The Seventh Japan Studies Research and Development Competition (JSRDC) showcased the brightest minds among Filipino undergraduate and graduate students across the country. The competition, organized by the UP Asian Center and Japan Foundation Manila (JFM), was held on 15 March for the undergraduate and 22 March for the graduate category at the Asian Center, UP Diliman. 

The competition served as a platform for emerging Filipino scholars to engage in critical research that interrogates culture, society, and history through the lens of Japan-Philippines relations. “Research is not merely an academic exercise but a means to ask embarrassing questions, challenge existing structures, and conceptualize new possibilities” as highlighted by UP Asian Center Dean Noel Christian Moratilla in his welcome remarks. 

Undergraduate Category: Rethinking Japanese Social Realities

The undergraduate competition featured four compelling presentations exploring contemporary Japanese society and culture and its intersections with identity, relationships, and national discourse.

Besting the other three finalists, Jazztine Eve Paragoso from Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology captivated the judges with her paper, “The Pursuit of Solitude: Analyzing the Authenticity of Japan’s Solo Katsu” and won the undergraduate category. Her research delved into the cultural stigma surrounding solitary dining in Japan, highlighting how commercialization and media shape perceptions of solitude. Paragoso argued that solo dining, while seemingly an act of independence, is also tied to broader social expectations around belonging in a community.

Ashley Cua from the University of the Philippines Diliman claimed second place in the competition. Using Foucauldian discourse analysis and center-periphery theory, Cua examined how the novel reflects post-Fukushima anxieties and critiques recovery nationalism as a response to nuclear disasters. In third place, Neika Beyonce Gaviola from the University of Santo Tomas applied the queer theory lens in her presentation. Gaviola explored how the anime destabilizes traditional romantic narratives in otome (romance-centered) media, challenging normative expectations around sexuality. Rounding out the finalists, Khent Bryll Jarales, also from MSU-IIT, took fourth place with his research. Drawing from Maruyama Masao’s philosophy, Jarales argued that authentic friendships transcend Japan’s rigid hierarchical social relations (jouge kankei)—a bold critique of the social structures embedded in Japanese interpersonal dynamics.

JFM Assistant Director Eisuke Matsuda, Asst.  Prof. Karen Connie Abalos-Orendain of the UP Department of Philosophy, and Senior Lecturer Kenichiro Kurusu, from the UP Department of Linguistics, served as the judges for the undergraduate category.

Graduate Category: Interrogating Memory, Culture, and Power

Meanwhile, the graduate category pushed the intellectual boundaries further, with research tackling themes of cultural diplomacy, historical narratives, and the politics of memory.

Rad Xavier Sumagaysay, MA Student from the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) emerged as the first-place winner with his paper, “We Who Are About to Diet: Narratives of Nutrition and Food Insecurity in Japanese-Controlled Filipino Newspapers During the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945).” His research revealed how wartime propaganda framed food shortages within Pan-Asianist and nativist rhetoric. Japanese authorities used colonial media to reshape Filipino dietary preferences, portraying Japanese eating habits as superior while blaming prior American colonialism for poor nutrition.

In second place, UP Asian Center student, Andre Alfonso Gutierrez, presented a case study of the Japan Airlines Foundation’s 1990 World Children’s Haiku Contest. Gutierrez highlighted how a seemingly simple poetry contest became a form of cultural diplomacy, fostering Japan’s cross-cultural engagement and serving as a potential blueprint for Philippine cultural promotion. Amado Japsay Jr., another finalist from the ADMU secured the third place with his research where he examined ikigai (a reason for being) through Kore-eda’s films, arguing that the concept provides a framework for navigating trauma, loss, and memory. In fourth place, UP Diliman PhD Student Joe Lawrence Mina explored how Filipino students engage with Japanese culture, finding that while Japanese cultural elements are appreciated, this understanding is often shaped by pop culture rather than traditional practices.

The jury of the graduate panel consisted of  Professor Michelle G. Ong from the UP Department of Psychology, JFM Deputy Director Yojiro Tanaka, and JSRDC veteran judge, Tomoaki Takeshita, a Senior Reporter for The Daily Manila Shimbun.

Building Bridges Through Scholarship

The Japan Studies Research and Development Competition remains a vital platform for emerging scholars to push the boundaries of intellectual inquiry while strengthening academic and cultural exchanges. Through their research, this year’s participants not only showcased their analytical depth but also reflected on how scholarship can challenge existing narratives, foster new understanding, and hold power accountable.

As the competition concluded, the message was clear—research is not just about the pursuit of knowledge. It is also a tool to interrogate, innovate, and inspire future generations to continue building bridges between Japan and the Philippines. In his closing remarks, Matsuda emphasized the JFM’s commitment to fostering academic collaboration and encouraging future scholars to continue engaging with Japan-Philippines dialogues.

ABOUT THE JAPAN FOUNDATION, MANILA

The Japan Foundation is the only institution dedicated to carrying out Japan's comprehensive international cultural exchange programs throughout the world. With the objective of cultivating friendship and ties between Japan and the world, through culture, language, and dialogue, the Japan Foundation creates global opportunities to foster friendship, trust and mutual understanding.

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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.