معرفی
Sebastian Balmes is a Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer in Japanese Studies at the Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, University of Zurich. Since 2023, he has been a postdoctoral researcher in the SNSF project “Time and Emotion in Medieval Japanese Literature,” focusing on premodern Japanese literary analysis, narratology, and cultural history.
- Doctorate in Japanese Studies (LMU Munich, 2019)
- Magister Artium (Japanese Studies, LMU Munich, 2008–2013)
- Research in Japan (Waseda University, 2010–2011)
His research integrates narratological theory with historical linguistics to explore premodern Japanese literature, particularly Heian and medieval war tales (gunki monogatari). Key themes include temporality, Buddhist discourse on literature, and text-image relationships in handscrolls. He has pioneered German-language research on Japanese narrative traditions.
Recent publications analyze time, emotion, and narrative structure in Japanese texts, with a monograph on narratology and premodern literature (2022). His work bridges Japanese cultural history and modern theoretical frameworks.
- Dissertation Prize of the Faculty for the Study of Culture (2019)
- LMU Completion Grant (2019)
- LMU Research Prize for Gifted Students (2013)
- Doctoral scholarship (German Academic Foundation, 2015–2019)
- DAAD scholarship (2010–2011)
Balmes has edited volumes on premodern Japanese literature and contributed to exhibition catalogs, focusing on narrative art and cultural transmission. His advising and mentoring roles at LMU Munich (2014–2020) and teaching experience (2013–2015) highlight his dedication to education.
