Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Japanese Studies in the Philippines: The 7th Japanese Studies Research Development Competition

Details
The UP Asian Center and the Japan Foundation Manila will hold the "Japanese Studies in the Philippines: The 7th Japanese Studies Research Development Competition” on 15 March 2025, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (GMT+8), and 22 March 2025, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm (GMT+8), both at the Seminar Room, GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center. The event is free and open to the public.

15 MARCH 2025 – UNDERGRADUATE CATEGORY

Cua, Ashley
     Department of English and Comparative Literature, University of the Philippines Diliman
     "How to Live in a Cesium Earth: Analyzing Anti-Nuclear Energy Discourse in Kimura Yūsuke’s Sacred Cesium Ground (2014)"
Gaviola, Neika Beyonce
     Department of Literature, University of the Philippines Diliman
     "The Festive Asexuality in Romantic Killer (2022) as a Disruptor of Otome Amatonormativity and Compulsory Sexuality"
Jarales, Khent Bryll
     Mindanao State University, Iligan Institute of Technology
     "Jouge Kankei: Exploring the Role of Friendships in Japan"
Paragoso, Jazztine Eve A.
     Mindanao State University, Iligan Institute of Technology
     "The Pursuit of Solitude: Analyzing the Authenticity of Japan's Solo Katsu"

DOWNLOAD UNDERGRAD BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

22 MARCH 2025 – GRADUATE CATEGORY

Gutierrez, Andre Alfonso R.
     Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman
     "Poetry, Policy, and Promotion: A Case Study of the Japan Airlines Foundation’s 1990 World Children’s Haiku Contest as a Tool for Cultural Exchange"
Japsay,  Amado Jr.
     MA in Literary and Cultural Studies, Ateneo de Manila University
     "A Light Leak: Ikigai as Remembering, Repeating, and Working-Through in Hirokazu Kore-eda's Post-memory Films"
Mina, Joe Lawrence M.
     Ph.D. in History, Central Luzon State University
     "Kansha Shimasu (感謝します): Awareness and Appreciation for Japanese Culture of Filipino High School Students"
Sumagaysay, Rad Xavier R.
     MA History, Ateneo de Manila University
     "We Who Are About To Diet: Narratives of Nutrition and Food Insecurity in Japanese-Controlled Filipino Newspapers During the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945)"

DOWNLOAD GRAD BOOK OF ABSTRACTS

COMPETITION PRIZES AND PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITY

The most well-developed research papers will be judged as winners of the competition. Winners will get the latest Apple iPad and a plaque from the Japan Foundation Manila. All finalists will have the chance to publish in the Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND ORGANIZERS

The research competition aims to encourage Japan-related research among Filipino students, to disseminate knowledge, and exchange perspectives on Japanese Studies. It is organized by the UP Asian Center and Japan Foundation, Manila.
For inquiries, please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The UP Asian Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. It also offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. As an area studies institution, the Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. For other news and upcoming events at the Asian Center, click here.