Mita Philosophical Society Lecture
Event Date
Event Venue
Toward the Conceptualization of Ikai (Other Worlds) and Isekai (Different Worlds): A Taxonomy of Extraordinary Spaces in Modern Urban Legends
November 1, 2022
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Date & Time | Friday, December 2, 2022, 6:10 PM–8:10 PM |
Venue | Hybrid format: Keio University Mita Campus (classroom to be announced) and via Zoom. |
Eligibility | Open to everyone. (The registration link will be announced later.) |
Lecturer | Ryuhei Hirota (Part-time Lecturer, Keio University) |
Organizers | Mita Philosophical Society / Keio University Anthropological Society |
Lecture Abstract:
The concept of "ikai" (other worlds), found in fields such as cultural anthropology, folklore studies, and religious studies, is a relatively new one that has become widespread in the Japanese-speaking world since the 1980s. However, it has been pointed out that its conceptual definition is ambiguous, an issue that remains unresolved. Furthermore, its relationship with similar concepts—such as "takai" (the next world), used since pre-modern times, and "isekai" (different worlds), which has been frequently used since the end of the last century—has not been clearly defined. In this presentation, I will examine the diversity of "ikai" in "kowai hanashi" (scary stories), focusing on modern urban legends, and consider the potential scope and applicability of these concepts.