Mirai. Estudios Japoneses [未来.日本研究紀要 (Mirai Nihon Kenkyū Kiyō)] (ISSN-e 2531-145X) is a journal from Complutense University of Madrid produced in collaboration with the Asociación de Estudios Japoneses en España (Spanish Association of Japanese Studies) that originates with an international inclination within the Ibero American context, being certain that the approaches and perspectives developed from this background will serve to complement the tradition of works produced by the Angloamerican school. In addition, the journal hopes to provide a location for the Spanish speaking scientific community to share its developments, wishing that it may serve to constitute a vehicle that will enable the creation of a network of relations through the exchange of research in a language with millions of users. In tis way, the journal intends to gather and in this way give more visibility to current investigations on Japanese Studies, which up to this day remain dispersed frequently . This type of publications will promote the development of new studies, as well as new perspectives and approaches.
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Mirai. Estudios Japoneses is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
El lugar de la caligrafía: tiempo y escritura en la obra de Morita Shiryū (1948-1992) Tesis doctoral. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2025. 674 pp.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mirai. Estudios Japoneses
López del Río, Alberto. Naturalezas construidas en la arquitectura japonesa contemporánea. Sevilla: Editorial Universidad de Sevilla, 2025. 207pp. ISBN: 978-84-472-2784-6
Texto de Arthur Binard. Fotografía de Tadashi Okakura. Traducción de Kazumi Uno. La Espera. Pontevedra, Kalandraka Editora, 2025, 36 págs. ISBN: 978-8413433714
Translation of the book by American poet Arthur Binard, created in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Written in the form of a children’s picture book, the author gives voice to the objects once belonging to the victims. Through their silent testimonies, they gently reveal how the routine of their days was shattered and how they were drawn towards their death. As a writing devoted to peace, this book stands as a message to future generations.
Kawamura Yayoi & Cabañas, Pilar. Trazo y color. Esencias de la pintura japonesa, Gijón, Satori, 2024. 424 págs.
Satori Ediciones publishes this handbook on the history of Japanese painting in Spanish, written by professors Yayoi Kawamura (University of Oviedo) and Pilar Cabañas (Complutense University of Madrid) both with a long career on the study of Japanese art in Spain. The work offers a comprehensive overview of the masterpieces in the history of Japanese painting, accompanied by detailed commentary on the techniques used in their creation, the artists and schools behind their production, as well as an informative selection of classifications of the various styles that span Japan’s long artistic history. The edition, rich in full-color illustrations and explanatory graphics, makes this volume a cornerstone for the future teaching of the History of Japanese Art in Spanish.
Antonio Santos. Jardines de piedra. Hiroshi Teshigahara. Cine, Roca y Bambú, Sangrila Ediciones Trayectos 30, Valencia, Septiembre, 2004, 567 pp.
Cristina Nualart y Dámaso Ferreiro (eds.). Des-orden binario en Asia: Géneros y sexualidades en la historia de Asia Oriental. Granada: Editorial Comares, 2024. 233 págs. ISBN: 978-84-1369-872-4
Des-orden binario en Asia: Géneros y sexualidades en la historia de Asia Oriental reúne once textos con perspectiva de género y feminista-queer que abarcan disciplinas como la Historia, la Sociología, la Antropología, o la Lingüística en distintos periodos históricos y con distinto foco geográfico dentro de la región. Los once capítulos se organizan en tres partes: una primera parte dedicada a la cuestión del acceso a la libertad por parte de mujeres y personas no heterosexuales, una segunda parte centrada en la realidad de la mujer, y una tercera parte dedicada a los mecanismos de control que producen y sostienen la discriminación por motivo de género o de orientación sexual.
