Obtained a Ph.D. in literature from Edinburgh University in 1989. Has worked at Kansai University since 2004. Research interests are in aesthetics, ethics, hermeneutics, and exoticism. Mail

Obtained his Ph.D. in philosophy, SUNY-Buffalo, 1997. Researched classical Japanese poetics and culture at Osaka University and The International Research Center for Japanese Studies (Nichibunken). Came to Kandai in 2001. Research interests are in environmental philosophy, ecocriticism, food and drink culture, and garden history and theory. Mail

Associate Professor Raphaël Lambert earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2001. His current research focuses on the transatlantic slave trade with a particular emphasis on the notion of community. Before joining the Department of Cross-cultural Studies at Kansai University, he worked for five years in the Department of American Literature at Tsukuba University. His seminars at Kandai cover all aspects of African American culture from slavery to hip hop, while workshops and other courses explore American culture through such themes as gay marriage, poverty, and education. Mail

Associate Professor Go Kobayashi recieved his B.A. and M.A. in American Studies from the University of Tokyo. Researched American Art History as a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of American Civilization at Brown University. Came to Kansai University in 2004. Research interests are in American cultural studies, art history, visual culture, globalization, and media studies. Mail | Homepage

Associate Professor Gen'ichiro Itakura obtained a Ph.D. in English from Kyoto University. His current academic interests include: post-9/11 British fiction and representation of trauma in postcolonial literature. His classes at Kansai University focus on popular British films/TV dramas such as Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Darren Shan, Sherlock and Downton Abbey.Mail