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RIMLANDIA: Mythological network bridging the margins of East Asia
2017/08/16
Homo sapiens sapiens, a common ancestor of modern humans, originated in the continent of Africa about 200 thousand years ago from now and spread to various parts of Eurasia about 70 thousand years ago. Humans who leave “Out of Africa” have formed a number of small groups, spreading all over the Eurasian continent with surprising speed. Some groups that crossed West Asia from North Africa, headed to Southeast Asia bypassing the southern foot of Himalayas, went further to Oceania by sea via Sundaland. Likewise, the groups beyond the northern side of the Himalayas reached Siberia from there, and later reached the Americas by walking beyond the Bering Strait, which was … Continue reading
…read moreISHIKURA Toshiaki
Japan
Toshiaki Ishikura, born 1974 in Tokyo, is a cultural anthropologist who specializes in art anthropology and comparative mythology. After field researches in Sikkim, Darjeeling hill（India）, and Kathmandu valley（Nepal）, he conducted comparative studies of the myths of "mountain goddess" around Japan, India, Nepal, and other pacific basin countries. He also studies about bio-cultural context of non-human species and artistic images, such as indigenous artifacts, traditional products, religious relics, and contemporary artworks.
Along with his academic career he is also known as productive partner of distinguished artists like Masakatsu Takagi (visual artist / musician / pianist), Masaru Tatsuki (photographer), Tomoko Konoike (painter), and Masashi Ifuji (woodcraft artist). He has been researcher at the Institute for Art Anthlopology, Tama Art University, from 2006 to 2011. He is now associate professor at Akita University of Art, where he teaches cultural anthropology and cultural roots of north-east Japan（Tohoku） as a teaching staff of “Arts and Roots” course.