Los postreros aleteos de Fernando Rodríguez-Izquierdo Gavala
Fernando Rodríguez-Izquierdo y Gavala (Seville, 1937 – Seville, January 8, 2025), who earned a degree in Japanese Language and Culture from Sophia University in Tokyo, held a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and Letters, as well as in Hispanic Philology and Classical Philology, and a PhD from the University of Seville. He was one of the most important pioneers of Japanese studies in Spain. He lived in Japan for three and a half years and, after returning to Spain, worked as a Senior Lecturer in Hispanic Philology at the University of Seville (1975–2006). His doctoral thesis, The Japanese Haiku, marked the beginning of an extensive body of research on this subject, about which he published numerous works and gave countless lectures, presentations, and papers. He was the foremost haiku specialist in the Spanish-speaking world and its greatest promoter. In addition, he gifted us with outstanding translations, not only of haikus but also of numerous significant works by exceptional authors of both classical and contemporary Japanese literature.
Federico Lanzaco Salafranca, la pasión por Japón
Federico Lanzaco Salafranca (Barcelona, 1929 – Madrid, 2025) was a Professor and Chartered Business Manager from the Barcelona School of Commerce. He held a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the University of Comillas, a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from Loyola University (Chicago), and a Master’s degree in Linguistics from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor). He furthered his studies at the Jesuit Centre for Japanese Studies in Tokyo and in various Linguistics, Japanese Language, and Oriental Cultures departments at several European and North American universities. During the more than nine years he lived in Japan, he devoted himself fully to its study and research and worked as a professor at Sophia University in Tokyo. After this intensive experience, he returned to Spain and entered the business world, working for over thirty years at the Spanish-Japanese company Acerinox, where he served as Deputy to the President. Throughout this period and until his retirement, he maintained an intense dedication to the study and dissemination of Japanese culture. His works are true bibliographic treasures in the field of studies on Japanese thought, religion, aesthetics and spirituality. A passionate and enthusiastic man, he was one of Spain’s most important Japanologists.
Ranpo and Maruo, mirrori mages of eroguro
This article presents Edogawa Ranpo and Maruo Suehiro as mirror images of the same stylistic and thematic paradigms within their respective media. It will argue that, since the 1980s, Maruo has shaped canonical eroguro manga, that is, a transposition of the identifying features of the original eroguro to the medium of manga, and that, as a result, he is the artist who best reproduces the spirit of this artistic movement in his manga adaptations of Edogawa Ranpo's work. To this end, we will analyse the main characteristics of the movement, of which Ranpo is the leading representative, as well as the political and social situations, references and conceptual assumptions that gave rise to this important artistic trend. We will analyse the extent to which these features are also present in Maruo's imagination. Finally, a comparison will be made between the different manga adaptations of Ranpo's work, in order to determine whether Maruo is indeed the ideal translation of the spirit of the original eroguro into manga.
Rodao, Florentino. Las imágenes dominantes: cinco siglos de percepciones mutuas entre España y Japón. Coria del Río: Coria Gráfica S. L., 2024. X Págs. ISBN 8409617897, 9788409617890
Entre la transgresión y la perversión: la imagen de Japón en la prensa española a través de El imperio de los sentidos de Ōshima Nagisa
This article analyzes film reviews of the work of Japanese director Ōshima Nagisa, published in the Spanish daily press between 1969 and the early 2010s. Its main objective is to examine the image or images of Japan conveyed to the Spanish public through critical discourse. In doing so, it examines how Ōshima’s films —marked by transgression, violence, eroticism, and social critique— were interpreted by Spanish journalists, and how these interpretations helped shape a collective vision of Japan, often echoing the perceptions constructed by 19th-century Western travelers. Through an in-depth study of these reviews, the article emphasizes the value of cinema —and, crucially, its reception— as a source for cultural analysis, offering insights not only into the society that produces the films, but also into those who consume and interpret them.
