EVENT
2025.12.23
The AJI Global Symposium 2026 “Co-Creation of Our Future Values and Directions: Visions of the Ritsumeikan Model of Asia-Japan Research” will be held!
On Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the Asia-Japan Research Institute(AJI) at Ritsumeikan University will host the AJI Global Symposium 2026, “Co-Creation of Our Future Values and Directions: Visions of the Ritsumeikan Model of Asia-Japan Research.” We look forward to your participation. We welcome participation from the general public, undergraduate and graduate students, and the next generation of researchers.
《Details for the Symposium》
Date and Time: February 11, Wednesday, 2026, 13:30～16：30
Venue: Building C 471, AJI Studio, Osaka Ibaraki Campus, Ritsumeikan University, and online (Zoom)
＊Pre-registration is required: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aoH9H0w9STyibHl9UA9c7Q#/registration
The number of on-site participants is limited, and pre-registration is required for the first 30 people. Select “On-site participation” from the “Please select your attendance method” on the registration form. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and will close when seats are full. Please note that in this case, we may not be able to meet your request.
Language: Japanese (simultaneous translation provided via Zoom)
Deadline: 23:59, Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Fee: Free
《Symposium Program》
| 13:30 | Opening Remark Yoshio NAKATANI (President of Ritsumeikan University/Director of Ritsumeikan Asia-Japan Research Organization) Moderator: Toshiyuki TAKEDA (Professor and Deputy Director, Asia-Japan Research Institute) |
| 13:40 | Keynote Speech Essam Bukhary (Chief Executive Officer of Manga Productions and President and Editor-in-Chief of Manga Arabia) “The Future of Manga and Anime for Younger Generations: Cultural Exchange between Saudi Arabia’s Content Industry and Japan” |
| 14:40 | Break |
| 15:00 | Panel Discussion “Globalization 3.0 of Anime: Cross-border Production Networks and Diverse Acceptance in the World” Each Speaker will deliver a 20-minute speech, followed by a general discussion. 《Panel Overview》 Today, animation is not produced in a single country but within a transnational production network and is accepted in various ways around the world. This panel will present the actual situations of cross-border collaborations, the processes by which local young people create their works and recreate their own culture, and the movement of international co-productions in China, India, Saudi Arabia, etc., with specific examples. In doing so, we consider how changes in the makers and viewers will shape the new expressions and the market. Chair: Shinji Oyama (Professor, College of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University) Stevie SUAN (Associate Professor, Faculty of Global and Interdisciplinary Studies, Hosei University) “Globality of Anime: Transnational Cultural Production” Akiko SUGAWA (Professor, Faculty of Urban Innovation, Yokohama National University） “Acceptance of Anime-related Contents in Nordic Countries: Poly-localization of Anime by Young People” Ryutaro MIHARA (Anthropologist, Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Keio University) “The Possibility of International Co-Productions of Japanese Anime in Asia: Local Looks at China, India, and Saudi Arabia” |
| 16:00 | General Discussion |
| 16:30 | Closing Remark |