Open research questions in Japanese History and Culture

What the literature leaves open

• The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of how foreign faiths interact with local cultures. 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 paper highlights the gap in understanding the factors that contribute to democratic backsliding. The study identifies the need to examine the relationship between civilian control and democratic endurance. The research notes the lack of understanding of the role of military technology in shaping democratic trajectories.

  Imperial Japan, civilian control, and democratic reversal · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the unmaking of empire and its impact on victims of imperial violence. It highlights the lack of attention to the evasion of imperial accountability in the legal, economic, and diplomatic structures of the unmaking of empire. The paper notes that the stakes in reckoning with distant, yet still alive, pasts remain unclear.

  Post-imperial Reckoning: Transitional Injustice and the Unmaking of the Japanese Empire in East Asia · 2026 · DOI

• Places of memory have been widely studied, yet dispersed memorials outside Western contexts remain underexplored.

  Anchoring Memory in a City of Flux: Pyoseok , Han , and Teo in Seoul’s Dispersed Memorial Landscape · 2026 · DOI

• Drawing on rarely explored domestic cookbooks and lessons in home economics textbooks, this article examines female-authored culinary writings to analyze how food and cooking intersect with notions of modernity and governmental policies to affect the history of women’s education and food culture during the most transformative era of modern Japanese history, the Meiji period (1868–1912).

  Beyond the recipe: reshaping women’s social status through Meiji domestic cookbooks · 2025 · DOI

• Clem Tisdell Published online: 21 Oct 2008. To cite this article: Clem Tisdell (1986) BIOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS IN JAPAN: COMMENTS ON SAXONHOUSE'S PERSPECTIVE, Prometheus: Critical Studies in Innovation, 4:1, 167-170, DOI: 10.1080/08109028608629592 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08109028608629592 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions Downloaded by [Queensland University of Technology] at 13:17 22 November 2014 Prometheus, Vol. 4, No.1, June 1986 167 COMMENTARY BIOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS IN JAPAN: COMMENTS ON SAXONHOUSE'S PERSPECTIVE*

  BIOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS IN JAPAN: COMMENTS ON SAXONHOUSE'S PERSPECTIVE · 1986 · 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

• 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 series

  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 series

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

• 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 on Nuremberg

  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 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 paper identifies a gap in the understanding of Japonisme 3.0 and its potential business models. 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 paper identifies a gap in the understanding of Miyazawa Kenji's distinctive interpretation of Buddhism and his incorporation of local folklore into his writings. 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 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 security

  Assessing the Relative Distribution of Naval Power Between China and Japan: From Power Advantage to Relative Balance of Naval Power · 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 paper identifies a gap in the understanding of Akutagawa's psychological crisis. The paper aims to provide a deeper understanding of Akutagawa's psychological state.

  AKUTAGAWA RYŪNOSUKE: THE ARTISTIC REPRESENTATION OF THE AUTHOR’S PSYCHOLOGICAL CRISIS IN “SPINNING GEARS” · 2026 · DOI

• The gap between the ideals inherent in social institutions and their reality in Japan's teacher education system. The lack of understanding of the challenges facing Japan's teacher education system from an international perspective.

  Traditions and Challenges in Japan’s Teacher Education · 2026 · DOI

• The challenge of preserving the experiences of the survivors of the atomic bombings. The difficulty of conveying the reality of atomic bomb disasters to future generations.

  Friedensnobelpreis für die japanische Organisation Nihon Hidankyo und 80. Jahrestag der Atombombenabwürfe auf Hiroshima und Nagasaki · 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
• A Clash of Capitalisms: Foreign Shareholders and Corporate Restructuring in 1990s Japan · American Sociological Review · 2005 · 290 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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