La protección de los derechos de las personas LGBT en la política exterior japonesa
Since the decade of 1990, the international protection of LGBT rights has gained increasing interest, especially within international organizations. Starting in 2011, actors such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union began to incorporate these rights as relevant elements of their foreign policy. However, this trend has faced opposition from countries that question the universality of such rights. In this context, Japan presents an interesting case study due to its international influence, being one of the largest donors of Official Development Assistance and of the UN. Most existing studies on Japan have addressed the situation of LGBT rights from a domestic perspective, without paying sufficient attention to its foreign policy. This article aims to fill this gap by analyzing how the idea of "LGBT rights as human rights" has been translated into the Japanese foreign policy. To this end, I will examine both the conditionality of Official Development Assistance to LGBT rights and Japan's participation in UN initiatives. This article concludes that Japan does not exercise leadership in defending LGBT rights in the international sphere. However, the reactionary shifts identified in countries previously committed to this cause open an opportunity for Japan to take on a more proactive role in promoting LGBT rights. Most existing studies on Japan have addressed the situation of LGBT rights from a domestic perspective, without paying sufficient attention to its foreign policy. This article aims to fill this gap by analyzing how the idea of "LGBT rights as human rights" has been translated into the Japanese foreign policy. To this end, I will examine both the conditionality of Official Development Assistance to LGBT rights and Japan's participation in UN initiatives. This article concludes that Japan does not exercise leadership in defending LGBT rights in the international sphere. However, the reactionary shifts identified in countries previously committed to this cause open an opportunity for Japan to take on a more proactive role in promoting LGBT rights.
The Japanese Interpretation of Mondrian's World Through the Imagery of Katsura-rikyū
This paper examines the reception of Piet Mondrian in Japan during the mid-twentieth century, focusing on two fundamental interpretative frameworks. First, it analyzes Akane Kazuo’s hypothesis, which associated the Dutch artist’s painting with the architecture of the Katsura-rikyū, based on the photographs published by Ishimoto Yasuhiro in 1960. These images, however, reflect a modernist gaze shaped by Bauhaus principles, suggesting that the affinity between Mondrian and Japanese architectural space was retrospectively constructed, functioning more as an aesthetic representation than as evidence of a real influence. Second, the study explores the reading of “emptiness” in Mondrian’s work, particularly in the context of avant-garde calligraphy promoted by Hasegawa Saburō and the Bokujin-kai group. Calligraphers such as Ueda Sōkyū, closely associated with Bokujin-kai, recognized in Mondrian’s geometric compositions a spatial notion akin to Buddhism and Eastern thought, though reinterpreted within pictorial abstraction. Nevertheless, the rise of Art Informel and the predominance of spontaneous gesture limited Mondrian’s consolidation as a central reference in postwar Japanese art. Thus, the Japanese reception of Mondrian cannot be understood in terms of direct influence, but rather as a process of cultural reinterpretation in which European geometric painting served as a counterpoint for redefining contemporary calligraphy. This analysis contributes to a broader reconsideration of Japan’s image within global artistic modernity and reveals how Mondrian functioned less as a formal model to emulate than as a catalyst for aesthetic reflection.
Japanese iconography in the contemporary iconosphere: the case of the Kitsune
The iconography of the Japanese kitsune, a mythological fox capable of transforming itself into a human, has transcended its original context thanks to the spread of manga, anime and video games in the West since the 1970s, becoming a global reference point. This article analyses its narrative and visual representation in these cultural manifestations to identify common features, processes of rewriting and its role as a cultural mediator between East and West. Through this study, it is evident how visual narratives act as valid tools for visual literacy and heritage education, allowing us to understand the evolution of archetypes and their ability to generate hybrid cultural identities and foster intercultural dialogue. The research demonstrates that iconic mass media not only disseminate Japanese folklore, but also update, expand and re-signify it, integrating it into global contexts without losing its original symbolic meaning. This convergence of tradition and modernity reveals the pedagogical potential of these icons to raise awareness of the dynamics of transfer and creation of tangible and intangible heritage, as well as to develop critical citizenship in the face of contemporary cultural phenomena.
The evolution of japanese family models throughout Koreeda Hirokazu's films
The evolution of the Japanese family, from the traditional system of the ie till the nuclear family and the normalized atypical family, is reflected in Koreeda Hirozaku’s films. Koreeda belongs to the family gender of the Japanese cinema and shows a changing family not only through time but also through its members. He defines the Japanese family by the affective relations instead of the legal or consanguinity ones.
