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Yuko Yamaguchi - Faculty Interview

Participant Profile

  • Yuko Yamaguchi

    Modern German Literature and Cultural Studies

    March 2005: Completed coursework for the Doctoral Programs, Graduate School of Letters, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ April 2011: Earned a PhD in Letters from ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡. After serving in positions including part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Letters and the Faculty of Economics, she assumed her current position in 2013.

    Yuko Yamaguchi

    Modern German Literature and Cultural Studies

    March 2005: Completed coursework for the Doctoral Programs, Graduate School of Letters, ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ April 2011: Earned a PhD in Letters from ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡. After serving in positions including part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Letters and the Faculty of Economics, she assumed her current position in 2013.

Becoming a researcher was sparked by an author I chanced upon as a student.While you are a student, learn about diverse values and train yourself to think.

Research Theme and How I Encountered It

As a student, I was growing a bit weary of the long and ponderous works of German literature. It was then that I encountered the works of Kurt Tucholsky, an author active in the 1920s, in the library at Mita. Although each of his pieces is very short, I was captivated by his writing style¡ªlight and airy, yet offering sharp observations of German society at the time and prompting readers to contemplate various issues. Ultimately, I was so drawn to his work that I studied abroad to research the reception of this Jewish literary journalist's works, a theme that would become the subject of my doctoral dissertation.

The Appeal and Interest of My Research Theme

My specialty is German literature. I primarily research the literature, culture, and reception thereof in the German-speaking world during the Weimar Republic (1918¨C1933). Weimar culture, which flourished between the two World Wars, is known as the second golden age of German literature, having produced authors who are still widely read today. It was also a globally significant era for visual culture, including film and photography, and it has close ties to Japan of the same period. However, the reception of works from this era is incredibly diverse; some have received completely opposite evaluations depending on the subsequent political situation or region. This lack of a single, cohesive narrative is both a challenge and its greatest appeal.

A Message for Students

I mainly teach the German language. Most students begin their second foreign language in college, and if you study diligently, you are sure to see results. As an instructor, I aim to create classes that will make you want to learn more about the German language and the German-speaking world. I hope that while you are students, you will interact with as many people as possible, learn about the diverse values of different cultures, and train yourselves to think about various matters, even if it means making mistakes along the way. Learning German, interacting with people in German, and learning about the German-speaking world¡ªa non-English-speaking foreign culture¡ªwill surely be a valuable part of this training. Let's do our best together.

(Interview conducted in December 2013)

*Profile and position are as of the time of the interview.

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