Bernhard Scheid , Austrian Academy of Sciences (Senior Scientist Emeritus)   Date: April 16, 2026   Time: 18:00–19:30   Venue: Room 301, 3F, Building 10, Sophia University   Format: In person only  In this talk, I will focus on apparent continental influences in the origin stories of the Tennō dynasty. In the mythical episodes of the official annals ( Kojiki  and  Nihon shoki ), a well-known implicit hierarchy exists between “heavenly” and “earthly” deities (rulers). I will d

Work, Space, and Community in Sumida’s Machikoba Neighbourhoods  Wednesday 8 April 2026, 18:00-19:30 /   Sophia University, Yotsuya Campus, Building 10, Room 301  In English without translation / In person only    Speakers: Christian Dimmer (Waseda University), David H. Slater (Sophia University)   Moderator: Sven Saaler (Sophia University)   Although urban labour is a central policy domain shaping contemporary economies—and has historically constituted the very substrate

March 25 th , 2026 Sophia University, Building 10, 301 16:00-18:30 No registration required / In person only Event Abstract Feminism in Japan has developed over more than a century, yet persistent gender inequalities continue to shape social, cultural, and political life. This workshop brings together early-career researchers working on gender and feminism in Japan across literature, history, media, and contemporary social contexts. Through an interdisciplinary lens, ranging