Susanne Klien
Biographic Data
| ID | 668867 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Susanne Klien |
| GIVEN NAMES | Susanne |
| FAMILY NAME | Klien |
| SIGNATURE | KLIEN S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Hokkaido University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7880-2148 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 22 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 20 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Navigating belonging
Post-pandemic developments in lifestyle migration in Japan
“The young, the stupid, and the outsiders”
This article explores heterotopic selves by examining the practices and trajectories of urbanites in their thirties and forties who have relocated to rural areas, some of them as rural revitalization volunteers (chiiki okoshi kyōryokutai). Funded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, this program started in 2009 and has been highly popular with urbanites. Participants have a one- to three-year period to engage in activities in c…
Special issue
Help (Not) Wanted
Reviewed by: Help (Not) Wanted: Immigration Politics in Japan by Michael Strausz Susanne Klien (bio) Help (Not) Wanted: Immigration Politics in Japan. By Michael Strausz. SUNY Press, 2019. xvi, 197 pages. $95.00. cloth; $32.95, paper. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown, once again, that Japan is still light years away from the status of a "de facto immigrant nation," as previously argued by Gracia Liu-Farrer.1 After all, in contrast to those of othe…
Accommodation and resistance in Hokkaido hip hop practitioners
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted between October 2013 and October 2017 in Hokkaido, northern Japan, this paper explores the trajectories of individuals engaging in hip hop music. Participant observation and narratives indicate that the majority of individuals work as regular members of society (shakaijin) and only pursue hip hop in their free time. The paper highlights the intricate entanglement of individuals in subordination to mains…
Cosmopolitan Rurality, Depopulation, and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in 21st‐Century Japan by John W. TraphaganAmherst, NY
Japan’s Younger Generations Look for a New Way of Living
As post-growth Japan hesitates between stagnation and change, its young people are opting out of traditional career paths and seeking lifestyles with greater personal freedom. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Japanese society to change in some respects, but institutional and corporate leaders remain reluctant to embrace reforms to work and gender norms and in many other areas. Yet social changes are occurring at the grassroots level, as younger J…
Making Meaningful Lives
‘Life could not be better since I left Japan!’
The Lehman Shock, the Great East Japan Earthquake and increasingly precarious labour regimes have resulted in rising numbers of Japanese questioning conventional forms of corporate working and living. This ethnography explores the trajectories of Japanese individuals who have relocated to Europe and opt for self-created work in the creative sector. The chapter examines the changes individuals experienced after their relocation, their social life …
Urban Migrants in Rural Japan
Demographic Change in Contemporary Rural Japan and Its Impact on Ritual Practices
Contemporary rural Japan is characterized by depopulation, reflected by the large number of aging residents, abandoned houses and shops ( akiya 空家) and an increased number of “hamlets at the margin” (Ono 2005), i.e. hamlets with more than 50 % of residents over 65 years old. As a result, many ritual festivities including matsuri 祭 (festivals) of various kinds face challenges in securing practitioners. This study explores the impact of demographic…
Entrepreneurial selves, governmentality and lifestyle migrants in rural Japan
Since the 2008 Lehman shock, the number of individuals who have decided to move to rural areas in order to pursue more individualized modes of working and living has increased in Japan. This ethnographic article explores how urbanite newcomers grapple between their ambitions of engaging in self-created work and the pressures of making their dreams come true. The study draws on participant observation and interviews conducted in Tokushima Prefectu…
Rethinking Japan’s Identity and International Role
This paper presents a study of Japan's international role with a special focus on its historical evolution. To that end, the following three pillars lay the necessary theoretical foundations: one, the notions of historical and political identity and a discussion of the ambivalent shapes they have taken in Japan; two, the regional context, an examination of Japan's situation with respect to Asian history as a whole, and finally, the "civilian powe…
Recovering from Disaster, Reinventing Japan
Civil society groups have helped meet social needs left unaddressed by the official response to the 2011 triple disaster. Their influence may be changing traditional patterns of rural neglect
Reinventing Ishinomaki, Reinventing Japan? Creative Networks, Alternative Lifestyles and the Search for Quality of Life in Post-growth Japan
This article aims to give an outline of recent developments in Ishinomaki, one of the worst affected cities struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. Before the disaster, the harbor town faced depopulation, aging residents, and a lack of prospects for the young, like many other stagnant regional cities. Since March 2011, Ishinomaki has seen an influx of short-, mid-, and long-term volunteers and young ambitious individuals who have…
Bullfighting and Meaning in Life in Oki, Japan
These five Oki islanders reflect the depth of emotions that bullfighting evokes amongst those who practice it. The Oki Islands form an archipelago between 40 and 80 kilometers north of the Honshu coast in Shimane Prefecture in Southwestern Japan. Organized fights between trained bulls are now held only on the biggest island, Dogo, having a population of 15,696 (Okinoshima 2011)
Collaboration or confrontation? Local and non-local actors in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial
