The Joy of Being the "First Discoverer" of Primary Sources: Place Yourself in an Environment That Fosters Personal Growth
Participant Profile
YAMAMOTO Takeo
Research Areas: 19th-century French literature, Japonisme (especially the Goncourts)1992: Graduated from the Faculty of Letters, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ 1992: Joined Kagome Co., Ltd. (left in 1993) 1994: Moved to France. 1997: Obtained a teaching certificate for French as a foreign language from the Alliance Fran?aise of Paris. 1999: Received a bachelor's degree from Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV). 2000: Received a master's degree from Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV). 2001: Received a D.E.A. from Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV). 2007: Received a doctorate from Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV). After returning to Japan, worked as a French instructor at ECC Foreign Language Institute in the Kansai region and at GEOS in Tokyo. Began teaching French at Ath¨¦n¨¦e Fran?ais and ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Gaigo in 2010, and has been in his current position since 2011.
YAMAMOTO Takeo
Research Areas: 19th-century French literature, Japonisme (especially the Goncourts)1992: Graduated from the Faculty of Letters, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ 1992: Joined Kagome Co., Ltd. (left in 1993) 1994: Moved to France. 1997: Obtained a teaching certificate for French as a foreign language from the Alliance Fran?aise of Paris. 1999: Received a bachelor's degree from Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV). 2000: Received a master's degree from Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV). 2001: Received a D.E.A. from Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV). 2007: Received a doctorate from Paris-Sorbonne University (Paris IV). After returning to Japan, worked as a French instructor at ECC Foreign Language Institute in the Kansai region and at GEOS in Tokyo. Began teaching French at Ath¨¦n¨¦e Fran?ais and ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ Gaigo in 2010, and has been in his current position since 2011.
Encountering My Research Theme and Its Allure
In my late teens, I developed a serious interest in modern Japanese literature. When I learned that 19th-century French literature formed its backdrop, I decided I had to study French literature to understand Japanese literature, so I enrolled in the French literature department at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡. I have been involved with 19th-century French literature ever since.
After graduating from the French literature department at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡, I worked as a salaryman and then moved to France by myself, where I enrolled as an undergraduate at the Sorbonne and earned my bachelor's degree. Around that time, when I took an exam on Victor Hugo's religious poetry, I saw the results and realized that I was not someone who fundamentally carried the weight of Western culture. When I advanced to the master's program, I decided to make the most of being Japanese and have my abilities recognized for it. Also, being a reader of Nagai Kafu, I delved into Japonisme through the Goncourts, by whom Kafu was influenced.
I find my purpose in life in chasing down primary sources; I'm a self-proclaimed "primary source hunter." What I mean by primary sources here are things like a writer's unpublished letters, notebooks, or receipts from purchases¡ªin short, materials that other researchers have not yet transcribed and made the subject of study. I enjoy visiting libraries to discover such items and deciphering the messy handwriting. One reason I love working with primary sources is the joy of becoming the first academic discoverer of a document. But more than anything, I believe it's the feeling I get that with each paper or presentation, I am opening up a new horizon in the history of human knowledge by introducing new materials and situating them within what was previously known. However, I do, of course, plan to conduct research that deals heavily with secondary sources as well.
A Message for Students
Interacting with ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ students every day, I'm struck by how vibrant and wonderful they are. They are more than twenty years younger than me, but when I talk with them up close, I don't feel the age gap; in fact, I often find that I'm the one who is learning. During your student life at ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡, I believe that if you can build your life around the things you love, you will find a guiding principle for your future. The indescribably easygoing feeling I get from ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ students is so nice that even an easygoing person like myself feels I could learn from it. I believe there are many people here who are broad-minded and interesting in the widest sense of the word. I try to do this myself, but if you always strive to place yourself in an environment that fosters personal growth and never forget to improve yourself daily, I think life becomes quite interesting. Let's enjoy the journey.
(Interview conducted in December 2011)
*Profile and position are as of the time of the interview.