Recent advancements in Digital Humanities (DH) are profoundly transforming the humanities. DH enables the analysis of vast data that a single researcher could never fully examine in a lifetime. Furthermore, the emergence of machine learning and generative AI is giving rise to novel analytical methods previously unimagined. In area studies as well, spaces for digital infrastructure are being co-created by researchers. However, DH highlights significant challenges, such as the oligopoly of core technologies by a few corporations and the long-term preservation of digital resources. Additionally, a key challenge in area studies is how to integrate elements like "embodiment"—which cannot always be reduced to digital data—with the digital transformation (DX) of research. This symposium brings together four presenters to discuss DH and area studies, exploring the current state and future prospects of their relationship.
| 2026/11/14 | ||
| 09:30 - 10:00 | The 2026 JCAS Annual Meeting | |
| 10:00 - 12:00 | The Japan Consortium for Area Studies Award Ceremony and Commemorative Speeches | |
| 13:30 - 16:30 | Symposium "Digital Humanities and Area Studies" | Moderator: Satoshi OGURA(ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreigns Studies) |
| 13:30 - 13:35 | Opening Remarks | Nobuaki KONDO(ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreigns Studies) |
| 13:35 - 13:40 | Introduction | Satoshi OGURA(ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreigns Studies) |
| 13:40 - 14:00 | Dr. Strangegraph or: How I Learned to Stop Outsourcing to AI and Love the Adjudication Log | Tomoaki SHINODA(Organization for Innovations in Data Synergy, Tohoku University) |
| 14:00 - 14:20 | Agentic AI and New Horizons in South Asian Studies | Kengo HARIMOTO(Center for Integrated Japanese Studies, Tohoku University) |
| 14:20 - 14:40 | Museum Documentation: Research for Catalogue or Catalogue for Research? | Taku IIDA(National Museum of Ethnology) |
| 14:40 - 15:00 | Considering DH Sustainability: Insights from ILCAA Online Resources | Yasuhiro YAMAKOSHI(ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreigns Studies) |
| 15:00 - 15:15 | Break Time | |
| 15:15 - 15:45 | Comments | Ran MURATSU(ILCAA, Tokyo University of Foreigns Studies); Emiko SUNAGA(Faculty of Cultural Studies,Kyoto Sangyo University) |
| 15:45 - 16:25 | General Discussion | |
| 16:25 - 16:30 | Closing | |
*The symposium schedule may run slightly over depending on the Q&A and discussion.