Tomoko Aoyama

Biography

Tomoko Aoyama is an Honorary Associate Professor of Japanese in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland. Her research fields include modern and contemporary Japanese literature and culture, comparative literature and translation studies, with particular interests in gender and sexuality; parody and intertextuality; and humour and satire. One of her main themes is food in Japanese literature and manga. Another is literary and cultural representations and expressions of the shōjo (girl/young women) from ancient to present times. More recently, her research focuses on woman-centred humour in advanced ageing societies.

Throughout her career, Aoyama has endeavoured to expand the knowledge, scope and methodology of modern Japanese literary studies by dealing with neglected genres, topics and subjects and demonstrating new approaches. Literary and scholarly translations are an indispensable part of this effort. Combining her literary, socio-cultural and linguistic knowledge and skills, she has made important yet neglected Japanese texts available in English for international scholars and readers. Her published translations are closely linked to her own and collaborative research projects.