This article deals with selected contemporary art projects that have involved the collaboration of heterogeneous actors in the framework of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, which started in 2000 in southern Niigata Prefecture. Originally initiated as a revitalization plan to tackle depopulation and obsolescence in this vast rural area, the triennal has been envisaged and implemented by the Tokyo-based commercial gallery Art Front Gallery (AFG) i…
Collaboration or confrontation? Local and non-local actors in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial
This article deals with selected contemporary art projects that have involved the collaboration of heterogeneous actors in the framework of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, which started in 2000 in southern Niigata Prefecture. Originally initiated as a revitalization plan to tackle depopulation and obsolescence in this vast rural area, the triennal has been envisaged and implemented by the Tokyo-based commercial gallery Art Front Gallery (AFG) i…
Contemporary art and regional revitalisation
Rural areas in Japan are usually associated with depopulation, aging and stagnation. In order to tackle the widening gap between booming urban and distressed rural areas in Japan, novel revitalisation policies need to be examined. Contemporary art has untested potential as a vehicle for regional revitalization. To illustrate this potential, the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial has been chosen as a case study since it constitutes a new type of revital…
Reinventing Ishinomaki, Reinventing Japan? Creative Networks, Alternative Lifestyles and the Search for Quality of Life in Post-growth Japan
This article aims to give an outline of recent developments in Ishinomaki, one of the worst affected cities struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. Before the disaster, the harbor town faced depopulation, aging residents, and a lack of prospects for the young, like many other stagnant regional cities. Since March 2011, Ishinomaki has seen an influx of short-, mid-, and long-term volunteers and young ambitious individuals who have…
Post-pandemic developments in lifestyle migration in Japan
Collaboration or confrontation? Local and non-local actors in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial
This article deals with selected contemporary art projects that have involved the collaboration of heterogeneous actors in the framework of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, which started in 2000 in southern Niigata Prefecture. Originally initiated as a revitalization plan to tackle depopulation and obsolescence in this vast rural area, the triennal has been envisaged and implemented by the Tokyo-based commercial gallery Art Front Gallery (AFG) i…
Navigating belonging
Bullfighting and Meaning in Life in Oki, Japan
These five Oki islanders reflect the depth of emotions that bullfighting evokes amongst those who practice it. The Oki Islands form an archipelago between 40 and 80 kilometers north of the Honshu coast in Shimane Prefecture in Southwestern Japan. Organized fights between trained bulls are now held only on the biggest island, Dogo, having a population of 15,696 (Okinoshima 2011)
Contemporary art and regional revitalisation
Rural areas in Japan are usually associated with depopulation, aging and stagnation. In order to tackle the widening gap between booming urban and distressed rural areas in Japan, novel revitalisation policies need to be examined. Contemporary art has untested potential as a vehicle for regional revitalization. To illustrate this potential, the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial has been chosen as a case study since it constitutes a new type of revital…
Accommodation and resistance in Hokkaido hip hop practitioners
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted between October 2013 and October 2017 in Hokkaido, northern Japan, this paper explores the trajectories of individuals engaging in hip hop music. Participant observation and narratives indicate that the majority of individuals work as regular members of society (shakaijin) and only pursue hip hop in their free time. The paper highlights the intricate entanglement of individuals in subordination to mains…
Collaboration or confrontation? Local and non-local actors in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial
This article deals with selected contemporary art projects that have involved the collaboration of heterogeneous actors in the framework of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, which started in 2000 in southern Niigata Prefecture. Originally initiated as a revitalization plan to tackle depopulation and obsolescence in this vast rural area, the triennal has been envisaged and implemented by the Tokyo-based commercial gallery Art Front Gallery (AFG) i…
Collaboration or confrontation? Local and non-local actors in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial
This article deals with selected contemporary art projects that have involved the collaboration of heterogeneous actors in the framework of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, which started in 2000 in southern Niigata Prefecture. Originally initiated as a revitalization plan to tackle depopulation and obsolescence in this vast rural area, the triennal has been envisaged and implemented by the Tokyo-based commercial gallery Art Front Gallery (AFG) i…
Collaboration or confrontation? Local and non-local actors in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial
This article deals with selected contemporary art projects that have involved the collaboration of heterogeneous actors in the framework of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, which started in 2000 in southern Niigata Prefecture. Originally initiated as a revitalization plan to tackle depopulation and obsolescence in this vast rural area, the triennal has been envisaged and implemented by the Tokyo-based commercial gallery Art Front Gallery (AFG) i…
Contemporary art and regional revitalisation
