PEAK Staff Profile

Joshua Baxter, Ph.D. (University of Toronto),
Assistant Professor – Japan in East Asia

Contact: baxter[at]global.c.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Profile

Joshua Baxter Joshua received his Ph.D. in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto (2016) and started teaching at the University of Tokyo soon thereafter. His dissertation research focused on the political economy of Yasukuni Shrine during the Meiji period with an emphasis on thinking about the shrine as a space of exchange. From 2013-2014 he held a Japan Foundation Japanese Studies Doctoral Fellowship to undertake research at the University of Tokyo. He currently teaches courses on the History of Modern Japan, Modern East Asia, Urban History, Critical Theory, and Japanese Imperialism.

Research Interests

Joshua's research revolves around the relationship between political economy and the production of space mainly in terms of the built environment, land value, populations and ground rent. Currently he is working on a number of articles related to land value in Meiji Tokyo as well as the management of populations through universal conscription. Other interests include the history of Marxism in Japan and formulating a critical approach to military history. He particularly enjoys thinking about these problems while cycling around various parts of Japan.

Selected Publications

Coming soon