Open research questions in Japanese History and Culture

What the literature leaves open

• What remains underexplored in Zhao’s critical assessment is the alternative definition of critical thinking offered by neo-Confucian scholars (see Bell, 2010).

  An invitation to theorise East Asian pedagogy: bodymind, dark consciousness, kata, and self-cultivation · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of research on the association between interest in manga and anime and mental health outcomes. The study aims to fill this gap by examining the relationship between interest in manga and anime and mental health, social disconnectedness, and subjective well-being outcomes.

  From shōnen to seinen to Studio Ghibli: attraction to anime and manga, and their relation to mental health and social outcomes · 2026 · DOI

• Although further research is needed, the more defensive reactions to the rise of a ‘non-White’ state give greater credibility to Barder’s claim that there exists a deeply embedded fear of the end of White supremacy within the international order. However, it is important to note that making use of racial social fields to claim or protect elevated status is not a phenomenon limited to the ‘West’.

  Race as a status marker in contemporary international society: The case of the ‘Japan Threat’ thesis · 2026 · DOI

• In Japan, however, the typical Western understanding of race is insufficient to explain the boundary between those deemed to be Japanese and everyone else.

  The Same Different?: Group Discrimination in the United States and Japan · 2026 · DOI

• This argument is limited to the Hayashi family and the selected forms of shogunal service examined here; it does not represent Tokugawa Confucianism as a whole.

  Buddhist Precedents and the Formation of Confucian Learned Authority: The Hayashi Family in Early Tokugawa Japan · 2026 · DOI

• Further studies of this kind are essential to better understand the technological, artistic and commercial factors that shaped ukiyo-e print production.

  Variations in Hiroshige’s Print “The Plum Garden at Kameido” · 2025 · DOI

• Future research should examine the historical and cultural context of medical education in other regions. Future research should consider the importance of local knowledge and traditions in medical education. Future research should explore the implications of the study's findings for medical education research and practice.

  The history of Nagasaki, the Japanese birthplace of Western medicine and its education · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the understanding of how Western medical education was introduced, interpreted, and transformed within specific cultural and political conditions in Japan. The study highlights the importance of considering local knowledge and traditions in medical education. The study demonstrates that Western medical education in Nagasaki was not simply imposed but actively negotiated by local actors.

  The history of Nagasaki, the Japanese birthplace of Western medicine and its education · 2026 · DOI

• It notes that prior studies have not fully considered the complex dynamics between the 'great tradition' and 'little traditions' in East Asia. It argues that there is a need for a more nuanced understanding of the accommodation paradox in the spread of Catholicism.

  Clash and Fusion Between East and West: Catholicism’s Spread in Three East Asian Countries, from the Mid-Sixteenth to the Early Nineteenth Century · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of analysis on the game's alignment system and its implications for our understanding of Japanese culture and identity. The lack of exploration of the game's use of Japanese mythology and historiography and its implications for our understanding of the role of mythology in shaping cultural identity.

  FROM PARADISE LOST TO THE THRONE OF CREATION: RE-IMAGINING THE JOURNEY TO GODHOOD THROUGH A JAPANESE “SUI GENERIS” IMAGINARY · 2026 · DOI

• Future research could explore the application of the concept of kinôbi to other industries and business models. Further study could investigate the impact of the Japanese way of thinking on business activities and innovation.

  JAPONISME 3.0 BUSINESS MODELS FOR THE FUTURE · 2026 · DOI

• The authors note that the concept of kinôbi has not been fully explored in the context of business models.

  JAPONISME 3.0 BUSINESS MODELS FOR THE FUTURE · 2026 · DOI

• Future research could explore the application of Miyazawa's humanist ideals and environmental awareness in contemporary Japanese society. Further study could analyze the impact of Miyazawa's works on the development of Japanese literature and culture. The paper suggests that future research could investigate the therapeutic potential of nature-based interventions in Japanese culture.

  BUDDHISM, FOLKLORE, AND JAPANESE SOCIETY IN THE PROSE WORKS OF MIYAZAWA KENJI · 2026 · DOI

• The study highlights the need for further analysis of Miyazawa's deep connection to nature and its significance in his work.

  BUDDHISM, FOLKLORE, AND JAPANESE SOCIETY IN THE PROSE WORKS OF MIYAZAWA KENJI · 2026 · DOI

• The analysis is limited to a single prefecture in Japan. The data source has typos and missing data. The study only analyzes data from 1902, 1907, and 1912.

  Entrepreneurial Networks in Tochigi Prefecture During the Meiji Period: Unraveling Regional Development Disparities from Human Connections · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should analyze entrepreneurial networks in other prefectures in Japan. The study suggests that future research should examine the relationship between centrality and regional development in other contexts.

  Entrepreneurial Networks in Tochigi Prefecture During the Meiji Period: Unraveling Regional Development Disparities from Human Connections · 2026 · DOI

• The dominance of mainstream scholarship can result in the silencing or distortion of perspectives from marginal voices. There is a need to consider perspectives from communities outside the corridors of global influence.

