IJSRWS 2026 - Keynote Session 2 [Prof. Kitti Prasirtsuk]

Presentation Title: Shared Challenges, New Approaches: Rethinking Japanese Studies and Area Studies in Southeast Asia Presenters: Prof. Kitti Prasirtsuk Abstract: Japanese studies in Southeast Asia originally focused on economic aspects—namely industrialization, business management, and Nihonjinron-style cultural explanations for success. In the 21st century, scholarly interests have diversified to pop culture, social phenomena, and disaster responses. This presentation proposes expanded approaches built on three pillars: 1. Japan as a Living Lab: As Asia's socio-economic development front-runner, Japan offers Southeast Asian nations a preview of futures regarding social transformations like middle-class societies and consumption, aging, mental challenges, and rural depopulation. Beyond the national level, we can examine municipal-level strategies for local solutions. 2. The Japan-Asia Nexus: Moving beyond isolated country studies, comparative frameworks can analyze how diverse Asian societies, including Korea, Taiwan, and China, respond to shared regional challenges. 3. Southeast Asia as a Direct Site: Beyond evolving investment patterns, increasing two-way migration allows us to study changing Japanese society through expatriate communities and the cross-regional "silver economy," including long-stay Japanese elderly enclaves and caregiving migrant labor in Japan. Concurrently, we can analyze localized consumption, cultural adaptation, and co-creation. Japan's ongoing regional influence remains vital, spanning economic partnerships as well as non-traditional and traditional security. These approaches can significantly raise the academic and practical relevance of Japanese Studies and area studies for Southeast Asia.