Tokyo's Waseda University Releases Podcast Season 2, Ep. 6 "Authors, Abnormality, and Identity in Modern Japan"
Associate Professor Pau Pitarch explores how early 20th-century authors and artists in Japan reimagined their identities.
TOKYO, JAPAN, December 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Waseda University released episode six, “Authors, Abnormality, and Identity in Modern Japan”, of season two of its English language podcast series “Rigorous Research, Real Impact” on December 2, 2025. All podcast episodes are available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.
Episode 6: “Authors, Abnormality, and Identity in Modern Japan”
In this episode of “Rigorous Research, Real Impact,” Graduate School of Political Science PhD student Peter sits down with Associate Professor Pau Pitarch from the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences to explore how early 20th-century authors and artists in Japan reimagined their identities. Prof. Pitarch unpacks why writers in the 1920s proudly identified with mental “abnormality” as a mark of creative genius, and how global currents in psychology, art, and modernity shaped this unique cultural moment. The conversation also delves into Professor Pitarch’s personal journey into Japanese literature, the value of studying culture within Japan using a global lens, and what makes Waseda’s English-based degree programs in the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences—JCulP and Global-J—such vibrant spaces for international learning and discovery.
About Season 2
Season two features eight knowledgeable Waseda researchers casually conversing with Waseda PhD students about their recent, rigorously conducted research in the humanities/social sciences, their thoughts on working in Japan at Waseda, and the merits of the English-based degree programs they are a part of. Short 15-minutes episodes will cover a range of themes that include translanguaging in the Japanese sociolinguistic context, legendary game designer Hideo Kojima, and hybrid peacebuilding. It’s the perfect choice for international listeners considering attending university in Japan, current students contemplating further study in graduate school, and researchers looking to make the move to Japan and work for a university that stresses the importance of interdisciplinary approaches.
Episode Release Schedule
One episode released every two weeks.
*Please note the schedule is subject to change.
¦Episode 7(Release date: 2025/12/16):
Professor Alex Coad (Faculty of Commerce)—
“University vs. Corporate Startups: A Tale of Two Entrepreneurial Paths”
¦Episode 8(Release date: 2026/1/13):
Professor Yuhee Jung (Faculty of Social Sciences)—
“Institutionalized Socialization: How Companies Help Newcomers Belong”
About Waseda University
Waseda University currently offers English-based degree programs at 6 of its undergraduate schools and 15 of its graduate schools. According to the 2024 Japan Student Service Organization’s report, Waseda welcomes the highest number of international students per year in Japan. Additionally, in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024 Waseda placed in the top 100 in the world in the broad subject areas of Arts & Humanities (rank #65) and Social Sciences & Management (rank #99).
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