Yuri Sakuma

Yuri Sakuma is a Professor at the School of Education of The University of Tokyo since 2023. She previously held part-time lecturer roles at institutions including Waseda University (2017-2020) and Senshu University (2010-2013). Her academic journey includes a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison (2011)
  • M.A., Hitotsubashi University, Graduate School of Language and Society (2009)
  • B.A., Tokyo Gakugei University, English Education (2005)

Research Interests: Dr. Sakuma explores intersections of African American literature, jazz studies, black feminism, and cultural pluralism. Her work spans from the Harlem Renaissance to contemporary Black Lives Matter movements, analyzing jazz as a medium for racial and gender discourse. She also investigates popular music, violence, and cosmopolitanism in transnational contexts.

Notable Trends: Her recent publications examine jazz historiography, Black Lives Matter, and millennial cultural shifts. Earlier works focus on Harlem Renaissance, black feminist theory, and transatlantic literary influences.

Scientific Awards:

• Tokyo Gakugei Daigaku, Kyoiku-Bunka Prize (2004)
• Swing Journal, Grand Prize (2002)

Teaching and Leadership: She teaches American Literature and Amfrican American Poetry at Waseda University. She serves on editorial boards for the Waseda University Gender Studies Institute and Japanese Association for American Studies, and contributes to organizations like the International Association for the Study of Popular Music.

Research Projects: Current projects include Jazz in Occupied Japan: Gender and Feminist Perspectives (funded by JSPS, 2024-2027) and studies on 21st-century pop music ethics (2016-2017).