2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
A Study of Quality of Life and Shifting Ikigai: Encounters with Cosmopolitics in Central Hokkaido
Project/Area Number |
20K12339
|
Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
Principal Investigator |
Hansen Paul 北海道大学, メディア・コミュニケーション研究院, 特任教授 (30609722)
|
Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
|
Keywords | ikigai / rural Japan / Animal-human-Tech / anthropology / ethnography / wellness / comparative history / social theory |
Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Over the last year (April 2020- March 2021), I have continued to conduct material culture collection and participant observation interviews over weekends as well as some structured interviews over longer breaks in central Hokkaido (notably in the Shihoro/Kamishihoro area). The focus of such interviews has been on individual impressions of location and ikigai, perceptions of wellness or what constitutes a healthy life alongside and emphasis on changes in life stage and local employment conditions: for example, on farms or for non-profit ‘machi zukuri’ programs. I have several papers and chapters out for review, in print or published.
In March 2021 I organized a 4-member panel for the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) conference (based in Seattle Online). Panel title Rethinking Space, Subject, and Body in Japan through Heterotopia. Paper title “Rural Emplacements: Linking Heterotopia, One Health and ikigai in Central Hokkaido” https://www.asianstudies.org/wp-content/uploads/2021_AAS_Program_0318.pdf
|
Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
COVID 19 has certainly caused challenges for fieldwork. Teaching 8 courses online a term was far more time consuming than teaching in person. While it has not been difficult to maintain contact with informants I have known for years (for example on local farms or those living in the Kamishihoro/Shihoro area), meeting new ones given time and pandemic restraints has been difficult. Nevertheless, research is progressing more or less as set out in the original proposal plan. One issue was the cost of rent and transportation. Given there is no hotel in the area I obviously cannot stay in one. Also taking a train and then renting a car over weekends (given my Friday teaching schedule and the rather obvious health risks involved) was unworkable. Another issue was the inability to attend conferences (indeed many were cancelled) or be a visiting scholar, for example at the University of Calgary’s Institute for Public Health. In sum, I have born the brunt of rent and transportation, but fieldwork has largely been progressing on schedule. Dissemination of research results and feedback has been good and bad. It has been good in terms of writing and archival research (hence the funds for a PC and several books) and you will note much progress has been made towards publications, but bad in terms of presenting and conferences or liaising with international scholars in the field. Perhaps the largest problem here is the required quarantine upon return to Japan. This should be easy to address as travel restrictions wane.
|
Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The plan is still to conduct fieldwork in the Obihro-Kamishoro corridor for the summer, this should prove unproblematic as it is merely a continuation of current research. However, the winter focus on snow sport areas, might prove to be more difficult. Here, inconvenient as it may be, I see no way around public transportation and accommodation. All going well there will be no lockdowns or restrictions. The same goes for domestic and international conferences and visiting scholar appointments. The plan remains to present at least 2 domestic and 2 international conferences a year. The hope remains to be able to be a visiting scholar at the University of Calgary’s Institute for Public Health, the connections have been made, the invitation is open, but it depends on the pandemic and national travel restrictions.
|
Causes of Carryover |
The plan is still to conduct fieldwork in the Obihro-Kamishoro corridor for the summer, this should prove unproblematic as it is merely a continuation of current research. However, the winter focus on snow sport areas, might prove to be more difficult. Here, inconvenient as it may be, I see no way around public transportation and accommodation. All going well there will be no lockdowns or restrictions. Not being able to stay in hotels or safely use public transportation or (except online) attend conference this year has meant a great deal of funds are being carried forward. Due to the face-to-face nature of ethnographic research, anthropology has been hit particularly hard by pandemic travel and meeting restrictions. This has been, unfortunately, unavoidable. Nevertheless, in the coming two years of this fellowship I am confident that once the pandemic is under control these aspects of life will return to normal. Again, for the winter season (Dec 2021-March 2021) I will have no choice but to use rental transportation, the invitation to University of Calgary is open ended and extendible, and I will be applying to conferences as I always have.
|
Research Products
(2 results)