Urs Matthias Zachmann

Urs Matthias Zachmann is Professor of Culture and History of Modern Japan at Freie Universität Berlin's Department of Historical and Cultural Sciences, where he leads research in the East Asian Seminar / Japanese Studies department. His academic journey spans prestigious institutions including LMU Munich, Heidelberg University, and the University of Edinburgh, where he held the inaugural Handa Chair of Japanese-Chinese Relations from 2011-2016.

• Education: Studied law and Japanese/Chinese studies simultaneously at Hannover and Heidelberg Universities
• Qualifications: Passed both German state law exams (1998, 2002) while earning academic degrees in Japanese studies
• Academic Milestones: PhD 2006 (Heidelberg), Habilitation 2010 (LMU Munich)

Zachmann's research explores the intricate relationship between political ideas, cultural institutions, and Japan's international relations. His work reveals how Japan strategically reinterpreted Western concepts while developing its own approaches to international law and regional order. His scholarship demonstrates particular expertise in how legal frameworks were used to justify political actions and shape national identity during Japan's modernization period and wartime expansion.

His publications reveal a consistent focus on Japan's engagement with international law across different historical periods, from the Meiji era through the post-WWII period. A notable shift in his more recent work shows increased attention to military justice systems during wartime, culminating in his ERC-funded project examining Japanese courts-martial during the Asia-Pacific War. His research consistently bridges legal history, intellectual history, and international relations theory.

• JaDe-Preis 2010 for "China and Japan in the Late Meiji Period"
• ERC Consolidator Grant (2018) for "Law without Mercy" project
• Contributions to British House of Lords committee on soft power

Zachmann has supervised numerous graduate students and established research networks across Europe, North America, and East Asia. His ERC-funded project "Law without Mercy" has created an international research team examining Japanese military justice during the Asia-Pacific War, generating new scholarly collaborations and interdisciplinary approaches to studying wartime violence. He has also played a key role in developing graduate programs, including founding the MSc in East Asian Relations at the University of Edinburgh.

His current research is centered around the ERC Consolidator Grant project examining Japanese military courts during the Asia-Pacific War, which has established him as a leading international scholar on Japan's legal history during wartime. This project has generated significant international attention and collaboration with scholars across multiple disciplines.