James Letson

Music subcultures, Community building, Intergenerational relationships, Ethnography, Social theory, Pedagogy

BA in Modern Japanese Studies (MJSP), Hokkaido University, 2021
MA in Humanities (Cultural Anthropology), Hokkaido University, 2023
PhD in Humanities (Cultural Anthropology), Hokkaido University, 2026

As an MJSP graduate, I know exactly what it's like to come to live and study in a place that is very far away, very different, and a lot colder and snowier(!) than where you grew up. It's tough, it's hard work, but it's totally worth it! Over the last decade or so, as I have learned about Japan's history, language, society, and culture, I've also learned my craft as an ethnographic researcher and anthropologist, and have learned a lot about myself, as well. I'm thrilled to now be able to help the next generations of MJSP students find their own way in Hokkaido, Japan, and the world.

General Education Seminar (Introduction to Subculture Studies), Aspects of Japan Ⅱ (Introduction to Anthropology of/in Japan), General Education Seminar (Ethnography: Theory and Practice), General Education Seminar (Caught in a Mosh! Understanding Audience Responses to 'Extreme' Music)

Letson, James D. (2025). "Rethinking ‘Collective Effervescence,’ Post-COVID-19: What Japanese Punks Can Teach Us About Crowd Control." International Journal of Cultural Policy, 31(7): 962-979.
Letson, James D (2024). "A Sense of Relation: Defining ‘Affect’." Journal of Applied Ethics and Philosophy, 15: 10-19
Letson, James D (2022). "AS A PUNK DANGLING FROM THE VERTICAL SOCIETY: Punk in Northern Japan as a Culture of Transgression." In Donaghey, J., Kaltefleiter, C. and Boisseau, W. (Eds.). ‘Smash the System!’ Punk and Anarchy as Cultures of Resistance. Karlovac, HR: Active Distribution: pp.377-405.
Letson, James D (2021). "Stay Punk!! Stay Free!! Subcultural Identity, Resistance and COVID-19 in Northern Japan." Punk and Post Punk, 10(1): 119-140.