Laura Miller

Laura Miller is the Eiichi Shibusawa-Seigo Arai Endowed Professor of Japanese Studies and Professor of History at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. She holds a PhD in Anthropology from UCLA (1988) and a BA in Anthropology and Asian Studies from UC Santa Barbara (1977). Her research focuses on Japanese culture, linguistic anthropology, and youth subcultures, with notable works including Beauty Up: Exploring Contemporary Japanese Body Aesthetics (2006) and Diva Nation: Female Icons from Japanese Cultural History (2018).

Her academic leadership roles include Vice President of the Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs and membership in the Japan Foundation’s American Advisory Committee. Miller’s research spans topics such as kawaii aesthetics, Japanese loanwords, and ethnographic studies of print club photos (purikura). She has authored over 70 articles and co-edited volumes on modern Japanese gender dynamics and cultural history.

Her recent scholarship explores shifting beauty ideals, linguistic folk theories, and the commodification of language in Japan. Miller’s work bridges traditional anthropology with contemporary cultural analysis, emphasizing gender, media, and transnational influences.