No.096 - Interview with Liberal Arts Communicator KOMAI Sachi

Interview with Liberal Arts Communicator KOMAI Sachi
(International Research Center for Japanese Studies)

How did you select your research topic, and what is its attraction to you?

　My research focuses on Japanese author Kirino Natsuo (1951−). Ever since her debut as a mystery writer in 1993, she has been publishing constantly—full-length novels and short stories, essays, and more—without confining herself to a single genre. I am sure many have read her books, as she is a popular writer whose new titles are prominently displayed in bookstores.

　The 1990s, when Kirino emerged on the literary scene, is commonly called Japan’s “lost decade.” It was a time when the country’s predominantly middle-class society started to transition into one with growing disparities. Amid this shift, the author captured in her works the frustrations and anger felt by socially vulnerable people such as housewives working part-time, “freeters” (people who opt for temporary jobs over regular employment), and foreign workers. In my research, I have particularly focused on Kirino’s portrayal of crime, women, and labor; how her representation of these subjects changed since her debut as a writer; and how the shifts parallel societal changes in Japan.

　I have been following Kirino ever since I first read her work as a teenager. But it was not until I entered graduate school and proceeded to a PhD program that I thought of examining her works as a research subject. In hindsight, my decision to study—and my continued focus on—Kirino’s works is significantly influenced by my experience of having worked in non-research jobs at several private companies and at a university　after earning my master’s degree. I worked with people in various employment categories (part-timers, temporary workers, and foreign laborers), and when talking with them about job-related struggles and concerns as to the future, there were times when Kirino’s works helped me to articulate work-related hardships. I think my current research is informed by these experiences.

　One fascinating aspect of Kirino’s works, as I mentioned, is their realistic and contemporaneous depictions of people living in present-day Japan—“present” as of the time the work was published. Yet another interesting point is the global distribution of her books. Her works have been translated into many languages including English, Italian, Chinese, Korean, and Russian, and in 2004, Kirino became the first Japanese author nominated for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Awards. Similarly, in academia, numerous English-language theses about Kirino have been published by researchers outside of Japan. I therefore had to become more internationally minded in pursuing my own research. I used to be a domestically inclined person who rarely traveled abroad, but the increasing opportunities to give presentations about Kirino’s works at international conferences led to interchange with scholars from other countries. So I would say the potential to connect with foreign researchers through the study of Japanese literature—in other words, broadening one’s perspective beyond Japan and establishing international connections—is another appealing aspect of conducting research on Kirino’s works.

What were the issues you wanted to address when you returned from the private sector to academia?

　As I mentioned, I left academia for a while after finishing my master’s degree and went to work in the corporate sector. Without that experience, I probably would not have settled upon my research topic or continued to pursue scholarly research.

　Ever since my university years, I have been interested in writers reputed for their depiction of modern society. As I entered graduate school and watched my former university friends gain experience as working professionals, I began increasingly to question my understanding of society and how scholarship benefits society. During that period of introspection, I decided to work at a private firm based on a combination of factors.

　I made many mistakes working in the corporate world, but my experience in graduate school served as an invaluable pillar of support. There were several aspects to this support system, one of which was my habit or skill in “reading the context,” so to speak. Every company has its own culture, informed by the firm’s history, industry culture, and geographical location. And beyond these elements lay the broader Japanese and global societies. These societal and cultural factors are often reflected in everyday workspaces, as seen in the tone people use in greetings and the arrangement of desks in an office. Whenever I found something unusual or made new discoveries in my surrounding environment, I would put that into a larger context to dissect the structure of my workplace. Instrumental in this process was the meticulous reading of literary and academic works that I had done in graduate school.

　This analytical process was vital in examining what it meant to work in the environment I was in, and sparked in-depth conversations with my colleagues about work and future prospects. I was able to connect the dots between academic research and practical work life through this experience, and it, in turn, inspired me to make Kirino my research subject, start drafting my dissertation, and resume my doctoral studies.

What did your postdoctoral activities involve as a university research administrator at Niigata University?

　After writing my doctoral dissertation and before becoming a liberal arts communicator, I worked as a university research administrator (URA) at Niigata University. Some people may be unfamiliar with this position, as URAs are a relatively new post that was established around a decade ago. According to the website of RMAN-J—an association for people involved in research management and administration—URAs are individuals who work with researchers and clerical staff at universities and other research organizations, promote the introduction of research resources, plan and manage research activities, and facilitate the use of research results to both help stimulate academics’ scholarly endeavors and better manage R&D efforts. Perhaps the best example of the responsibility of URAs is their assistance in obtaining research funds. This includes checking applications for scientific research expenses and preparing proposals for university-based projects; tasks that may sound familiar to those in academia. Besides helping to secure external funding, my role at Niigata University included planning measures to vitalize research in the humanities and social sciences, and supporting the launch of interdisciplinary projects.

