Dr. Yoshioka obtained his PhD in comparative culture at International Christian University, Tokyo, in 2009. His dissertation analysed Miyazaki Hayao’s view of Japanese culture and history in comparison with conservative and liberal arguments on Japanese culture (nihonjinron).
While his main research interest is Japanese people’s own view of their history and culture and its representation in contemporary Japanese popular culture, he is also interested in nihonjinron in general and in the history of Tokyo. He has published an article and a book chapter on Miyazaki’s view of Japan in Japanese and English, and is currently working on revision of his dissertation for publication, along with an article on representations of the Taisho period in anime.
In 2012-13, Dr. Yoshioka teaches on Levels C and D Japanese language, JPN1005 Introduction to Japanese History and Culture, and JPN2003 Re-Experiencing Contemporary Japanese Animation.