Mr. Junko Yamana

My research focuses on "late-period yomihon," or "reading books," published in Edo during the mid-to-late Edo period. Edo, a city with many genres of "reading pictures," such as kibyoshi, was also home to the undisputed king of "reading books," Kyokutei Bakin. However, other authors also wrote yomihon in various forms. Among these, yomihon written by people who composed kyoka (comic verse) showed a free and diverse range of developments, deviating from the "strict reward of good and punishment of evil" that Bakin emphasized, being written in the "Japanese prose" that Bakin criticized, and incorporating the authors' own theories into their content. I continue to explore the appeal and characteristics of these "sidestream" works.

I spend my time at home reading, watching movies and TV shows, and cooking. I'm a total homebody, but I vaguely remember frequently traveling alone and going to the theater during my graduate school days... Lately, I've started going to art museums and libraries as well.

At university, I strongly encourage you to develop the ability to question things. When you take a step further and think deeply about what you've learned so far, you'll surely find points that seem odd. University learning begins with this questioning—this critical perspective. Enjoy the process of skillfully questioning and connecting it to proactive learning. I would be happy to assist you in that process.