Katsuya Hirano

Katsuya Hirano is a Professor in the Department of History at the University of California, Los Angeles, specializing in Japanese history with particular focus on critical theory, colonialism, and political economy. His academic appointments include previous positions at Cornell University before joining UCLA in 2013.

Hirano's educational background includes a BA in political theory from Doshisha University (Japan), an MA in cultural studies/international studies from the University of Birmingham (UK), and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago (USA).

His research interests span Early Modern and Modern Japan, Settler Colonialism, Racial Capitalism, Nuclear Politics, and Critical Theory. Hirano's work explores the intersection between history and critical theory with particular attention to ideology, political economy, and subject formation. His current projects examine the intersection of capitalism and racism in the formation of the Japanese imperial nation, with particular focus on the settler-colonization of Ainu lands.

Hirano's publications reveal consistent engagement with critical social theory, Japanese history, and colonial studies, with recent works focusing on sovereignty, racial capitalism, and the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. His scholarship demonstrates interdisciplinary approaches connecting historical analysis with contemporary political concerns.

Scientific Awards:

• Senior Research Fellow at International Center for Japanese Studies, Japan (2022-2023)
• Guest Professor at Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University (2021)
• Distinguished Teaching Award at UCLA (2019)
• Visiting Professor of Global Studies at Doshisha University (2015)
• Toyota Visiting Professor at the University of Michigan (2008-2009)

Hirano serves as an associate editor of positions: asia critique (Duke University Press) and is editorial member of positions politics and MFE, a Japanese-Korean language online journal. He has conducted extensive interviews with activists involved in anti-nuclear, pro-democracy, and environmental movements following the 2011 Fukushima disaster, many published in The Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus.

His academic leadership includes co-organizing the annual Trans-Pacific Workshop and affiliations with UCLA's Center for Social Theory and Comparative History, Asia-Pacific Center, Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies, and Luskin Center for History and Policy.