The German-Japanese literature and media scholar Stefan Keppler-Tasaki from the University of Tokyo has opened up internationally acclaimed research perspectives in the areas of interculturality and intermediality. As an Einstein Visiting Fellow, he has been building bridges between Berlin and Tokyo research institutions since 2015. At the Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School of Literary Studies at the Freie Universität Berlin, he works on the Central European Trans-Pacific Discourse and on German-Japanese cultural contacts.
Project Description
"Transpacifica" looks at great power relations on the Pacific examining German speaking sources. The focus is on relations between China, Japan and the United States during the period of the two world wars. It shows a broad discourse historically range of ideas about the new world order and the future role of Europe. In cooperation with the Japanologist Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit of the Freie Universität and the Mori Ôgai Memorial at the Humboldt-Universität, the project has opened up links between Berlin and the new international research direction of Asian German Studies. Among the projects work results belong the book series "Reception Cultures", the framework topic "German-Japanese Comparative Literature" of the Yearbook for International German Studies as well as the annual German-Asian Study Day "Literary Studies" at the Mori-Ôgai Memorial. "Transpacifica" has promoted the careers of successful young researchers, such as Tomas Sommadossi, Johannes Görbert, Géraldine Rademacher and Hosung Lee, who have given important new impetus to this field of research.