Position Description

Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University – Faculty Position (Asian Socio-Economic or Business History)

Call for Position - Tenure-Track Assistant Professor in Asian Socio-Economic or Business History at the Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University, Japan

Overview:

The Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University, invites applications for a tenure-track position in Asian socio-economic history or Asian business history. The position is a tenure-track assistant professorship, with a tenure review after five years at the latest. Upon successful completion of the review, the candidate will become a tenured Associate Professor. The successful candidate is expected to engage in cutting-edge research and to write influential scholarly articles, book chapters, and monographs in the above areas.

The socio-economic history division of the Graduate School of Economics and Management aims to strengthen the sub-discipline of research on transnational socio-economic changes in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific since the 16th Century. We are looking for applicants who study various aspects of socio-economic changes in the region, and welcome scholars who focus on any time period (or periods) in the last half millennium. Possible subjects of research include, but are not limited to, technology transfer, imperialism, gender norms and economic relations, population movement, and environmental change. We particularly welcome applicants whose research has an interdisciplinary perspective. The successful candidate, as a specialist in socio-economic or business history of Japan, East Asia, or the Asia-Pacific, will engage in the above-mentioned research, produce highly influential and original output, and promote collaborative research within and outside the Graduate School.

The division has collected a large volume of primary sources since the prewar period, especially in the fields of Japanese economic and business history, and has continued to publish original research results based on the analysis of these sources. This is due to the efforts of successive professors starting with Kichiji Nakamura in the mid-20th century. We plan to digitize and publish the primary sources in our collections via the Tohoku University Digital Archive (ToUDA) operated by Tohoku University Library. We also are actively collaborating with other research centers at the university, including the Center for Integrated Japanese Studies (CIJS). In recent years, we have rapidly promoted the publication of papers in international journals and book chapters in international co-authored books, organized panels and presentations at international conferences, and engaged in collaborative research with overseas researchers. Examples include:

• Naoki Odanaka, “Impact of the Memory of Kaikoku (Opening the Country to the World) on the Course of Industrialization in Early Meiji Japan” (T. Fetzer and S. Berger, eds., Collective Memory and the Economy, London: Palgrave-MacMillan, forthcoming).
• Yoh Kawana, “Trade, sociability, and governance in an English incorporated borough: ‘Formal’ and ‘Informal’ worlds in Leicester, c.1570-1640” (Urban History 33-3, 2006)
• Takenobu Yuki (w/Shotaro Yamaguchi, Serguey Braguinsky, Tetsuji Okazaki), “Resource allocation and growth strategies in a multi-plant firm: Kanegafuchi Spinners in the early 20th century” (Strategic Management Journal, special issue, 2023)
• Ayumu Sugawara (w/Takeshi Nishimura), eds., The Development of International Banking in Asia (Berlin: Springer, 2020)

We are excited to welcome colleagues who can participate in and support these research activities, especially our digitization efforts and collaborative projects.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. degree in a relevant field at the time of appointment
• Native or near-native level of proficiency in English
• Outstanding research achievements in the fields of socio-economic or business history

NOTE: This position is intended for early career researchers.

Job Description

The successful candidate will engage in research in the field of Asian socio-economic or business history and is expected to produce internationally recognized academic publications.

During the tenure-track term,

• They will be asked to teach one class each semester (1/1).
• If they so wish, they can offer instruction and advising at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; however, they will not serve as a supervisor to graduate students.
• They will be exempt from most administrative duties on campus.

Working Conditions:

• Position: Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Asian Socio-Economic or Business History
• Work Location: Graduate School of Economics and Management, Tohoku University, 27-1 Kawauchi, Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
• Start Date: As early as possible on or after October 1, 2026
• Salary: Determined based on experience and achievements, according to Tohoku University regulations
• Research Funding: Institutional research funding is provided as part of the university's initiative to enhance research activities.

