William Marotti

William Marotti is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), specializing in modern Japanese history with a focus on cultural-historical issues and everyday life. He serves as Chair of the East Asian Studies M.A. Interdepartmental Degree Program and Director of the Japanese Arts and Globalizations (JAG) multi-campus research group.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2001
  • A.B., University of Michigan, 1988

His research explores the intersections of art, politics, and social movements in 1960s Japan, particularly through avant-garde performance, protest, and global connections. His work addresses critical theory, Cold War dynamics, and the role of aesthetics in political legitimacy.

Marotti’s publications, such as Money, Trains and Guillotines: Art and Revolution in 1960s Japan and Art and Street Politics in the Global 1960s, highlight the global resonance of Japanese cultural activism. His current project, The Art of Revolution: Politics and Aesthetic Dissent in Japan’s 1968, expands on these themes under contract with Duke University Press.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Woodrow Wilson Postdoctoral Fellow

Marotti has advised numerous graduate students, including Justin Jack Robert Wilson (2025), Rory Huang (2023), and John Leisure (2021). His leadership in JAG fosters collaborative research on Japanese arts and global cultural exchanges.