Susana Elena Rodríguez de Tembleque García
The Origin of the Image of Contemporary Manga – Osamu Tezuka and the Influence of Carl Barks' Comics on His Work.
Osamu Tezuka, creator of works such as Astro Boy or Princess Knight, is considered one of the most important and influents manga artists in the history of the medium, both within and outside of Japan. Although it is well known that the productions of Walt Disney served as a mayor inspiration for Tezuka during his formative years, Tezuka’s manga also had a debt with the labour of the American cartoonists that contributed to the creation of Disney’s comics. Among these authors, one of the most significant was Carl Barks, responsible for Donad Duck comics, creator of Scrooge McDuck, and an essential creator in the history of comic on his own right. This article will illustrate some pivotal points in the careers of both artists, and will show how the American could influence on the style of the Japanese, mainly on the basis of an analysis of two earlier stories of these authors: Bark’s Donald Finds Pirate Gold (1942) and Tezuka’s New Treasure Island. That will prove the existence of a connection between two kinds of cultural works belonging to the same medium, but created in two different continents, proving how long-distance influences can work in the contemporary world, and especially in the mass media field.
Radiografía del underground: la irrupción del angura en Japón y el paradigma de Kinjiki de Tatsumi Hijikata
The underground has its most immediate precedent in the 1950s, under the influence of the Beat Generation and American avant-garde cinema. The term “underground” was applied in this context in the 1960s, and it is in those years that it also began to be used in Japan, usually as a synonym for avant-garde. Among the various personalities who stood out within the Japanese underground, there is one who, due to his influence, personality and constant activity in those years, we can highlight as one of the greatest exponents of this trend. I am referring to the dancer Hijikata Tatsumi 土方巽 (1928-1986), founder of ankoku butō 暗黒舞踏 [dance of darkness]. Although there is research and literature on the Japanese underground, usually known by the diminutive angura アングラ, the topics usually revolve around angura theatre, experimental film, avant-garde music, or the flowering of intermedia in Japanese countercultural art. The figure of Hijikata usually appears as part of the context of the period, but there is no research that delves into his direct relationship with the counterculture from a protagonist position. This article, therefore, aims to analyse the characteristics of the underground in order, firstly, to establish a link with the figure of Hijikata and, secondly, to find out whether he really deserves to be placed as one of the most important personalities of angura in Japan.
The Japan that arrives in Spain via Manila in the 19th century: Art from Asia in the Museo Evaristo Valle
The present study analyzes several Japanese artistic objects preserved in the Museo Evariso Valle, located in Gijón, and investigates the circumstances of its arrival. After the examination of the pieces y documents, the study concludes in that the Japanese objects were acquired by the father of the painter Evaristo Valle, the judge Evaristo del Valle y Álvarez during his second stay in Philippines between 1879 and 1880, when he was judge in the Court of Justice of Manila. They are Japanese export objects made at the beginning of tMeiji era. The study points out clearly the arrival of Japanese objects in Spain via Manila before 1880, and reveals that the collecting of Japanese art in Spain was not only a fashion influenced by other European cities, such as Paris, but also it was a social and artistic phenomenon in which Manila played an important roll.
Ribadeneira in Japan, a franciscan view of japanese culture
In 1601 Franciscan Marcelo de Ribadeneira’s work Historia de las islas del Archipiélago, y reinos de la Gran China, Tartaria, Cochinchina, Malaca, Sian, Camboya y Japón was published with the purpose of transmitting the condition of the Christianity in those countries. The objective of this investigation is to contextualize the work and analyse its speech, focusing on Japan, mainly on the vision it conveys about Japanese people and their cultural manifestation in the fourth book of the chronicle. Through its study, the aim is to understand the vision that the Franciscan missionaries had of the Japanese and their customs in the 16th century, and how the author expressed his knowledge about the country.
