Roundtable Discussion: “Oceanic Asia: Global History, Japanese Waters, and the Edges of Area Studies”

Asia’s oceans demand our attention. Violent and fecund, they define life in the region: pushing the shore under the rush of tsunami; charging typhoon circulation and seasonal monsoons; feeding billions. And yet, Asian Studies remains largely beholden to a terrestrial view of the world that is at odds with the importance of the sea across all eras of the region’s history. This “terrestrial bias” also means that oceans are seen as dividers or connectors, while the interaction with the wet environment often remains obscure. The “Oceanic Asia” roundtable, hosted by the Asian Research Institute of the National University of Singapore, convenes a multi-national and multi-disciplinary group to expand the scope of Asian Studies and, in particular, global Japan’s place within it.

Read more about the virtual event and register here.