Southern Japan Seminar

The Southern Japan Seminar (SJS) promotes the research and educational activities of Japan-related scholars in the Southeastern United States. Drawing upon the strengths and needs of regional Japan studies, SJS fosters critical inquiry, multi-disciplinary discussion, and the dissemination of knowledge, concerning all Japan-related topics, both theoretical and practical. The membership is composed primarily of university faculty, with a few journalists, businesspersons, and other professionals with strong Japan-related interests. Members represent the fields of Japanese art, business management, education, history, language, literature, philosophy, politics, religion, sociology, and other disciplines. SJS is housed in Asian Studies at Florida International University.

The Seminar sponsors conferences, at which members and guests invited from Japan and other regions of North America present and discuss their current research on Japan, and conduct workshops on Japan-related issues. In addition, SJS helps support the Japan Studies Review, a peer-reviewed journal of scholarly research. It welcomes collaborations other organizations and institutions that seek to promote studies of Japan.

Board Members

  • Steven Heine (President), Florida International University
  • Jan Bardsley, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Stanley Dubinsky, University of South Carolina
  • Matthew Marr, Florida International University
  • Mark Ravina, Emory University
  • John Tucker, East Carolina University
  • Brian Woodall, Georgia Tech

The Southern Japan Seminar this year was held on Friday, March 2, 2018.

Previous Sessions