معرفی
Hideyo Konagaya is Professor at Waseda University’s Faculty/Graduate School of Social Sciences, Tokyo, where he teaches six courses on public culture each fall. A Ph.D. graduate in Folklore & Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania (2007), he has held leadership roles in the American Folklore Society, Association for Asian Studies, and Japanese Association for American Studies.
Education
- Ph.D. Folklore & Folklife, University of Pennsylvania, 2007
- M.A. coursework, School of Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
Research Interests
Konagaya’s work integrates cultural anthropology with critical folklore studies to examine how festivals, taiko, Okinawan heritage, and Japanese-American public culture mediate nationalism, modernity, and identity. He advances vernacular art theory—studying everyday creativity by non-professional artists—and interrogates the politics of cultural heritage in both national and transnational arenas.
Recent Publications Trend
His 2020–2016 output foregrounds three intertwined themes: (1) the commodification of Okinawan performance in global heritage regimes, (2) the discursive construction of “folk” and “primitive” categories within Japanese modernity, and (3) vernacular perspectives that transcend disciplinary boundaries between anthropology, art history, and folklore.
Scientific Awards
- Dean’s Scholar Award, University of Pennsylvania (2005)
- Richard Reuss Prize, American Folklore Society (2003)
Grants & Projects
- JSPS KAKENHI “Theory & Policy of Art” (2020-2023)
- JSPS “Wild Art” Theory (2019-2022)
- JSPS “Public Folklore” in Civil Society (2010-2013)
Labs & Teams
Konagaya leads the Public Culture Research Group at Waseda, hosting international symposia on vernacular creativity and heritage governance. He mentors graduate researchers examining Asian diasporic festivals, museum policies, and grassroots art practices.
