Yukari Yashima - Retiring in AY2023

I came to Hiyoshi as a full-time faculty member in the first year of the 21st century. I was thrilled when I moved from a shared room in the old research building to the newly built Raiosha. Now, even the wallpaper in Raiosha is starting to peel in places, reminding me of how much time has passed.

When I first arrived, there were only three full-time Spanish instructors in the Faculty of Economics, including myself. Now, we have grown into a large team of seven. While I am delighted that the number of students wishing to take Spanish has increased, it seems many have done so under the misconception that it is an "easy" subject. It has been quite a challenge to compel today's bright, efficient, and cost-performance-oriented students to undertake the steady effort required for language learning, and I have used a mix of carrot-and-stick approaches in my classes. The lively back-and-forth with students required a lot of energy, but looking back, it was enjoyable. Perhaps it's the secret to staying young.

Not many students will likely have a connection to Spain or the Latin American world after graduation. For that reason, in my area studies classes on Spain, I have tried to convey, in my own way, the unique appeal of Spain, which has a culture, history, and values different from major countries like the United States, the UK, France, and Germany. By comparing Japan and Spain on topics such as the relationship between the state and its regions, attitudes toward the monarchy and royal succession, and approaches to the constitution and political participation, I encourage students to step back from the ideas and ways of thinking we usually take for granted. I believe that developing this ability to see things in relative terms is one of the significant benefits of area studies. I hope they will not forget this perspective after they graduate.

In recent years, I have focused on painting. After all, Spain is a country that produced masters like Velázquez, Goya, and Picasso, and possesses a magnificent cultural heritage created during 700 years of Islamic rule in the Middle Ages—it would be a waste not to use this resource. Perhaps because the class was advertised as a way to learn about the societal values, religious views, and social conventions behind the art through art appreciation, it attracted a wide range of students from outside the Faculty of Economics, including those from the faculties of Letters, Business and Commerce, Medicine, Pharmacy, and SFC. Since I love art, preparing for these classes never felt like a chore.

Getting a position at Keio University has also had various impacts on my research. I specialize in modern and contemporary Spanish history, particularly Catalan history. Catalonia is often discussed in the context of the opposition between the "center and the regions" in modern Spain, but I was able to incorporate the perspective of the colony of Cuba thanks to increased opportunities to interact with my colleagues at Keio who specialize in Latin America. I believe the importance of the diverse networks of people and capital stretching between Catalonia and the Caribbean is an indispensable perspective when considering Spain as an "empire" or a "nation-state." Publishing a book on 20th-century Spain with my colleagues at Hiyoshi last year also became a fond memory before my retirement. It is rare to find a university campus with such a large number of researchers on Spain and Latin America, and I hope they will continue to inspire one another and share the appeal of the Spanish-speaking world.

Finally, there is something about the temperament of students that concerns me slightly. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel that the number of students who give up on classes early on has increased. They are not necessarily doing poorly, and they could earn the credits if they just persevered a little longer, but it seems they have lost their tenacity for their studies. One day, they simply stop coming to class without any warning. Is this an effect of online classes? For my part, I can only wonder, "Why?" This makes me realize once again the importance of communication with students.