Dr. Yuko UMEMURA

Associate Professor, Head of Department of Japanese Studies

E-mail: umemura.yuko@btk.elte.hu
Office: Múzeum körút 4. “B”, 240.
Phone: 06 (1) 411 6500/2033
Office hours: Thursday 16:00–17:00

Yuko Umemura has been active in education and training at ELTE Faculty of Humanities since 1999. She obtained her doctoral degree in 2004. At first she was a lecturer at the Department of Japanese Studies, later she was appointed scientific associate and became a tenured associate professor in 2006. Author, editor and translator of several academic books, she regularly participates in conferences in her subject of interest. In addition to her academic activities her articles have been published in both Hungarian and Japanese written media as well. Her special field is the history of Japanese-Hungarian relations. She has taught Country Knowledge of Japan and History of Japanese Literature at basic level but she has also been lecturing on History of Relation between Japan and Hungary and Context Analysis in master’s and doctoral programs respectively. As a research fellow of Tokyo University of Foreign Studies under the auspices of the Japan Foundation she was active in 2012 and 2013. She concluded the habilitation process in History at ELTE Faculty of Humanities in 2015.
As a diplomat in the Japanese Embassy in Hungary, she served as political attaché between 1993 and 1995. As official interpreter for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan she has worked at a number of intergovernmental events.

Main publications:
• Japánok és magyarok egymásról, Akadémiai Kiadó, 2017.
• A Japán-tengertől a Duna-partig – Imaoka Dzsúicsiró életpályája a magyar-japán kapcsolatok tükrében, Gondolat Kiadó, 2006.
• Tanulmányok a magyar-japán kapcsolatok történetéből, Eötvös Kiadó, 2009. (co-author, editor)
• Ukijoe – Az elillanó világ képei, Hopp Ferenc Kelet-Ázsiai Múzeum 2010. (co-author, editor)
• [Translation:] Vendégségben: Kocsis Zoltán, Gendai Shichō, Tokyo, 2007.
• “A magyar-japán diplomáciai kapcsolatok fejlődése és alakulása.” Kokusaikankei Ronso (Tokió) 2013: 2 pp. 1–48. 2013.
• “Magyarok korai nyomai Japánban: Benyovszky Móric és Tornai Gyula japánbeli tartózkodása alapján.” Távol-Kelet Tanulmányok 2013 (1–2) pp. 173–184.
• “History of Relationship between Japan and Hungary in Meiji Era through Previously Unexplored Episodes.” Kamizono (Tokió) 2015 (13) pp. 149–171.

Dr. Balázs SZABÓ

Senior Assistant Professor

E-mail: szabo.balazs@btk.elte.hu
Office: Múzeum körút 4. “B” 240
Phone: 06 (1) 411 6500/2033
Office hours: MONDAY 13.00-14.00

Studied at the Department of Japanese Studies, ELTE from 1992 to 1997, PhD School of Language Sciences, Japanese philology program from 2007 to 2010. Obtained his PhD degree in 2011. 1998-2007 lecturer at Gate of Dharma Buddhist College, 2008-2010 part-time lecturer at Department of Japanese Studies, ELTE, 2010-2012 full-time lecturer, from 2012 assistant professor, deputy head of Department. His main research field is Muromachi and Edo era Japanese history, pre-modern history of thought, focusing on written materials and philosophy of martial arts schools. At BA level teaches Japanese history and classical Japanese language, at MA level classical Japanese texts, kanbun and historical research, supervisor at the PhD program.

Main publications:

• Test és tudat. A japán harcművészeti filozófia hajnala [Body and Mind. The Dawn of the Japanese Philosophy of Martial Arts], Torii, Budapest, 2017.
• Initiation to the art of war: A preliminary text of the Takenouchi school, Acta Orientalia Hungariae 66/1, 2013;
• Motoori Norinaga: Naobi no mitama, Vallástudományi Szemle 2011/3;
• „A ki fogalmának értelmezése és annak változásai a japán harci művészetekben”. Szerdahelyi István – Wintermantel Péter (eds.): Japanológiai körkép. Eötvös Kiadó, Budapest, 2007;
• Yoroppa ni okeru budo rikai, Budo to chi no atarashii chiei, Sintai Undó Bunka Gakkai, Kyoto, 1998.

Dr. Melinda PAPP (PAPPOVA)

E-mail: papp.melinda@btk.elte.hu
Office: Múzeum körút 4. “B” 237
Phone: 06 (1) 411 6500/2054
Office hours: Wednesday 12.30–13.30

Melinda Papp graduated in Japanese Studies from Charles University, Faculty of Humanities, Prague, in 1996. She was awarded the Japanese government scholarship for undergraduate study program at Hokkaido University, Japan, between 1994 and 1995. In 1996-1998 she studied as a research student at Hirosaki University (Japan) conducting research on identity issues in the Tsugaru region. After living and working abroad for several years, in 2012 she completed her Ph.D. studies at Charles University. The title of her dissertation is ‘Change and continuity in a Japanese rite of passage: the case of Shichigosan’. In 2010, she was invited by the EAJS (European Association for Japanese Studies) to its PhD Workshop at Cambridge University (UK). Between 2009 and 2011 she acted as tutor of the course in Anthropology of East Asian countries at Bergamo University (Italy). Since 2011, she has worked as a lecturer at ELTE, Institute of Far East Studies, Department of Japanese Studies. She teaches courses on modern and traditional Japanese society, readings in Japanese culture, MA courses in Japanese folklore and anthropology. Her research interests cover: rural and urban society, family structure, folklore, folk beliefs, changes in ritual culture, and religious consciousness.

