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

Southeast Asia and Japan: Bonds and Connections towards 2030 | Conference

The Japanese Studies Association in Southeast Asia (JSA) will hold its 7th Biennial International e-Conference—themed Southeast Asia and Japan: Bonds and Connections towards 2030—from 15 –17 December 2021 via Zoom and on Philippine Standard Time (GMT + 8). The event is free and open to the public. Registration is open until 3 December 2021, but registration and signing-in to a Zoom account is required.


Keynote Addresses and Plenary Lectures: 15 December

  • Japan’s Aging Peace: Demographics, Security and Justice
    • Tom Phuong le, Pomona College (3:30 pm–5:00 pm)
  • Early Twentieth Century Vietnamese Intellectuals’ Perceptions of the Meiji Restoration and its Lessons for Manpower Cultivation
    • Phan Hai Linh, Vietnam National University – Hanoi (5:00 pm–7:00 pm)
  • Reformists and Revolutionaries: Filipinos view Meiji Japan, 1880s – 1912 (5:00 pm–7:00 pm)
    • Ricardo Trota Jose, University of the Philippines Diliman

Panels and Parallel Sessions: 16–17 December

The conference will also feature a total of 121 papers and 1 film from 32 panels. There will be four concurrent panels to choose from every two hours, from 9 am to 7 pm, except between 11 am to 1 pm.
    • 16 December 2021
      • 9:00 am–11:00 am: International Relations 1, Official Development Assistance, Literature 1, Art
      • 1:00 pm–3:00 pm: International Relations 2.1, New Perspectives on the History of Japanese-Thai (Siamese) Relations 1, Language, New Media
      • 3:00pm–5:00pm: International Relations 2.2, New Perspectives on the History of Japanese-Thai (Siamese) Relations 2, Literature 2, Migration 3
      • 5:00pm–7:00pm: International Relations 3, International Relations 4, Literature 3, Disaster
    • Panels: 17 December 2021
      • 9:00 am–11:00 am: Soft Power, Migration 1, Gender 1, The Representation of Japanese Media
      • 1:00 pm–3:00 pm: Policy, Migration 2, History, Philippine-Japan Relations 1
      • 3:00pm–5:00pm: Business, Popular Culture and Sports, Gender 2, Memories and Discourse
      • 5:00pm–7:00pm: Community Activism, Special Panel on Mekong, Special Film Screening, and a Panel on
The UP Asian Center will host eight of these panels, including the film screening. To view full titles and speakers and register, please visit the conference page/program.

Call for Papers: The 4th Japanese Studies in the Philippines Research Competition

Masterclasses: 17 December 2021

Masterclasses are scheduled synchronically with the panels booked on the same day at 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The slots for each class are limited, thus, application does not necessarily mean acceptance. Interested participants are also required to submit certain requirements to join the workshop.
    • Masterclass 1: What can Japanese Popular Culture and its Online Fandoms Teach Us About Society and Culture in Southeast Asia?
      • Thomas Baudinette, Macquaire University
    • Masterclass 2: Gender and Sexuality Studies in Pandemic Times: Some Considerations for Doing Research in Asia
      • Michelle H. S. Ho, the National University of Singapore
    • Masterclass 3: Doing Qualitative Research on Japan in the Time of COVID-19
      • Johanna O. Zulueta, Toyo University

The Conference and Its Organizers

The 7th Biennial International e-Conference “invites and gathers researchers, educators, practitioners and students who are conducting Japan-related research within the Southeast Asian region as well as elsewhere. This e-gathering becomes an opportunity for new members of the Association to highlight new critical perspectives to and approaches in Japanese studies in these ever-changing times. To learn more about the conference, view the full concept note.
The conference is co-organized by the Japanese Studies Program, Ateneo de Manila University; International Studies Department, De La Salle University; and Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman in cooperation with Institute of Lao-Japan Human Resource Development, National University of Laos with the support of Japan Foundation and Toshiba International Foundation.
For general inquiries, please visit the JSA-ASEAN website or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The UP Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The 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. The Center 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. 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.