June 19 (Friday) ~ June 21 (Sunday) 2026 Room L-821, 8F Sophia University Central Library Organizers: David Slater (Sophia University) Megha Wadhwa (Sophia University) Hee Eun Kwon (University of Tokyo) Open to all; no registration necessary Language: English. In person only Paper abstracts and Bios (PDF) Overall abstract This interdisciplinary conference brings together scholars from anthropology, sociology, law, political science, economics, and migration and refugee s

Photography, Memory, and Transatlantic Deindustrialization Thomas Heise June 18, 2026 / 18:00-19:30 Room 301, 3F, Building 10, Sophia University In person only / No prior registration required This talk examines how photography serves as a crucial lens for understanding the complex interplay of memory and loss within transatlantic deindustrialization. Examining the rigorous formalism of the industrial typologies by the highly influential German photographers Bernd and

This workshop examines the sources and consequences of Japan's declining birth rate, using work–life balance as its central analytical lens. Drawing on comparative perspectives from Japan, the United States, and Taiwan, it brings together scholars, legal practitioners, journalists, and filmmakers to explore how labor conditions, gender norms, family law, and immigration policy intersect in an aging society. Session 1 addresses family law as a revealing site of these tensions,