Autobiography, autofiction and shishôsetsu in Minae Mizumura’ s A True Novel
This paper proposes to examine Minae Mizumura’ s A True Novel from three theorical perspectives that are linked to each other. On the one hand, based on the concept of Autobiographical Pact proposed by Lejeune (1991), it is recognized what aspects of an autobiography exposes the text so that it can be read as the author’s life story, on the other hand, it is noticed how autobiography moves towards autofiction, when it is accepted the rewriting of an autobiographical story implies the intervention of fictional elements in the composition, that is, the use of techniques and resources typical of fiction. Autofiction leads to fictionalization of autobiography. Finally, both concepts are confronted with that of shishôsetsu, a japanese literary genre that shares characteristics with autobiography and autofiction. The analysis of the text attends to the author’s purpose of explaining to readers how a novel is written, just as she states that this same novel works as a justification for her literary vocation.
The essence of the Meiji man: an approach to Kokoro by Natsume Sôseki
Taking into account the context of the Meiji era (1868-1912) and the changes it produced within Japanese society at that time, this article seeks to address the novel Kokoro (こころ, 1914) by Natsume Sōseki (夏目漱石, 1867-1916) with the aim of demonstrating, first, what is that kokoro that the work seeks to unveil before the eyes of its readers and which in this paper we identify with the «essence» of the Meiji man; secondly, we seek to identify the mechanism used in the text to elucidate it, the key to which is found in a series of specular games between the main characters of the work. We argue that this process ends with a potential extratextual instance depending on the approach that each reader makes to the novel and whose ultimate purpose is to establish a dialogue and to question the ideals of its own time.
Copyright (c) 2024 Mirai. Estudios Japoneses
A Museographic Update of the China-Japan Collection of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Santa Isabel de Hungría of Seville
This article examines the China-Japan collection organised by the Japanologist Fernando García Gutiérrez, now at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de Santa Isabel de Hungría in Seville. It documents the transfer of the exhibition from the original room to where it is currently on display. It also provides an updated museographic and museological analysis. Before addressing this topic, we reflect on the nature of the ensemble and its relationship with specific museological currents, where the question is raised as to whether or not the analysis can be classified as belonging to Oriental Museography.
The Concern with Memory in 21st Century Japanese Contemporary Art. Cult of the past and building collective consciousness
This article aims to investigate the theme of memory and its cultural meanings in the art produced in Japan during the 21st century. Methodologically, the curators and artists, selected by the Japan-Ishibashi Foundation for the exhibition of their projects in the Japanese Pavilion at the first ten Venice Biennale, have been used as a sample. The detailed analysis of the starting points of the artists and their works has led us to the conclusion that the theme of memory is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, both as a duty to guard the past and to promote the future. And his art reflects this.
The Japan-Spain-Mexico junction monument: A meeting point for memory and friendship
The Japan-Spain-Mexico Commemorative Obelisk is a point of confluence of the ties of international friendship between Japan, Mexico, and Spain. The inhabitants and local authorities of Onjuku have made an effort to keep in collective memory the events of September 30, 1609, characterized by the arrival of Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberruza's ship to the shores of Iwawada. This moment would become crucial for relations between the three countries. To the various international exchange activities, the initiative to build this monument would be added, incorporated into the diplomatic narrative of the three countries as a way to justify a long-standing friendship. Considering the importance that have had this monument in the friendly exchange relations between these countries, this article aims to analyze the process carried out for its construction from a historical-descriptive perspective. The above is done through the information contained in Mexican sources from the Archivo Histórico Diplomático Genaro Estrada, some references from the Diplomatic Historical Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and other newspaper sources from that time, as well as notes and cybergraphic documents. Likewise, will be identified the management process carried out by the “Society for the Erection of the Memorial Monument of the Origin of Spanish-Japanese Relations” to raise the necessary funds for its construction. This will allow to reflect on its current meaning and importance in the construction of bridges of communication and understanding between Japan, Spain, and Mexico.
