10th ENOJP Conference

(Akita, September 4th-6th, 2026)

Conference Page

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Hans Peter LIEDERBACH
(Kwansei Gakuin University)

Prof. KONO Tetsuya
(Rikkyo University)

Roundtable Discussion on Indigenous Japanese Cultural Practices

Prof. CHIBA Kaeko

(Akita International University)

Conference Theme

Unheard Voices: Diverse Currents of Thought in Japanese Philosophy

Over the past decade, there has been a general shift away from globalization as a universal framework and from the idea of a single, linear narrative of modernity or progress. In philosophical thought, we see this move from a grand narrative of Western rationality to plural traditions of thought and multiple modernities. Although philosophy as an academic discipline has become more diverse, acknowledging world philosophies (such as African, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean thought) as legitimate ways of doing “philosophy”, not all philosophies have been represented equally. In terms of Japanese philosophy, Nishida Kitarō and the Kyoto School have become popular through their connection to continental philosophy, but other, equally important perspectives of Japanese philosophy have received less representation and exposure. With this in mind, the intention of this conference is to raise awareness of lesser known Japanese philosophical perspectives within European scholarship. We particularly welcome, and will prioritize panels and individual presentations on
– indigenous cultural practices and philosophies (Ainu and Ryukyu)
– studies on non-human beings (animals and nature)
– pre-modern Japanese philosophies (Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, and Shinto)

The official languages of the conference are English and Japanese.
To facilitate inter-dialogue between participants, we encourage Japanese presenters to prepare powerpoint slides with English bullet points. In such cases, we will allocate a bilingual chair person to translate questions and answers from attendees and presenters.

In order to participate, please submit the following:
– Name
– Affiliation
– 5-10 keywords
– Abstract of no more than 250 words

Please submit your abstract here: https://forms.gle/7GsgYNvS4da5VTTQ8

The deadline for abstract submissions will be 31^st March 2026.
Participants will be notified of successful submission by 20^th April so that you may begin making travel arrangements.

Any general questions about the conference can be directed here: enojp10@gmail.com

The Third PhD Workshop of the ENOJP

(Akita, September 3rd, 2026)

Venue: Akita University, Akita, Japan
Application deadline: April 15, 2026

The European Network of Japanese Philosophy (ENOJP) invites PhD students
engaged in research in Japanese philosophy and intellectual history to apply for the
third PhD workshop, to be held in Akita the day before the 10th ENOJP annual
conference.
The aim of the workshop is to create a cross-national network of advanced
graduate students and scholars in Japanese philosophy. It will include (some of) the
following:
● a presentation session – where participants, working with their peers, can get
and give feedback on their respective research projects;
● an advising session – where participants can get personalized, in-depth feedback
and advice from a senior scholar specialized in a similar topic;
● a “sempai talk session”, in which students would be able to talk directly to PhD
graduates, discussing various aspects of the process of writing a dissertation
(from organizing the bibliography to overcoming writer’s block, or managing the
life-work balance, etc.), but also post-doc programs, working the dissertation into
a publishable manuscript, applying for jobs etc.
● a session on publishing (information about journals and publishing houses, what
to know when submitting, how to write an abstract etc.)
The workshop will be organized in an informal setting, with ample time for
discussion, socializing, and networking.
Please note that at the time of this call for applications, there is no funding
available for the workshop. However, the ENOJP and the local organizing team in Akita
have applied for funding to various institutions and we are hoping to be able to
subsidize at least some of the costs of the workshop. The workshop will be free of
charge for all participants.
The senior scholars providing guidance and advice during the workshop will be
decided once the application process is over

Eligibility
Any student of any nationality working in any university on a topic related to
Japanese philosophy and intellectual history is eligible. Please note that the workshop
will be conducted in English.
Participating in the workshop, and then presenting a paper during the
conference is also accepted. (There is no participation fee for the conference, either.)
Application and Selection Process
Please send the following documents by email to enojp10[at]gmail.com:
● a short curriculum vitae (2-3 pages);
● a summary of the dissertation project (maximum 1,000 words),
explaining topic, relevance, research question, methodology, and current
stage. In your summary, please insert 1-2 paragraphs about the things you
are struggling with / would like to get advice on, etc.
Selected candidates will be notified by April 30, 2026 and will be required to
send a more detailed writing sample (of about 5,000 words) by mid-July, 2026.
The evaluation of the applications will be carried out by the ENOJP Board, in
collaboration with the local organizing team in Akita.
It is not necessary to be an ENOJP member at the time of application or at the
time of the workshop, but we do encourage all candidates to join the network. (There
are no membership fees.)

