Bernard Thomann

Bernard Thomann is a Professor at Inalco (Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales) and Director of the French Institute of Japanese Studies (IFRAE), affiliated with Université Paris Cité and CNRS. His work focuses on the Social and Labor History of Japan, particularly occupational health, industrial diseases, and mining communities.

• Academic Career: 2015–present as Professor at Inalco
• Administrative Roles: Director of IFRAE (2019–2023)

His research spans 19th–20th century labor systems, biopolitics, and social policy comparisons between Japan and Eurasian countries. He has led major ANR projects on labor precariousness and coal mining health issues.

Thomann’s publications include books on the Japanese welfare state and peer-reviewed articles analyzing coal miners’ lives, silicosis, and karoshi (death from overwork). He has contributed to edited volumes on corporate social responsibility and socioeconomic rights.

His recent 2024–2023 articles examine:

• The disappearance of Japan’s working class
• Living wage debates in postwar Japan
• Labor insecurity in mining communities
• Historical roots of the Japanese welfare state

Thomann participates in international conferences and webinars on occupational health and labor rights. He has collaborated with institutions like Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and Kyoto University’s Center for Genomic Medicine.