collective in the Making of Modern Japanese Psychiatry circa 1900

Shrinking but Happy?The Impact of Social Capital on Subjective Well-Being in Rural Japan

Parental Well-beingJapan and Germany in Comparison

Parental Well-Being in JapanRegional Differences

Thank You Mario – but Our Princess has Left the Castle:Representations of Female Protagonists in Videogames

Culture at WorkCultural change and job satisfaction in a multinational manufacturing company

Habilitations

Dissertations

Master Theses

Interversity - Movements in unceratinty
Researching multiple layers, characteristics, and directions of diversity in Japan

Rural Japan in Transition
Prof. Dr. Wolfram Manzenreiter (working group leader)

Representations of Diversity in Japanese Media
Prof. Dr. Ina Hein (working group leader)

Exophonic writing
as a Challenge to Dominant Notions of 'Japanese Literature'

Portrayal of Transgender Characters
in Contemporary Japanese Literature

Narratives of rape and trauma
in contemporary Japanese literature by female writers

Coping with Trauma:
The Role of Literature and Film

Writing Back
Representations of Okinawa in Literature and Film

Governing Decline
Changing Patterns of Local Governance in Japan‘s Peripheries

"Extremely lonely"?
Subjective loneliness and attitudes towards diversity in Japan

Social Capital and Wellbeing in Japanese Communities
An Urban - Rural Divide?

Literature of the North
Representations of Iwate in Local Fiction

Ukiyo-e Karikaturen 1842-1905
including a database of woodblock print caricatures

Religion in Japan
Ein digitales Handbuch

Aso 2.0
Social networks and subjective well-being in rural Japan

Sharing Creativity
Āto purojekuto and the Negotiation of Change in Sumida Ward, Tōkyō

Urban Spaces
Perceived, Constructed, Lived

58 Years of Discourse about a 4-Page Long Essay
An Analysis of Journal Articles about Shimao Toshio‘s Concept of Yaponeshia

Happiness in Japan
linkages between socio-structural aspects, individual agency and happiness in contemporary Japan

Tokugawa Shintō against Tokugawa Buddhism
Religious Reforms in Mito in the second half of the seventeenth century

150 Jahre Japanisch-Österreichische Beziehungen
Praktische Medienarbeit über die Stationen einer langjährigen Freundschaft

Deutschsprachige
Japan-Bibliographie 1980–2000

A Question of Nerves
On a Transnational Neurological Thought Collective in the Making of Modern Japanese Psychiatry circa 1900

Shrinking but Happy?
The Impact of Social Capital on Subjective Well-Being in Rural Japan

Parental Well-being
Japan and Germany in Comparison

Parental Well-Being in Japan
Regional Differences

Thank You Mario – but Our Princess has Left the Castle:
Representations of Female Protagonists in Videogames

Culture at Work
Cultural change and job satisfaction in a multinational manufacturing company