There and Back Again: The Literary Journey of Japanese Science Fiction

Speaker: Denis Taillandier (Ritsumeikan University)
Monday, December 15th, 18:00 (JST)

This lecture will look into the dynamics of Japanese science fiction by tracing back the gradual emergence of the genre through various guises— from extraordinary journeys and war chronicles to political novels and detective fiction, examining how it evolved over time and contexts. It will highlight the pioneering role of postwar writers such as Abe Kōbō and reflect on science fiction’s slow but steady infiltration into mainstream literature at the turn of the 21st century.

Denis Taillandier is Professor at Ritsumeikan University’s College of International Relations. His research focuses on the interplay between science fiction and the scientific discourse in contemporary Japan. He has also published anthologies of Japanese SF in French translation.


This hybrid lecture will be held on site (Registration required) and via Zoom.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87819642692
Meeting ID: 878 1964 2692

On site→Registration required 　https://forms.gle/tguG9r5YZz6hgk5x8

Venue: EFEO Kyoto, 29 Kitashirakawa Bettō-chō, Sakyō-ku, Kyoto 606-8276
(You can find the place on Google Maps with the words 'EFEO Kyoto')

Poster download: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uPl2RraYVPgkKEN6RC6OEHmvaJ-e5uoA/view?usp=sharing



École française d’Extrême-Orient (EFEO)
Italian School of East Asian Studies (ISEAS)
Co-hosted by Institute for Research in Humanities, Kyoto University


 kyoto lectures