  Asian Studies · 2026 · DOI

• The sociology of war has focused on the history of past wars, neglecting ongoing evolution over social attitudes toward the risk of potential wars. International relations scholars tend to neglect the legacy of past wars in the analysis of the social reception of security discourses.

  A sociological approach to Japan’s war frames and security threats · 2026 · DOI

• We recommend examining fan identity or interest (encompassing frequency or duration) in anime and manga genres more closely in the future - We recommend further studies to improve our understanding of how interest in anime and manga is associated with various outcomes - We recommend studies from other countries to clarify the extent to which our findings can be applied to other…

  From shōnen to seinen to Studio Ghibli: attraction to anime and manga, and their relation to mental health and social outcomes · 2026 · DOI

• These findings open new perspectives for further research into the interaction between Japanese literary and theatrical traditions.

  Philosophical Understanding of Genji Monogatari in Noh Theatre · 2026 · DOI

• Future research can explore the production of anime series in the Philippines - Future research can examine the cultural context of Filipino audiences in the production of anime…

  Ang Liga ay Buháy: Ang Pagtatagpo ng Teleserye at Anime sa Barangay 143 · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the intersection of teleserye and anime in the context of Barangay 143 - The paper highlights the need to understand the cultural context of Filipino audiences in the production of anime…

  Ang Liga ay Buháy: Ang Pagtatagpo ng Teleserye at Anime sa Barangay 143 · 2026 · DOI

• The International Military Tribunal for the Far East has been marginalized in the canon of international criminal law - The historical record has been previously sanitized through an exclusive focus…

  Gary J. Bass, Judgement at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia (Knopf, 2023) · 2026 · DOI

• Further analysis of the game's narrative and characters. Exploration of the implications of the game's use of Japanese mythology and historiography. Analysis of the game's portrayal of chaos and law and its implications for our understanding of the concept of monotheism and polytheism.

  FROM PARADISE LOST TO THE THRONE OF CREATION: RE-IMAGINING THE JOURNEY TO GODHOOD THROUGH A JAPANESE “SUI GENERIS” IMAGINARY · 2026 · DOI

• The gap in the literature is the lack of studies on the relative distribution of power between China and Japan, - The study addresses the need for an assessment of the implications of the shifting balance of power for regional…

  Assessing the Relative Distribution of Naval Power Between China and Japan: From Power Advantage to Relative Balance of Naval Power · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Japanese History and Culture

• Connected Histories: Notes towards a Reconfiguration of Early Modern Eurasia · Modern Asian Studies · 1997 · 577 citations
• The art of Japanese management · Business Horizons · 1981 · 576 citations
• Report on 640 Victims of the Tokyo Subway Sarin Attack · Annals of Emergency Medicine · 1996 · 486 citations
• Attachment and culture: Security in the United States and Japan. · American Psychologist · 2000 · 400 citations
• The KJ Method: A Technique for Analyzing Data Derived from Japanese Ethnology · Human Organization · 1997 · 380 citations
• Intra- and Inter-organizational Imitative Behavior: Institutional Influences on Japanese Firms' Entry Mode Choice · Journal of International Business Studies · 2002 · 367 citations
• Safety in Numbers: Downsizing and the Deinstitutionalization of Permanent Employment in Japan · Administrative Science Quarterly · 2001 · 361 citations
• Coloring the Field: Gender, “Race,” and the Politics of Fieldwork · The Professional Geographer · 1994 · 331 citations
• The meaningful life in Japan and the United States: Levels and correlates of meaning in life · Journal of Research in Personality · 2007 · 320 citations
• Trust in Japanese Interfirm Relations: Institutional Sanctions Matter · Academy of Management Review · 1998 · 311 citations

Most recent work

• A sociological approach to Japan’s war frames and security threats · The Sociological Review · 2026
• Ambiguous Boundaries of Religious Belief, Behavior, and Belonging in Japan: A Descriptive Analysis of Plural and Cultural Religiosity · Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion · 2026
• Selective Technology Choice, Adaptations, and Industrial Development: Lessons From the Successful Development of the Textile Industries in Prewar Japan · The Developing Economies · 2026
• The Mountain Is Moving, but Where To? Japan's 2025 Upper House Election and the Future of Japanese Politics · Pacific Affairs · 2026
• The history of Nagasaki, the Japanese birthplace of Western medicine and its education · Advances in Health Sciences Education · 2026
• Reading “The Yūko Incident”: the monstrous feminine at the intersection of Cold War anxieties in “Japanizing” Thailand · Inter-Asia Cultural Studies · 2026
• The Rise of Public Engagement in Japan and the UK: Reconsidering Conventional Narratives through a Cross-country Dialogue · East Asian Science Technology and Society An International Journal · 2026
• Mapping the Sociotechnical Imaginaries of Dataveillance Discourse in Japan · East Asian Science Technology and Society An International Journal · 2026
• Sociology of Immigration: A New Research Field for the New Immigration Country Japan · Japanese Journal of Sociology · 2026
• A brief story of Japanese orthopaedics: from the ancestral origins in Kyushu and Nara to the foundation of the Japanese orthopedic association in Tokyo · International Orthopaedics · 2026

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