Application Documents

1. A cover letter
2. A curriculum vitae (CV)
3. A completed resume (designated format, photo attached).
4. Researcher ID information (designated format), or full list of academic achievements if ID is not available.
5. A writing sample representative of current or past research (maximum 20 pages)
6. A research statement and agenda summarizing past research and outstanding future plans
7. A completed and signed ‘Conduct Questionnaire’ (designated format).
8. Three contact persons for inquiries regarding the application.
9. Three letters of recommendation (to be submitted directly by the referees; these individuals may differ from the contacts mentioned above)

Application Method and Deadline

• Combine the items listed above (except for the letters of recommendation) into a single PDF file and submit it via Google Form: https://forms.gle/m6jVAnfpE9VKrPhp7
  File name must be [applicant’s-first-name_applicant’s-family-name.pdf], [jane_doe.pdf] for example.
• Letters of recommendation, in PDF format, must be submitted directly by the referees via Google Form: https://forms.gle/87JkiFKLaxnHBo1R6
  File name must be [family-name-of-applicant_family-name-of-referee.pdf], [doe_toutlemonde.pdf] for example.
• In case applicants or referees cannot access the Google Form, please submit the files by e-mail to: history-econ2025@grp.tohoku.ac.jp
• Application Deadline: 8AM, October 31, 2025 (GMT)
• Contact: history-econ2025@grp.tohoku.ac.jp
• NOTE: Indicate in the cover letter how you learned about this job opening (e.g., which website or medium).

Regarding the Selection Process:

After the document screening, and online interview for shortlisted candidates, those reaching the final round of the selection process may be invited to visit the university campus for a face-to-face interview.

Allocation, Laboratory Space & Accommodation:

The successful candidate will be allocated an office and laboratory space on campus. There may also be the opportunity to move into university accommodation if there are any vacancies.

Welfare:

The successful candidate will be enrolled as a member of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Mutual Aid Association, which will also provide health insurance for any dependents. Tohoku University will also provide pension insurance, employment insurance as well as industrial accident compensation insurance.

Annual Paid Leave:

Employees are entitled to twenty days annual paid leave per year. The number of days provided is reckoned as of January 1st. Each year, twenty days are added to any remaining paid leave from the previous calendar year (up to twenty days). Annual leave for the first year of employment is calculated based on the start date (e.g., a start date of April 1st would provide 15 days for the remaining nine months of the calendar year).

Additional Remarks:

• Tohoku University has established a support system to assist the spouses of qualified faculty members in finding employment opportunities for academic and non-academic jobs within the university. For more information, please contact the recruiting department.
• Tohoku University promotes activities to increase Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and encourages people of varied talents from all backgrounds to apply for positions at the university. Tohoku University’s website about the DEI Declaration can be found here,
  URL: https://dei.tohoku.ac.jp/en/vision/about/
• Pursuant to Article 8 of the Act on Securing, Etc. of Equal Opportunity and Treatment between Men and Women in Employment, Tohoku University shall, as a measure for increasing the presence of women among the academic staff, prioritize the hiring of women deemed qualified for each job opening, based on impartial evaluation.
• Tohoku University has published ‘Tohoku University-Live as Who You Are-Guidelines for Gender and Sexual Diversity' to provide explanations and details of how those at the university should respond with respect to diverse sexuality. The purpose of the guidelines is to create an environment in which all students, faculty, and staff respect diverse sexuality in their academic, research, and professional activities. Please see the Tohoku University Center for Gender Equality Promotion website.
  URL: https://dei.tohoku.ac.jp/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/EN_GuideLine.pdf
• Tohoku University has the largest on-campus childcare system of all Japanese national universities. This network comprises three nurseries: Kawauchi Keyaki Nursery School (capacity: 22) and Aobayama Midori Nursery School (116), both open to all university employees, as well as Hoshinoko Nursery School (120), which is open to employees working at Tohoku University Hospital. In addition, Tohoku University Hospital runs a childcare room for mildly ill and convalescent children which is available to all university employees
• See the following website for information on these and other programs that Tohoku University runs to assist work-life balance, to support researchers, and to advance gender equality, including measures to promote childcare leave among male employees.
  *Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Tohoku University Website:
  URL: https://dei.tohoku.ac.jp/en/vision/consulting/for_family/
  *Human Resources and Planning Department website (in Japanese only):
  URL: https://c.bureau.tohoku.ac.jp/jinji-top/external/a-4-kosodate/
• In the event that the incumbent takes maternity leave, childcare leave, or family care leave during their term of office, their term of office may be extended within the period of leave or leave if deemed necessary for the promotion of education and research.