Ivan Rumánek

Ivan Rumánek is an Assistant Professor at the Japanese Studies Seminar within the Faculty of Arts at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. He has held this position since 2010 and has previously worked at the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London), the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and Hosei University in Tokyo.

Rumánek earned his first PhD in Linguistics from Comenius University in Bratislava in 2001 with a dissertation on 'Ki-no Curajuki and the beginnings of Japanese poetics,' and a second PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 2016 with a dissertation titled 'The Role of Noh in the Formation of Kabuki.' His educational background includes a Master's degree in interpreting and translation from Comenius University (1991), as well as a study stay at Osaka University (1992-1994) where he focused on Heian period language and literature.

Rumánek's research spans multiple domains of Japanese studies with particular emphasis on Japanese theater (especially Noh and Kabuki), Japanese language and linguistics, Japanese literature and history, and Okinawan and Ainu studies. His work often explores the connections between Japanese and other languages, particularly examining potential linguistic relationships between Japanese and Tungusic languages. He has conducted extensive field research on Noh drama, including a year-long practical course in Noh dance and singing with the Kanze school in Tokyo (2007-2008), and research on Okinawan dialects at Hosei University's Institute of Okinawan Culture.

His recent scholarly output demonstrates a continued focus on Japanese theater origins, linguistic connections across East Asia, and cultural symbolism in Japanese traditions. Rumánek has contributed significantly to understanding the development of Kabuki from Noh theater, the etymology of Japanese deities, and the cultural significance of seasonal traditions like cherry blossom viewing (hanami) and autumn leaf viewing (momijigari).

Rumánek has received several prestigious fellowships including the Japan Foundation Endowment Committee Fellowship (2012, 2016), Meiji Jingu Studentship (2010-2011), and Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship (2006-2008). He has served as an international reviewer for research projects including those funded by Poland's Narodowe Centrum Nauki.

As an educator, Rumánek has supervised diploma theses and taught a wide range of courses including Introduction to Classical Japanese, Japanese History, Japanese Literature, Japanese Theater, and Japanese Language. His teaching extends beyond Masaryk University to institutions including SOAS, University of London, Comenius University, and others across Central Europe.

Rumánek is actively involved in scholarly communities as a member of the European Association of Japanese Studies (EAJS) and the Permanent International Altaic Conference (PIAC). He founded and organizes the private linguistic-cultural club 'Glóssotomia' and maintains a blog series on transcribing Asian names and terms into Slovak.