Anna-Viktoria Vittinghoff

Dr. Anna-Viktoria Vittinghoff is a Lecturer in East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield, School of Languages, Arts and Societies, a position she has held since August 2022. Her academic work focuses on the social history of modern Japan, with particular emphasis on the intersections of feminism, disability, and reproductive justice.

Dr. Vittinghoff's educational background includes:

• B.A. in Japanese Studies and History of Art from Ludwig Maximilian University Munich
• M.Sc. in East Asian Relations from the University of Edinburgh
• Ph.D. in Japanese Studies from the University of Edinburgh

Dr. Vittinghoff's research spans several interconnected fields within modern Japanese history. She specializes in the Disability movement in post-war Japan, the Ūman ribu (women's liberation) movement of the 1970s, and reproductive justice and politics in modern Japan. Her work critically examines the intersection of disability and gender within social activism, eugenics and anti-eugenics, and transnational networks of reproductive justice in East Asia. Additionally, she explores the Japanese student movement and the New Left, social order and bio-politics in Japan, and the global context of 1968.

Dr. Vittinghoff's recent publications reveal a consistent focus on the interplay between gender, disability, and social movements in modern Japan. Her work, including articles on the feminist student movement, radical feminism from the vantage point of disability, and feminist challenges to eugenics, demonstrates a deep engagement with intersectional analysis. The research spans from the post-war period through the 1970s and beyond, highlighting the emergence of disabled women's voices and anti-eugenics activism. Her forthcoming work on Tokoro Mitsuko further explores the personal dimensions of political activism in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Dr. Vittinghoff has been recognized with several prestigious awards and grants, including:

• Sarah Hyde Memorial Award 2019 for PhD research project
• Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation Studentship (Sept 2018 – Sept 2020)
• Japan Foundation Endowment Committee Grant for conducting field work in Japan (March 2020)
• British Association for Japanese Studies John Crump Studentship 2021
• University of Edinburgh College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Centre for Data, Culture and Society Small PhD Fund (May 2020)

Dr. Vittinghoff is actively involved in academic mentoring, supervising undergraduate and postgraduate taught dissertations. Her research has been supported by competitive grants, including the Sasakawa Foundation Studentship and the Japan Foundation Endowment Committee Grant, which facilitated fieldwork in Japan. These grants underscore the significance of her work on grassroots activism and historical analysis in the field of East Asian Studies.

As a member of the East Asian Studies staff at the University of Sheffield, Dr. Vittinghoff contributes to the academic community within the School of Languages, Arts and Societies, collaborating with colleagues on research and teaching initiatives in Japanese and East Asian studies.