Rural areas in Japan are usually associated with depopulation, aging and stagnation. In order to tackle the widening gap between booming urban and distressed rural areas in Japan, novel revitalisation policies need to be examined. Contemporary art has untested potential as a vehicle for regional revitalization. To illustrate this potential, the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial has been chosen as a case study since it constitutes a new type of revital…
Bullfighting and Meaning in Life in Oki, Japan
These five Oki islanders reflect the depth of emotions that bullfighting evokes amongst those who practice it. The Oki Islands form an archipelago between 40 and 80 kilometers north of the Honshu coast in Shimane Prefecture in Southwestern Japan. Organized fights between trained bulls are now held only on the biggest island, Dogo, having a population of 15,696 (Okinoshima 2011)
Reinventing Ishinomaki, Reinventing Japan? Creative Networks, Alternative Lifestyles and the Search for Quality of Life in Post-growth Japan
This article aims to give an outline of recent developments in Ishinomaki, one of the worst affected cities struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. Before the disaster, the harbor town faced depopulation, aging residents, and a lack of prospects for the young, like many other stagnant regional cities. Since March 2011, Ishinomaki has seen an influx of short-, mid-, and long-term volunteers and young ambitious individuals who have…
Recovering from Disaster, Reinventing Japan
Civil society groups have helped meet social needs left unaddressed by the official response to the 2011 triple disaster. Their influence may be changing traditional patterns of rural neglect
Rethinking Japan’s Identity and International Role
This paper presents a study of Japan's international role with a special focus on its historical evolution. To that end, the following three pillars lay the necessary theoretical foundations: one, the notions of historical and political identity and a discussion of the ambivalent shapes they have taken in Japan; two, the regional context, an examination of Japan's situation with respect to Asian history as a whole, and finally, the "civilian powe…
Entrepreneurial selves, governmentality and lifestyle migrants in rural Japan
Since the 2008 Lehman shock, the number of individuals who have decided to move to rural areas in order to pursue more individualized modes of working and living has increased in Japan. This ethnographic article explores how urbanite newcomers grapple between their ambitions of engaging in self-created work and the pressures of making their dreams come true. The study draws on participant observation and interviews conducted in Tokushima Prefectu…
‘Life could not be better since I left Japan!’
The Lehman Shock, the Great East Japan Earthquake and increasingly precarious labour regimes have resulted in rising numbers of Japanese questioning conventional forms of corporate working and living. This ethnography explores the trajectories of Japanese individuals who have relocated to Europe and opt for self-created work in the creative sector. The chapter examines the changes individuals experienced after their relocation, their social life …
Urban Migrants in Rural Japan
Demographic Change in Contemporary Rural Japan and Its Impact on Ritual Practices
Contemporary rural Japan is characterized by depopulation, reflected by the large number of aging residents, abandoned houses and shops ( akiya 空家) and an increased number of “hamlets at the margin” (Ono 2005), i.e. hamlets with more than 50 % of residents over 65 years old. As a result, many ritual festivities including matsuri 祭 (festivals) of various kinds face challenges in securing practitioners. This study explores the impact of demographic…
Cosmopolitan Rurality, Depopulation, and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in 21st‐Century Japan by John W. TraphaganAmherst, NY
Japan’s Younger Generations Look for a New Way of Living
As post-growth Japan hesitates between stagnation and change, its young people are opting out of traditional career paths and seeking lifestyles with greater personal freedom. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Japanese society to change in some respects, but institutional and corporate leaders remain reluctant to embrace reforms to work and gender norms and in many other areas. Yet social changes are occurring at the grassroots level, as younger J…
Making Meaningful Lives
“The young, the stupid, and the outsiders”
This article explores heterotopic selves by examining the practices and trajectories of urbanites in their thirties and forties who have relocated to rural areas, some of them as rural revitalization volunteers (chiiki okoshi kyōryokutai). Funded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, this program started in 2009 and has been highly popular with urbanites. Participants have a one- to three-year period to engage in activities in c…
Special issue
Help (Not) Wanted
Reviewed by: Help (Not) Wanted: Immigration Politics in Japan by Michael Strausz Susanne Klien (bio) Help (Not) Wanted: Immigration Politics in Japan. By Michael Strausz. SUNY Press, 2019. xvi, 197 pages. $95.00. cloth; $32.95, paper. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown, once again, that Japan is still light years away from the status of a "de facto immigrant nation," as previously argued by Gracia Liu-Farrer.1 After all, in contrast to those of othe…
Accommodation and resistance in Hokkaido hip hop practitioners
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted between October 2013 and October 2017 in Hokkaido, northern Japan, this paper explores the trajectories of individuals engaging in hip hop music. Participant observation and narratives indicate that the majority of individuals work as regular members of society (shakaijin) and only pursue hip hop in their free time. The paper highlights the intricate entanglement of individuals in subordination to mains…
Post-pandemic developments in lifestyle migration in Japan
Navigating belonging
Political science (13 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Geography (10 works) · Art (7 works) · History (7 works) · Japanese History and Culture (6 works) · Economic geography (5 works) · Gender Studies (5 works) · Law (5 works) · Anthropology (4 works)