Basic Joint Research Project: The Development of Field Sciences in Japan: Reflections from the Institute for the Study of Japanese Folk Culture Archive Materials
Geographical scope
The locations where research was conducted by the Shibusawa Foundation for Ethnological Studies (Minzokugaku Shinko Kai) and the Attic Museum.
Purpose
This project hosts workshops and conducts surveys, with particular focus on documents produced in the Shibusawa Foundation for Ethnological Studies and photographs and films taken by the Attic Museum. Specifically, the project involves follow-up research in regions of the focus of previous surveys where these historical materials were produced. We gather related data and promote the effective use of these materials through partnerships with institutions that share the original collection, including the Miyamoto Memorial Foundation, the Shibusawa Memorial Museum, and the National Museum of Ethnology in Japan. The project aims to present a fresh historical perspective on the development of field sciences in Japan, such as folklore studies, ethnology, cultural anthropology, rural sociology, geography, and area studies.
Photograph of an Attic meeting from the ISJFC archives SR001-018-012-002
Expected Outcomes
It is expected that each project member will conduct field research according to their academic or regional specialty. Through this work, the project will organize and integrate the relevant data, re-edit and process it, and provide it as a cultural resource available for researchers from other institutions as well.
Duration: 2016-