A Vision of Hispanic America in Postwar Japan: the Case of Tokyo Vice-governor Okayasu Hikosaburō after his Visit of 1952
In the spring of 1952, at the same time that Japan was regaining its sovereignty and industrial capacity after the war, a mixed delegation of bureaucrats and businessmen led by the Vice-governor of Tokyo visited four Hispanic American countries as part of a larger tour around the Americas in order to explore possible trade relations and to inquire about the current situation of prewar Japanese immigrants. Vice-governor Okayasu Hikosaburō (1899-1982), also interested in Japan’s image abroad, later recorded his impressions in a travel book and several articles in economic journals. In this study we analyze those sources in order to identify, evaluate and make known the vision that a high official of the capital wanted to transmit to his fellow countrymen both about Latin America in general and about Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Peru in particular. To this end, we establish a thematic division by contrasting and unifying data from various sources and apply the theoretical framework presented in Chiappe Ippolito (2020) on three types of historical images of Latin America identified in modern Japanese literature: “primitive”, “primeval”, and “peripheral”. We conclude that Okayasu’s vision is not clearly framed in any of them and that he tried to show Latin American societies as they were: modern, civilized, complex, in an evolving process, with similarities and differences with respect to Japan, but forming part of the same world at the end of the day.
"Tàpies. The trace of Zen". A clarifying exhibition
The text contains a commentary on the exhibition organised by the Fundació Tàpies in Barcelona to conmemorate the centenary of the artist's birth. More than forty works are distributed throughout the space of the Fundació to show his confessed affinities with the world of Zen, focusing on the work that dates from 1979. A magnificent work by Nuria Homs, the curator of the exhibition.
The SOLO Colection: A window on Japanese history and contemporary culture through art
The purpose of this research is the analysis of the Japanese art collections of the Colección SOLO, one of the most important collections of contemporary art in Europe. This collection was created in Spain in the second decade of the 21st century and, today, has works by artists from all over the world; a particularity worth highlighting, since most of the collections in this country, whether public or private, usually have collections mainly from national, European or Western artists. In the case of the Colección SOLO, Asian artists especially stand out, including Japanese artists with 112 pieces by 22 authors, many of them leading artists. In addition to highlighting this collection, the artists and their works present in it, this study aims to highlight the practice of Japanese contemporary art collecting, as it offers a window into Japanese history and contemporary culture. Through the collections of Japanese art, we can learn about the evolution of the links or relationships that Japan and Spain have established over time and, on the other hand, through the pieces the particular vision that we had of the same history, in the most of the cases, told through the Western prism.
Landscapes with Mount Fuji and Popocatepetl in the Kaluz Museum in Mexico City: "Almost gold, almost amber, almost light. Welcome from the Mexican landscape to the Japanese landscape"
The text includes the critical review of the exhibition Casi oro, casi ámbar, casi luz. Bienvenida del paisaje mexicano al paisaje japonés held in 2023 at the Kaluz Museum in Mexico City. The exhibition, with a curatorial team specialized in Mexican art and Japanese art, presents a dialogue through the genre of the landscape of Mexico and Japan. The Japanese art comes from the donation of the North American Terry Welch, owner of one of the best collections of Japanese painting from the 19th and 20th centuries in Latin America.
The birth of Hispanic studies in Japan: from the Philippines and Latin America to Vicente Blasco Ibáñez and the fisrt direct translations
This article attempts to show the birth and evolution of Hispanic Studies in Japan, from the first Spanish classes in higher education, in late 19th century, to the publication of the first direct translations of Spanish literature, in the 1920s. This study will help visualize the importance of the Philippines and Latin America – Mexico and Peru in particular – as the first driving forces for Spanish courses in Japan, as well as writer Vicente Blasco Ibáñez’s precious role as the catalyst of direct literary translations.
Santiago Iglesias, José Andrés y Ana Soler Baena (coords.). Estudios de anime: aproximaciones a Neon Genesis Evangelion desde una perspectiva de medios. Gijón: Satori Ediciones, 2023. 456 pp. ISBN: 978-84-19035-47-9
Estudios de anime: aproximaciones a Neon Genesis Evangelion desde una perspectiva de medios, coordinated by José Andrés Santiago Iglesias and Ana Soler Baena, is organised into eleven chapters that take an analytical approach to Japanese animation with the clear intention of legitimising the so-called anime studios.