Shigeko Mato

Shigeko Mato is a Professor at Waseda University's School of International Liberal Studies, Faculty of International Research and Education. Her work focuses on Japanese-Peruvian diaspora literature, memory studies, and ecocritical analysis. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico, where her 2000 dissertation explored Carmen Boullosa's trans-liminal narrative.

• Education: Ph.D., University of New Mexico (Latin American literature)
• Professional Memberships: Latin American Studies Association (LASA), CANELA (Confederación Académica Nipona, Española y Latinoamericana)

Her research investigates themes like migrant labor exploitation, unlocatable identity, and Anthropocene impacts on Nikkei communities. Recent projects include analyzing Peruvian migrant workers' 'cruel optimism' in Japan and decolonizing Japanese-Peruvian memory narratives. She has presented at major conferences in Barcelona, Lima, and Albuquerque, and her publications span peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes with Palgrave MacMillan and Fondo Editorial de PUCP.

Key projects funded by Japan's scientific grants include:

• 2023-2027: Rethinking Japanese Peruvian Immigration Memories through the Anthropocene
• 2016-2021: Migration, Memory, and Literature: Mapping Japanese Nationalism in Nikkei Communities
• 2010-2011: Border-crossings and Japanese Peruvians' Home and Identity

Her scientific awards include grants from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. She teaches courses on Spanish America, Global Cultures, and Intensive Spanish, and holds cross-affiliations with Waseda's School of Law and Graduate School of International Culture and Communication Studies.