08/07/2026
>>> WORKSHOP:
Democracy of the Unidentified: Contemporary Political Thought in Japan
A Vienna Doctoral School of Philosophy Workshop with Prof. Dr. Yamamoto Kei (Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto)
📍University of Vienna, NIG (Neues Institutsgebäude), Room 3A
Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Vienna
📆 Friday, July 24 2026
🕝 4:30 pm
| Speakers |
> Prof. Dr. Yamamoto Kei (Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto)
> Andreas Eder-Ramsauer (University of Vienna, Japanese Studies)
> Akari Takimoto (Central European University, Gender Studies)
| About the workshop |
In recent years, in parallel with broader global trends, authoritarian tendencies and anti-democratic political developments have become increasingly visible in Japan. At the same time, alongside persistent political and social tensions, the current political landscape has also seen a renewed visibility of demonstrations, civic initiatives, and other forms of social and political activism. These developments invite renewed reflection on the conditions, limits, and possibilities of democratic theory in Japan.
Against this background, the workshop aims to create a platform for reflection and discussion on these developments. At the same time, the workshop is not limited to a narrowly defined political-philosophical framework. It also aims to consider the concrete manifestations of these issues from the perspectives of Gender Studies and Japanese Studies, while situating them within broader relations between Europe and East Asia. In this way, the workshop seeks to open an interdisciplinary space for discussing democracy, political imagination, translation, and transnational relations in contemporary contexts.
The event will be held in English and is conceived as an open academic workshop for students, doctoral candidates, and researchers in philosophy, political theory, Japanese Studies, Gender Studies, and related fields. Anyone interested in these topics is very welcome to attend.