TANKEN Video: Welcome to Area Studies
ーMessage from Editors
How do people living in an “Area” of the world recognize the issues that arise there? And what kind of logic do individuals and societies use to deal with them? At our Center, researchers engage with countless ways of thinking, striving to faithfully grasp the cultural, social, political, economic, and agricultural realities unique to Southeast Asia and beyond. They specialize in various fields of study, from the humanities and social sciences to the natural sciences.
Since 2018, we have been producing videos from various fields to introduce the diverse activities of our researchers to the general public, especially middle and high school students. These short videos are accessible and fun introductions to specialist knowledge and research approaches to Area Studies. If a particular video piques your interest, further reference literature is provided; we also encourage you to visit the web pages of our researchers.
We hope that these videos will be starting points for you to discover Area Studies. Enjoy your own TANKEN, or expedition, as you learn about the world from an “Area”.
“TANKEN Video” 5-minute series
We have launched the “TANKEN Video” 5-minute series, focusing on keywords introduced in “TANKEN Video: Welcome to Area Studies” and exploring new research topics while highlighting different viewpoints and issues. In these videos, researchers will introduce their fieldwork. These may provide hints for thinking about various issues such as the sustainable coexistence of the natural environment and human society, and plural coexistence.
These videos serve as an excellent educational resource for high school and university students. Please click here for Teaching/Learning Materials.
TANKEN Video’s 5-minute Series Mascot: Barong
This mysterious creature, carrying a backpack and holding a video, suddenly emerged from the midst of the forest, is called ‘Barong’. He wears distinctive mask adorned with a large headdress and vibrant colors, along with fragments of a mirror. He is a symbol of goodness in the mythology of Bali, Indonesia, believed to protect the community from evil spirits.
Please drop by and visit Barong here. We hope you enjoy your TANKEN, exploration of Area Studies with him!