　Some research institutes divide disciplines such as the humanities and the natural sciences, and assign URAs to each one. However, Niigata University did not assign URAs to specific fields. This proved to be a valuable learning experience, as it offered me the chance to work with URAs and scholars who specialize not only in humanities but also in natural sciences and medicine. Before becoming a URA, I knew very little about terms commonly used in the natural sciences such as “principal investigator” (PI) or “corresponding author.” So my job as a URA started by asking others to help me understand what a PI was. My colleagues showed me the ropes, teaching me how natural science scholars conduct team research and almost always co-author theses. Since humanities research is often a solitary endeavor—though not exclusively so—I recall being constantly surprised by the things I learned as a new URA. At the same time, there were many instances when my coworkers were astounded to learn from me that humanities researchers usually work on their papers independently and writing scholarly books is as important as, if not more so, publishing academic papers for them.

　This experience prompted me to think that academics should learn more about other disciplines. Eventually, I grew interested in finding ways to share with others the unique approaches and attractions of humanities research.

Please tell us what inspired you to become a liberal arts communicator.

　My experience in working with people in various fields, occupations, and positions, ranging from business professionals, natural science researchers, to university staff, has shown me the importance and appeal of bridging the humanities with the broader non-academic world. So when I found a call for liberal arts communicators, which is a post that aims to achieve interactive communication between humanities studies and the general public, I decided to apply: despite being a novice with much to learn compared to scholars my age, I knew I could contribute to the role by harnessing my experience. I hope to grow as a scholar through this position as well.

How do you want to approach the role of a liberal arts communicator from here on?

　Web production was part of my responsibility when I was working outside of academia, so I want to undertake projects aimed at visually representing both liberal arts knowledge and its communication in digital and online spaces. One of the members of the Office of Digital Resources, Publications, and Public Information—the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken) department with which I am affiliated—is Professor Sekino Tatsuki, a specialist in digital humanities (DH). I know very little about DH, so I am eager to seize this excellent opportunity to learn about the field. As for my personal research, my goal is to develop a database of Kirino-related bibliographies from Japan and abroad.

　I also want to upgrade the liberal arts communicators’ website. The page is still unpolished, partly because the liberal arts communicators system is relatively new, so I plan to proactively suggest and make improvements before my tenure ends. The work of liberal arts communicators and of liberal arts communication, it seems to me, should go beyond the framework of the National Institutes for the Humanities (NIHU) to widely establish their positions and concepts in society. To this end, it is important to clearly articulate the vision of liberal arts communicators and present it on the website so it will be at the top of the list in web page searches.

　However, to achieve this, we liberal arts communicators need to deepen our insights and clearly define who we are and what liberal arts communication refers to in the first place. The system started in NIHU’s Third Mid-term Plan period, the academic years 2016 to 2022, and I am Nichibunken’s third-generation liberal arts communicator. Extensive activities have been undertaken thus far, thanks to the efforts of my predecessors. So as a third-generation member, I hope to compile the undertakings of not only liberal arts communicators at Nichibunken, with which I am affiliated, but also the other institutes. I also want to reexamine the system from the viewpoint of the science, technology, and innovation policy—the foundation upon which liberal arts communicators were established—and reconsider why and what kind of liberal arts communication is required today.

What are your activities at Nichibunken?

　I belong to the Office of Digital Resources, Publications, and Public Information, but I was just recently appointed in July, so I am still learning things. As my first major duty, I participated in the Children’s Kasumigaseki Tour Day program held at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) in August. The event was planned to create exhibits introducing the duties of various government offices to children, and the participants in the program represented a broad range of ages from children to their parents. Nichibunken’s booth focused on bird’s-eye view maps created by Japanese cartographer Yoshida Hatsusaburō (1884−1955), also known as the “Hiroshige of the Taishō era (1912−1926)” (“Yoshida Hatsusaburō Bird’s-eye View Maps” database). My job was to provide information and guidance to visitors.

Komai explaining Nichibunken’s exhibition at the Children’s
Kasumigaseki Tour Day program, MEXT, August 2023.

　My responsibilities at Nichibunken entail sharing research results with society through these events and other opportunities. I only took part in administrative tasks on the day of the program, but from here on, I hope to get involved in the planning processes as well. The event provided an opportunity for me to talk to people from other institutes under the NIHU umbrella including the National Museum of Ethnology and the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature. It is my wish to contribute to these interchanges with other institutes, exchange knowledge, and accordingly develop better ways of presenting research results to the general public.

(Interviewer: OHBA Go, Researcher, Center for Innovative Research, National Institutes for the Humanities)

KOMAI Sachi
Specially Appointed Assistant Professor, International Research Center for Japanese Studies
Komai obtained a doctoral degree in literature from the University of Tsukuba Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences in 2022. After serving as a junior researcher at the University of Tsukuba’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and as a URA of the Niigata University Research Administration Office, she assumed her present position. She specializes in cultural studies as well as contemporary Japanese literature.