Asian Ethnology Podcast Asian Ethnology

Interviewer: Ben Dorman, co-editor Asian Ethnology Recorded 8 June 2017, Nagoya, Japan
Peter Knecht was the editor of Asian Folklore Studies from 1980 until 2007. The journal changed its name to Asian Ethnology in 2008.
In this extended interview, Peter discusses his experiences working as the editor of Asian Folklore Studies. He talks about when he first encountered the journal working under founding editor, Matthias Eder, and what happened when he took over the journal in 1980. 

Interviewer: Ben Dorman
In this episode, John Powers (Deakin University) discusses an interdisciplinary project involving historians, anthropologists, scientists, and folklorists concerning rivers that originate in Tibet, which play a key role in global hydrological cycles yet are in crises as a result of multiple threats.  

Interviewer: Ben Dorman, co-editor Asian Ethnology Recorded 11 March 2011
In this episode, anthropologist Susanne Klien discusses her recent book Urban Migrants in Rural Japan: Between Agency and Anomie in a Post-growth Society (SUNY Press, 2020). She touches on her motivations for doing the research, the reasons for migrants relocating to rural areas, and some of the challenges they face after relocation, amongst other issues. She also addresses some questions that were asked in a book talk given on 22 February 2021 that was part of the Asian Ethnology Series. 

Interviewer: Mark Bookman
Recorded: Wednesday Feb 17th 2021
This episode features a discussion with Steven Fedorowicz, cultural anthropologist, visual anthropologist, and associate professor at Kansai Gaidai University. Steven will be giving a talk on “Representations of Deaf People in Japan: Inspiration, Outrage and Real Life,” as part of the “Disability and Japan in the Digital Age Series” via Zoom on May 14, 2021 (Details to follow). In discussing some of what he will be presenting, Steven talks about his ongoing project concerning media representations of deaf people and culture in Japan, and his introduction to his studies on and experiences with deaf communities. He also touches on his personal experiences that his understandings and approaches to deaf communities and disability studies.
Music used with kind permission of the performer, shamisen master Koji Yamaguchi.
Copyright 2021, Asian Ethnology Podcast

Interviewer: Mark Bookman
Date recorded: 26 October 2020
This episode of Asian Ethnology Podcast features Frank Mondelli, a doctoral candidate at Stanford University. Frank recently returned from research in Japan and is currently working on his doctoral dissertation on the social, technical, and political history of assistive technologies for deafness and hearing impairment in 20th century Japan. Frank discusses his recent work on the history of hearing aids in 1950s Japan, how he became interested in assistive technology, and how thinking about assistive technology can help us think about accessibility and inclusivity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This episode is part of the "Disability and Japan in the Digital Age" project run through the Anthropological Institute, Nanzan University.
Publications discussed in this episode
Mills, Mara and Jonathan Sterne. “Dismediation – Three Proposals, Six Tactics” in Disability Media Studies, ed. Elizabeth Ellcessor and Bill Kirkpatrick

Interviewer: Ben Dorman
Date recorded: 3 November 2020
In this episode, Mark Bookman discusses a new series of lectures entitled "Disability and Japan in the Digital Age," which is run through the Anthropological Institute, Nanzan University. He talks about the significance of the series at this time. Mark will also be presenting interviews with the participants in Asian Ethnology Podcast episodes.