I will admit that it can seem a little odd that we in EASC have embarked on a long journey of food fermentation studies. Of all the things in the world we could have taken up, why fermentation? I’ll also admit that I have a tendency to . . . (more…)
Welcome Back for a New Academic Year
We knew it would happen, and it is finally here: our center is officially in the Dark Ages. The last coins from our Title VI have rolled out the door, and for the next three years, we’ll have to make do without. However, as a medievalist by trade, I must strongly remind everyone that . . . (more…)
A Good Walk Spoiled? Cultural Extrapolations on the Nakasendo
I stood in my narrow business hotel room, suitcase on the bed and heels against the wall, agonizing over the minutiae – three t-shirts or four, cotton socks or wool? You see, this packing job required a little more intentionality than usual, as I would be . . . (more…)
Supreme Court’s Position on Education
With the Supreme Court’s decision on June 29 to restrict affirmative action at higher education institutions in the US, many of us are left with many questions and uncertainties. How can we . . . (more…)
Nagoya Soul Food
After a few days in the crisp, cool sunshine of Matsumoto, I took the train down to Nagoya where I stepped out on to the bustling streets in a gloomy drizzle. It made for a jarring transition, going from . . . (more…)
Matsumoto: Mountains, Miso, and Microbes
I’ve just returned to Tokyo to settle in after what has felt like nonstop travel for the past few weeks. Now that I find myself free of the stimulating yet exhausting hustle that . . . (more…)
So What’s the Point, Anyhow?
For better or worse, I feel the need to explain myself…
Whenever the topic of this trip came up in the preceding weeks, the response I received was always . . . (more…)
Hello from Japan!
I’m here. Japan, that is. However, between the jet lag and catching up with old friends in Tokyo, the first few days have been mostly uneventful, at least as concerns this project. But I have recently . . . (more…)
A Journey through a Multitude of Cultures
EASC has recently launched a new project that will combine Area Studies, the hard Sciences, and Humanities more generally: Cultures of Fermentation (link to youtube video: https://youtu.be/4Hl2ZR3wGyM). The project assumes a holistic approach to the study of food systems, from the social cultures that define how and what we eat, to the microbial cultures that determine the metabolic structures of our digestive system. (more…)
Hello from EASC!
Welcome to the East Asian Studies Center Blog!
We’ve just gotten started here, but stay tuned this summer for upcoming posts!