Yoshihiro Yasuhara
Associate Teaching Professor of Japanese Studies
- Posner Hall 244
- 412-268-7860
Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics
4980 Margaret Morrison St
Posner Hall 341
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Education
Ph.D., Comparative Literature, Pennsylvania State UniversityM.A., Comparative Literature, University of Georgia
Bio
Yoshihiro Yasuhara's primary research explores the relationship between aesthetic expression and social realities, grounded in the field of comparative literature with a focus on modern Japanese culture in a transnational context.
One area of his work examines the writings of Ishikawa, analyzing his search for a locus of literary reality as an alternative to dominant historiographies of modern Japan. This research argues that Ishikawa’s literature reflects a deep social commitment through literary experimentation, highlighting his reimagining of the Japanese avant-garde in dialogue with Western movements and debates surrounding history and literature within the broader trajectory of Japanese modernity.
A second area of Dr. Yasuhara's interest focuses on Japanese culture and society in the 1980s, specifically the intersection of advertising tropes and modern Japanese poetry.He explores how the critical writings of cultural critic Amano Yukichi on advertising intersect with the poetic works of Tanikawa Shuntaro, revealing a layered interplay between commercial and literary discourses during this period.
His third line of research investigates the concept of minority identity in Japan, moving beyond conventional definitions. Dr. Yasuhara is particularly interested in how marginalized voices in Japanese society expose overlooked social issues, challenge prevailing artistic norms and help chart new directions in the country’s cultural landscape.
Areas of Interest
- Japanese Literature and Film
- Comparative Literature
- Cultural Studies
- Literary Theory
Courses Taught
- 82-474 The Evolution of Japan's Urban Culture
- 82-372 Advanced Japanese II
- 82-371 Advanced Japanese I
- 82-279 Anime: Visual Interplay between Japan and the World
- 82-278 Japanese Film and Literature: The Art of Storytelling
Selected Awards and Honors
- The Berkman Faculty Development Fund, Carnegie Mellon, 2021
- The Falk Fellowship, Carnegie Mellon, 2013, 2015, 2018
Selected Community, University and Professional Service
- Invited judge for the Annual Japan Documentary Film Award at University of Pittsburgh
- Invited judge at Annual Japanese High School Speech Contest at University of Pittsburgh
Selected Publications
- Yasuhara, Y. (2021). “The Intersection of Advertising, Poetry and Media—Amano Yukichi’s Theorization of Japan’s 1980” Forthcoming in Publication of Association of Japanese Literary Studies (PAAJLS) Vol. 20.
- Yasuhara, Y. (2018). “John Okada: No-No-Boy ron: Amerika shakai no shuryu to Minority no kyokai [On John Okada’s No-No Boy: The Boundary between America’s mainstream and minority].” Forthcoming in Autumn 2018 as one chapter of Yure ugogku <hoshu>: Gendai America bungaku to shakai [The Oscillating Conservatism: The Literature and Society of Modern America.] Ed. Kazuhiko Yamaguchi and Takashi Nakatani. Tokyo: Shupuusha, 2018.
- Yasuhara, Y. (2016). “Mystical Experiences as Literary Locus in Ishikawa Jun’s Fictions in the 1930s-1950s.” Proceedings of 2014 Association for Japanese Literary Studies (October 10-11 at Western Washington University) Published in 2016.
- Yasuhara, Y. (May 7-8, 2011). “TV Commercials as Potential Materials for Content-Based Instruction in Elementary to Advanced Japanese.” Co-authored with Mamoru Hatakeyama. Proceedings of 18th Princeton Japanese Pedagogy Forum.
- Yasuhara, Y. (2007). “Nagisa Oshima’s Vast Historical Project and the Theme of Homoeroticism in his Taboo (Gohatto).” Literature/Film Quarterly (Vo. 35, No.1, 2007) 350-357.