- Position: Professor
- Degree:
Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California, Berkeley
M.A. in Area Studies, University of Tokyo
B.A. in Sociology, University of Tokyo - Background:
Professor, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University (2019-present)
Director, Research Institute of Automobile and Parts Industries (RIAPI), Waseda University (2016-present)
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University (2014-2019)
Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (2007-2013)
Senior Visiting Student, Department of Management, Beijing Film Academy (2003-4)
Visiting Associate, Preparatory Office of the Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica (1996)
Field of Specialization
Economic Sociology, Organizational Sociology, Cultural Sociology, China, East Asia, Creative Industries in Asia
Research Theme
Cultural Sociology of Chinese Independent Cinema, Economic Sociology of the Contemporary Chinese Film Industry; Organizational Sociology of Creative Industries in Asia; Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Approach to Autonomous Driving and Electric Vehicles; The Role of Civic Media in the Age of Risk Society
Major Works / Publications / Awards
Major Works / Publications
- Nakajima, Seio. 2025. “In Dependence and in Relation: A Relational Sociological Approach to Chinese Independent Cinema.” Pp. 143-164 in Reassessing Chinese Independent Cinema: Past, Present, and a Questionable Future, edited by Chris Berry, Luke Robinson, Lydia Wu, and Sabrina Qiong Yu. Amsterdam University Press.
- Nakajima, Seio. 2024. “Teaching Chinese Independent Cinema through the Cultural-Diamond Framework.” Pp. 287-299 in Teaching Film from the People’s Republic of China, edited by Zhuoyi Wang, Emily Wilcox, and Hongmei Yu. Modern Language Association (MLA).
- Nornes, Markus, and Seio Nakajima. 2024. “From Benshi to Subtitler: Translating Chinese-Language Cinema in/for Japan.” Pp. 16-34 in Chinese Films Abroad: Distribution and Translation, edited by Yves Gambier and Haina Jin. Routledge.
- Nakajima, Seio. 2022. “Marketing Art Films in Contemporary China: Between the Rock of Politics and the Hard Place of Economy.” Pp. 64-79 in Marketing the Arts: Breaking Boundaries, Second Edition, edited by Finola Kerrigan and Chloe Preece. Routledge.
Awards
- Interdisciplinary Research Award (2009), Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), Shidler College of Business, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.
Academic Societies / Service to Society
Academic Societies
- American Sociological Association
- Association for Asian Studies
- Society for Cinema and Media Studies
Service to Society
- “The Present and Future of the Chinese Entertainment Market 2025: Views from Japan.” Sasakawa Peace Foundation/Japan-China Entertainment Economic Forums (JCEE). March 6, 2025.
- “Japanese Pop Culture’s Response to COVID-19.” The Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth. March 18, 2021 (Webinar).
- Committee Member, Committee on Sustainable Automobile Society (C-SAS), Society of Automotive Engineers Japan, Inc. (JSAE) (2020-present)
- Special Member, Japan Auto Parts Industries Association (JAPIA) (2016-present)
- “Present Conditions and Future Prospects of Contemporary Chinese Independent Films: Public Panel Discussion with Film Actor Wang Hongwei.” The Department of Arts Studies/Institute for Language and Culture, Meiji Gakuin University, June 20, 2015 (Tokyo, Japan).
- “Panel Discussion with Film Director Lu Chuan.” Hawai‘i International Film Festival. October 19, 2013 (Honolulu, HI).
- “Panel Discussion with Film Director Jia Zhangke.” Hawai‘i International Film Festival. October 23, 2010 (Honolulu, HI).
Research Project
- MA: Popular Culture in Asia
- Ph.D.: Development and Prospects of Creative Industries in Contemporary Asia
Research Theme, Outline of Project Research Seminar, Message to Prospects
Popular Culture in Asia [Master’s Degree Program]
This project examines the historical background, current conditions, and future prospects of popular culture in Asia. In analyzing empirical topics, we put to work theories and methods in cultural sociology, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives of area studies, international relations, and cultural studies. Students can tackle a wide range of empirical research topics including (but not limited to): “The Globalizing Chinese Film Industry”; “‘Japanimation’ and the ‘Cool Japan’ Policy”; “Industrial Organization of K-Pop and TV Dramas in Contemporary South Korea”; “The Rise of Bollywood in the Global Film Markets.” Topics such as “Automobile as Culture” or “Mobility and Society” in the age of CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Services, Electric) and MaaS (Mobility as a Service) are also welcome (for more details, please see: https://www.waseda.jp/inst/nextgv/en/institutes/research-institute-of-automobile-and-parts-industries).
Development and Prospects of Creative Industries in Asia [Doctoral Degree Program]
This project analyzes “creative industries” in Asia using theories and methods in economic sociology, organizational analysis, and cultural sociology. Students can pursue a wide range of themes including (but not limited to): country-based case studies such as “The Rise and Development of the Hip Hop Music Scene in Contemporary Urban China”; global and transnational studies such as “Commodity Chains of Apparel Industry in Asia.” Topics such as “The Next Generation Mobility Industries” or “Automobile Industry as a Creative Industry” in the age of CASE and MaaS are also welcome (for more details, please see: https://www.waseda.jp/inst/nextgv/en/institutes/research-institute-of-automobile-and-parts-industries).
For both M.A. and Ph.D. projects, I hope that the seminars help students acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to embark on theoretically-informed and methodologically-sound empirical research in diverse topic areas of interest. The projects aim at developing creative thinking essential in pursuing successful careers in academia, NGOs, government, think tanks, and nonprofit and for-profit corporations.
Course List
Web Page / Researcher DB
- Google Scholar
- ResearchGate
- ACADEMIA
- Pure, Scopus & Elsevier Fingerprint Engine
- Waseda University Researchers Database
Faculty Spotlights
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