Main publications:
• Shichigosan. Change and Continuity of a Family Ritual in Contemporary Japan. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. 2016.
• “Some Reflections on the Use of the Concepts of "Religious Consciousness", "Faith", and "Religion" in the Cultural Context of Japan.” In: Imre Hamar and Inoue Takami (eds.). Faith in Buddhism. Budapest: ELTE Távol-keleti Intézet. 2016. Pp.205–218.
• Encounters with Japan: Japanese Studies in the Visegrad Four Countries. Melinda Papp (ed.) Budapest: ELTE Eötvös Kiadó. 2015.
• “Il folklore dell'infanzia in Giappone”. In: Giovanni Borriello (ed.) Spigolature Orientali: Scritti in onore di Adolo Tamburello. Napoli: Orientlia Parthenopea. 2015. Pp. 219–234.
• “The meta-language of politics, culture and integrity in Japan.” Junichi Kawata, Melinda Papp. Human Affairs 23 (2). 2013. Pp. 246–254.
• “Conspicuous consumption in postwar Japan: The case of a rite of passage.” Human Affairs 22. 2012. Pp. 196–213.
• ‘History of a rite of passage. The birth of Shichigosan and the rise of its commercialization during the Tokugawa period.” Orientalia Parthenopea. 2011. Pp. 135–154.
• “Identità e tradizione nella regione di Tsugaru.” Giappone XLVI. 2006. Pp. 69-78.

Dr. Judit Éva ZENTAI

Senior Lecturer

E-mail: zentai.judit@btk.elte.hu
Office: Múzeum körút 4. “B” 237
Phone: (36) (1) 411 6500/2054

Judit Éva Zentai obtained her Master’s degree in the field of Japanese Studies from ELTE University in 2006. She obtained her Ph.D. in Japanese philology from the Doctoral School of Linguistics, Japanese Philology Program at ELTE University in 2014, which focused on Japanese medical treatment in the Edo period based on Kaibara Ekiken’s Yojokun. Her field of studies covers the thoughts of Kaibara Ekiken about remedies and nourishing life and the history of Japanese medicine and anatomy during the Edo period. Currently she is a lecturer at the Department of Japanese Studies, Institute of East Asian Studies at ELTE University and mainly teaches BA courses in classical and modern Japanese language, and MA courses in Japanese linguistics and history of Japanese diplomacy.

Main publications:
• “Introduction of the Unique Thought of Kaibara Ekiken and the Concept of the School of Kanransecchū through Some Examples.” Encounters with Japan: Japanese Studies in the Visegrad Four Countries. Budapest: ELTE Eötvös Kiadó, 2015: pp. 255–273.
• “A tradicionális kínai és az európai koncepciók egyidejű alkalmazása a japán orvostudományban és anatómiában.” Kaleidoscope Művelődés- Tudomány és Orvostörténeti Folyóirat 2015/11: pp. 12–22. (2015)
• “Élvezeti cikkek az Edo-korban.” Távol-keleti Tanulmányok 2012:(1-2): pp. 239–259. (2014)
• “Kaibara Ekiken egészségnevelő intelmei.” Távol-keleti Tanulmányok 2009/2: pp. 123–132. (2009)
• “Traditional Ideas We Can Use in Our Life.” Feedforth International Inter-Disciplinary Research Colloquium Proceedings (2007). Nagoya: Nagoya University, 2007: pp. 29–33.

Dr. Ferenc TAKÓ

Assistant Lecturer

E-mail: tako.ferenc@btk.elte.hu
Office: Múzeum körút 4. “B” 237
Phone: (36) (1) 411 6500/2054
Office hours: Monday 12.30–13.30

Ferenc Takó took Japanese studies at Eötvös Loránd University from 2007 to 2010 with a special interest in the reception of Chinese thought in Japan. Being interested in the reception of Chinese thought in Europe he started doing research in this field as well, obtaining a master’s degree in 2013, with a thesis on the German philosophical interpretations of Chinese thought. Between 2013 and 2016 he continued this work as a PhD student of the Doctoral School of Philosophy (Programme for Moral and Political Philosophy) at Eötvös Loránd University, doing research on Max Weber’s interpretation of Chinese thought, earning a PhD degree in 2017 (summa cum laude). Since 2013 he has also been a student of the Doctoral School of Linguistics (Programme for Japanese Philology), investigating Maruyama Masao’s writings on intellectual history and contemporary politics with a special focus on Hegelian influences in his thought. He has also been the organizer of the yearly student conference for Oriental studies, “Near and Far” since 2009.