For all inquiries please feel free to contact us via email at enojp10[at]gmail.com

We are looking forward to seeing you all in Akita!

Workshop coordinators:
Roman Pașca (Akita University)
Francesca Greco (ENOJP Vice President

Award for Excellence in Japanese Philosophy – Book Prize

The European Network of Japanese Philosophy (ENOJP) is pleased to announce that submissions for the 2025 Award for excellence in Japanese Philosophy are opened. The Award will be presented to an outstanding book in the field of Japanese philosophy, including works by younger scholars.

Award Page

Welcoming Message from the

President and Vice President (September 2024)

Alexandra Mustatea (Kanda University of International Studies, Japan) has been elected as the new President of the ENOJP in September 2024. As new president, Alexandra chose Francesca Greco (Hildesheim University, Germany) as the new Vice President.

Alexandra and Francesca will take over their respective offices from former President, Raquel Bouso (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona), and former Vice President, Roman Pașca (Kyōto University, Japan). We would like to thank Raquel and Roman as well as the former president and vice president Jan Gerrit Strala (Aichi Prefectural University, Japan) and Takeshi Morisato (Edinburgh University, Great Britain) for their great work in promoting and fostering the network and welcome Raquel and Roman in their new positions!

Alexandra Mustatea
President of the ENOJP

Alexandra and Francesca would like to share the following welcoming message:

Dear ENOJP friends and colleagues,

We hope this message finds you well.

As you know, this year marked another transition in the Network’s management team, in accordance with our constitution. It is with deep gratitude that we, Alex Mustatea (president-elect, as confirmed at the recent conference in Tallinn) and Francesca Greco (vice-president) step into these roles.

We are deeply honored—and admittedly a little nervous, as two young scholars—to follow in the footsteps of Raquel Buoso and Roman Pasca, who have so brilliantly filled these roles for the past few years. We are also delighted to continue working alongside Leon Krings as treasurer and Pierre Bonneels as record keeper.

The previous managing team not only successfully steered us through the challenges of the COVID pandemic but also expanded the scope of our Network’s activities—including the workshop for PhD students, which provides such precious support for our youngest colleagues—and established two awards (the Award for Excellence in Japanese Philosophy and the Nishida Article Prize) that recognize and promote outstanding contributions in Japanese philosophy. We feel that their dedication to strengthening our Network and their kindness throughout this process have left us with an inspiring legacy to build upon. We also feel that this will be no small task to live up to, but we will give it our very best. We warmly invite your support and advice as we move forward together.

As always, we warmly encourage you to:

1) circulate your activities, publications, and research related to Japanese philosophy through our mailing list so we can continue to promote and disseminate valuable work in the field,

2) share ideas for collaborative research projects that can help deepen the connections and scholarly exchange among our members, and

3) participate in our annual conferences. We are already working with Takeshi Morisato and his local team on organizing next year’s iteration (including the PhD workshop) at Edinburgh University in early September, and we look forward to sharing more details with you very soon.

As we both have felt throughout our personal journeys with the Network so far, this community is much more than just a space for academic exchange—it is a place where we can engage in meaningful dialogue and build lasting collaborations. We would love to continue building on this strong foundation alongside all of you. Please feel free to contact us directly for any issues regarding Japanese philosophy and our Network.

Wishing you all the best,

Alexandra Mustatea (Kanda University of International Studies, Japan)
Francesca Greco (Hildesheim University, Germany)

European Journal of Japanese Philosophy 9 (2024)

Full open access and more info on the EJJP website: https://ejjp-journal.org

Partnership with Chisokudō Publications

The European Network of Japanese Philosophy is working together with Chisokudō Publications to provide worldwide access to high quality scholarship on Japanese Philosophy at affordable prices. For more information, please visit the Website of Chisokudō Publications.

ENOJP Mailinglist: News from the ENOJP Community

If you would like to sign in to our mailinglist, please fill in your contact info on this website. We will inform you about conferences, call for papers and other news via email. Members of the ENOJP are always welcome to share news with the Community!