Alexander Jacoby

Dr Alexander Jacoby is a Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies at Oxford Brookes University, affiliated with the School of Education, Humanities and Languages. He is also the Director of the Europe Japan Research Centre, where he promotes academic collaboration between Europe and Japan. His teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate levels, covering Japanese cinema, manga, anime, classical arts, and translation.

Research Interests: Alexander's primary research focuses on classical and contemporary Japanese cinema. He explores themes such as family dynamics, gender, space, and national identity in Japanese film. His work bridges academic scholarship and public film criticism, contributing to both scholarly journals and major cultural publications.

Publication Trends: His recent articles examine socio-cultural themes in modern Japanese cinema, particularly family structures and contested national narratives. These works reflect a consistent engagement with postwar Japanese society as portrayed through film, with an emphasis on directors like Hirokazu Koreeda and Yoshimura.

• Notable Presentations:
• 'Hirokazu Koreeda's Family Values' (2021)
• 'Crime and Punishment in the Films of Hirokazu Koreeda' (2018)
• 'Female Self-Determination in Yoshimura's Kyoto' (2017)

Professional Engagement: Jacoby has curated Japanese film retrospectives at prestigious institutions including the British Film Institute (London), Museum of Modern Art (New York), Il Cinema Ritrovato (Bologna), and Giornate del Cinema Muto (Pordenone). He has also served as Year Abroad Tutor, supporting student exchanges and international learning.

Labs and Research Groups: He chairs the Europe Japan Research Centre, a hub for interdisciplinary research on Japan-Europe relations in media, culture, and society.