Irena HayterView profile
Associate Professor
Irena Hayter is Associate Professor of Japanese Studies in the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies at the University of Leeds, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures. Her research and teaching focus on Japanese literature, film, and cultural history, particularly during the interwar period. She is actively involved in interdisciplinary research groups including the Centre for World Cinemas and Digital Cultures, the Japanese Centre, and research clusters in Gender, Cinema, Literary Studies, and East Asian Studies. Her educational background includes MA degrees in Japanese Studies and Cultural Studies from the universities of Sofia and Kyoto, and a PhD in modern Japanese literature from SOAS, University of London. Irena Hayter’s research lies at the intersection of cultural theory, media history, and textual analysis, with a strong emphasis on gender, urban spectacle, and the sensory dimensions of Japanese modernity. Her work explores how technological and urban transformations in early 20th-century Japan reshaped political subjectivity and cultural expression. She investigates topics such as the 'Modern Girl,' mannequins, film stars, and robotics as sites where gender, technology, and ideology converge. The trends in her scholarly outputs reflect a consistent engagement with interwar Japanese modernism, visual culture, and the politics of embodiment. Her articles and lectures analyze fragmented narratives, sensory experience, and media technologies, often highlighting the role of women as both subjects and spectacles in modern Japanese society. The interdisciplinary nature of her work bridges literary studies, film theory, cultural history, and gender studies. She has delivered numerous invited lectures and organized key academic events, including workshops on 'Tenkô in Trans-war Japan' and panels on the senses and modernity. Her research projects include 'Spectacular Subjects: Modernism, Gender and Visuality in Interwar Japan' and 'The Senses and the Meanings of Modernity in East Asia.' Irena Hayter supervises postgraduate researchers such as Abigail Meyer and Shiyi Sherry Zha, and welcomes PhD students interested in Japanese literature, film, and cultural history. While no formal scientific awards are listed, her active participation in major academic associations—such as the British Association for Japanese Studies, European Association for Japanese Studies, Association for Asian Studies, and Modern Japan History Association—underscores her standing in the field. She is affiliated with several research groups: Centre for World Cinemas and Digital Cultures, Japanese Centre, Gender Cinema and Television History, Literary studies, East Asian Studies, Asia Pacific Studies, and Digital Cultures, reflecting the breadth and interdisciplinary nature of her scholarly engagement.
