Transferring from Kogakkan University 皇學館大学 to Nagoya Gakuin University 名古屋学院大学

 Today, I retired from Kogakkan University in Ise, Mie Prefecture. I enjoyed being a faculty member from 2014 to 2024 and greatly appreciate the opportunities for research and teaching, as well as the friendships I shared with the other faculty and staff.  I wrote a short farewell for one of the school publications below:

On Retiring from the University

As of March 31, I will be retiring from Kogakkan University and transitioning to Nagoya Gakuin University. Since joining the Communication Department in the Faculty of Letters in 2014, I have had the privilege of spending countless meaningful hours in the classroom with thousands of students. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to interact not only with students in the Department of Communication but also with students from all faculties. Together, we have enjoyed the standard curriculum courses such as "English Expression" and "Introduction to Kogaku," as well as the specialized courses in our department, including "Foreign Affairs," "Japanese Cultural History," and seminars for juniors and seniors. 

My tenure as a full-time faculty member may have been relatively short. However, when the Department of Communication Studies was established 24 years ago, I trained and brought my high school students to the first English speech contest organized by the department, and since then, I have felt a connection with the university.

Kogakkan is a unique space where faculty, staff, and students study and research Japanese history, culture, and the country's spirit and embody Japanese values in their daily activities. I am proud and grateful to have engaged in education and research in this unique environment.

Although my role as a full-time faculty member is coming to an end, I am genuinely excited to continue my association with the university as a part-time lecturer. I am deeply grateful for the warm support I have received from the faculty and staff, and I eagerly look forward to your continued support in April and beyond.

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From tomorrow, I will begin teaching at Nagoya Gakuin University 名古屋学院大学 as a member of the Faculty of Intercultural Studies 国際文化学部.

"Ise" and Japan Study Program: Tenth Anniversary 「伊勢」と日本スタディプログラムのリユニオン 10周年

In celebration of the tenth anniversary of the "Ise" and Japan Study Program, four participants were invited back to reflect on the program in panel discussions over the course of three days. Please see the video below for a brief introduction to the event.    

　この記念すべき年を祝して、4人のかつての参加者を再び伊勢に招きし、3日間にわたるパネルディスカッションで「伊勢」と日本スタディプログラムを振り返りました。以下の動画で、パネルディスカッションの簡単な紹介をご覧いただけます。

The “Ise” and Japan Study Program began in 2014 as a collaborative project between Kogakkan University and Ise City. One of the program’s aims has been to invite researchers worldwide to deepen their understanding of Ise and Japan by attending university lectures and fieldwork. Another aim has been to increase Ise’s visibility by having participants share what they have learned and felt in their native languages via social networking services (SNS) and other online media. Beginning in 2014, with 13 participants, 124 researchers from over 30 countries joined the program.    

　「伊勢」と日本スタディプログラムは、伊勢市と皇學館大学の協働により実施しているもので、伊勢や日本に関する大学でのさまざまな講義や、伊勢を中心とした各地でのフィールド・スタディを通じて、伊勢や日本への理解を深めていただくことを目的としています。。また、学んだ内容や感じたことをインターネットやSNS等を使って、母語や英語で情報発信していただくことにより、外国の方々の伊勢や日本に関する興味・関心を高め、伊勢の知名度向上を図ることも目的としています。2014年に13人の参加者でスタートして以来、30カ国以上から合計124人もの研究者の方々に参加していただきました。

 See the video below for extended clips of discussions and comments by panel participants, the mayor of Ise, the president of Kogakkan University, the Dean of the Faculty of Letters at Kogakkan University, and a longtime faculty member who has participated in the program since its inception.

　以下の動画には、パネルディスカッション参加者、伊勢市長、皇學館大学学長、皇學館大学文学部長、そして初回から参加した皇學館大学教員によるディスカッションやコメントが収録されています。ご覧ください。

If you want to learn more about the program, please see the following website (mainly in Japanese): http://ise-japan.kogakkan-u.ac.jp/info/detail.php?mdid=6999

And, if you want to learn more about Shinto, Ise, and Mie Prefecture, I have gathered links to materials that may be of use. https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5176503056937137810/2825470813504798096