Podcast Ep: Authors & Abnormality in Japan

In this episode of Waseda University's “Rigorous Research, Real Impact,” Graduate School of Political Science PhD student Peter sits down with Associate Professor Pau Pitarch from the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences to explore how early 20th-century authors and artists in Japan reimagined their identities. Prof. Pitarch unpacks why writers in the 1920s proudly identified with mental “abnormality” as a mark of creative genius, and how global currents in psychology, art, and modernity shaped this unique cultural moment. The conversation also delves into Professor Pitarch’s personal journey into Japanese literature, the value of studying culture within Japan using a global lens, and what makes Waseda’s English-based degree programs in the Faculty of Letters, Arts and Sciences—JCulP and Global-J—such vibrant spaces for international learning and discovery.

“Rigorous Research, Real Impact” is available for free on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and

YouTube. It's a great choice for international listeners considering attending university in Japan, current students contemplating challenging themselves in graduate school, and researchers interested in Japan and potentially working for a university that stresses the importance of interdisciplinary approaches

One episode released every two weeks.

*Please note the schedule is subject to change.

■Episode 7（Release date: 2025/12/16）:

 Professor Alex Coad (Faculty of Commerce)—

“University vs. Corporate Startups: A Tale of Two Entrepreneurial Paths”

■Episode 8（Release date: 2026/1/13）：  

Professor Yuhee Jung (Faculty of Social Sciences)—

“Institutionalized Socialization: How Companies Help Newcomers Belong”

   Professor Yuhee Jung (Faculty of Social Sciences)—

“Institutionalized Socialization: How Companies Help Newcomers Belong”