Main publications:
• “’at least as we like to think’ Max Weber and the Universal” In: Megyer Gyöngyösi – Zsolt Kapelner – Zsófia Ádám – István Faragó-Szabó (ed.): On What It Is: Perspectives on Metaphilosophy, Philosophy Workshop of Eötvös József Collegium, Budapest, 2016, pp. 233–268.
• “Distinguishing Names – Identifying Reigns: The Role of Ten/Tian in Ogyū Sorai’s Bendō and Benmei.” In: Melinda Papp (ed.): Encounters with Japan. Japanese Studies in the Visegrad Four Countries, ELTE University Press – Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, 2015, pp. 223–253.
• „Vigasztalan esetlegesség? Max Weber és Hannah Arendt a kauzalitásról” [“Melancholy haphazardness? Max Weber and Hannah Arendt on causality”], Magyar Filozófia Szemle [The Hungarian Philosophical Review], LIX/1 (2015), pp. 147–164.
• „Típusok a tükörben. Max Weber és a kínai patrimoniális bürokrácia” [“Types in the mirror. Max Weber and Chinese patrimonial bureaucracy”], Szociológiai Szemle [Sociological Review], XXV/2 (2015), pp. 73–89.
• „Az amerikai demokrácia és a kínai despotizmus. Tocqueville Kína-képének alakulástörténetéről” [“American democracy and Chinese despotism. On the changes of Tocqueville’s views of China”], Holmi, 2014/4, pp. 402–429.
• „Leibniz Kínája” [“Leibniz’ China”] In: Gergő Gellérfi – Attila Hajdú (ed.): Az Eötvös József Collegium és az Eötvös Loránd Kollégium II. közös bölcsészkon-ferenciáján elhangzott előadások [Eötvözet II. Studies of the 2nd conference of human sciences organised by Eötvös József Collegium and Eötvös Loránd Kollégium], Szegedi Tudományegyetem Eötvös Loránd Kollégiuma, Szeged, 2013, pp. 136–149.

Kazumi UCHIKAWA

Language Teacher

E-mail: uchikawa.kazumi@btk.elte.hu, kazumi812@gmail.com
Office: Múzeum körút 4. “B” 238
Phone: (36) (20) 4800198
Office hours: Monday 16.30–17.30

Kazumi Uchikawa graduated from the Hungarian Department at Osaka University of Foreign Studies (now Osaka University Department of Foreign Studies). He has been a lecturer at the language courses of the Japan Foundation Budapest Office since 2005, and a Native language Instructor of the ELTE Department of Japanese Studies since 2006. Since 2006 several volumes of Hungarian children's literature have been published in Japan, translated by her. Among her translations one was awarded the prize of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, others received the recommendations of the Japan Library Association and the Japanese School Library Association. Her research field is the methodology of Japanese language teaching and Japanese and Hungarian children's literature.

Main publications:

• Tonbo no shima no itazura koyagi (translation of an Hungarian book: “On the dragonfly-island”), Kaisei-sha, Tokyo, 2007.
• Kobuta no reezun (translation of the Hungarian book: “Raisin”), Kaisei-sha, Tokyo, 2012.
• “Potentiality of language classes where not only one teacher teaches – joint lessons by a theology professor and a Japanese language teacher.” Károly Krisztina, Perjés István (ed.) Good Practices from teacher training course scholarly workshops. To teach discipline – discipline of teaching. Budapest: ELTE Eötvös kiadó. 300–310. 2015.(“Több tanár által tartott nyelvóra lehetősége – Vallástanprofesszor és nyelvtanár közös órája” In: Károly Krisztina, Perjés István (szerk.) Jó gyakorlatok a tanárképzés tudós műhelyeiből. Diszciplínák tanítása – a tanítás diszciplínái. Budapest: ELTE Eötvös kiadó. 300–310.)
• “Orienting students towards thesis writing during the Japanese language classes: With the aim of promoting academic dialogue.” Japanese Language Education in Europe 20. 353–358. 2015.
• “How do students at intermediate level decide on which books to read and read them.” Contact Conference of Japanese Language Education, Collected Papers vol. 28. 159–167 (中級レベルの日本語学習者はどのように自分の読みたいものを決め、どのように読むか, 日本語教育連絡会議論文集vol.28) 2015.

Hisayoshi ONO

Language Teacher

E-mail: ono@caesar.elte.hu
Office: Múzeum körút 4. “B” 238
Phone: 06 (1) 411 6500/2033 mellék
Office hours: Monday 09.50–10.50

Hisayoshi ONO studied at Taisho University and obtained his MA in Literature in 1998.The main subjects there were Japanese folklore, the study of religions and social anthropology. He then studied Japanese Applied Linguistics at SOAS, University of London and obtained his MA in Applied Japanese Linguistics in 2002. He taught Japanese as language lecturer at the University of Latvia from 2004 to 2006. While teaching at the University of Latvia, he also taught Japanese at Riga Culture school, which is a state school for primary and secondary education from 2004 to 2005, and was Chair of the Japanese Teachers Association in Latvia from 2004 to 2006. He moved to Hungary in 2006 and started to teach at the Japan Foundation Budapest Office as a part time language instructor. He has taught at ELTE as a native language instructor since 2009.