Pablo Cadahia Veira asked a question .
14 h ·
Hello everyone, I'm considering to do a PhD in Japanese studies after I graduate from my master to try to become a university professor of Japanese studies in Japan. However, I have some doubts regarding this issue. Please, I would appreciate if you could answer some of my questions.
Is it very difficult to become a university professor or lecturer on Japanese studies after obtaining the PhD?
How many hours per week do international professors usually work in Japan?
Is it necessary to publish a minimum number of essays every month?
Thank you
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8 comments
Nathan Hopson
I just left a tenured position in Japan that fits the description of what you're looking for. I held that position since 2017, and was an assistant professor before that.
First, I would recommend talking to your MA supervisor about this to get more information.
Here are some quick responses to your questions:
1. There is a vanishingly small number of job offers in Japanese studies in the entire world. It's usually no more than a handful each year. Unless you can teach that same content in Japanese, the number in Japan is basically nonexistent. I was fortunate to hold one of those positions.
2. I generally worked 60+hrs during most weeks, including during so-called "vacations." Sometimes it was more, sometimes less. That was pretty much the bare minimum to keep afloat.
3. No. It is impossible to publish every month, even in fields where huge numbers of publications are normal (natural sciences, etc.) A single article in a humanities or social sciences field generally takes from several months to several years from start to publication. Humanities professors often publish one or two articles, chapters, etc., per year.
To be clear, this only addresses the questions you've asked. There are many other things to think about and nearly all of them are pointing away from the kind of job you're describing.
In short, you need to be almost ludicrously lucky (I was) or a goddamn unicorn 🦄 -- a completely unique and unprecedented talent (I am not) -- to get the type of position you're hoping for. If you were one of my students, I would recommend that you consider other options, including playing the lottery.
· Reply · 13 h
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Reiko Shinno
A former American student of mine is currently teaching Japanese history in Japan. Also, I have lots of Japanese friends who teach in Japanese universities, so I agree with what Nathan Hopson says to an extent, but I encourage Pablo Cadahia Veira to look at further complexities, as below.
1) Japanese universities want to increase the number of faculty members who are not Japanese. I have heard that it's because whoever that rates global ranking of the top universities consider what percentage of faculty members are from overseas.
2) Japanese universities also want professors who can teach their courses in English because they are concerned that Japanese students aren't trained enough to express their ideas in English.
3) Language teaching in Japan is often flexible. So the above-mentioned former student of mine taught a lot of college-level English courses using modern Japanese history articles as the reading materials until he finally got a position to teach history courses 🙂!
4) Universities outside of Japan aren't paradise, either. For example, the US academia can be brutal. A lot of professors teach large courses and work very long hours. Humanities professors aren't paid well. And oh boy. Tenure/promotion process....
BTW, many of us who survived in academia, whether in Japan or not, are those who have been flexible, in terms of where to live and what to teach, I think. For example, I never thought I would teach in Wisconsin when I did my graduate studies in Tokyo and California. Also, my specialty when I was a graduate student was Song-Yuan Chinese history, and I have published articles and books on the subject. But I teach Chinese, Japanese, and World history right now and am now writing history of Japanese Sinology and colonial Taiwan. I am not sure how much flexibility your life allows regarding where to live, but try to prepare yourself as a versatile instructor by taking diverse courses when you are in school. I wish you a very good luck 🙂!
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