General Survey of Materials Brought Back by the Otani Mission and Excavated in Central Asia

Basic Research Division
Integrated Research Division of Silk Road Studies
General Survey of Materials brought back by the Otani Mission and excavated in Central Asia.
FY 2025 to FY 2027

Principal Investigator

Mazumi Mitani (Professor, Faculty of Letters, Ryukoku University)

Co-Investigators

Hitoshi Muraoka (Professor, Faculty of Letters, Ryukoku University)
Kazushi Iwao (Professor, Faculty of Letters, Ryukoku University)
Yoshihumi Ichikawa (Associate Professor, Faculty of Letters, Ryukoku University)
Takato Fujiwara (Associate Professor, Faculty of Letters, Ryukoku University)
Xu Guanghui (Professor, Faculty of International Studies, Ryukoku University)
Yasuko Fukuyama (Professor, Faculty of International Studies, Ryukoku University)
Kensuke Okamoto (Professor, Faculty of Letters, Ryukoku University)
Yuko Nakata (Associate Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Ryukoku University)
Tesshu Tamai (Associate Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, Ryukoku University)
Asako Soga (Associate Professor, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Ryukoku University)
Shumpei Iwai (Professor, Ryukoku Museum)
Tomoko Iwata (Professor, Ryukoku Museum)
Yasuhiko Watanabe (Lecturer, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Ryukoku University)
Takatoshi Akagi (Professor, Tokyo Woman’s Christian University)
Yoshio Ikai (Visiting Researcher, The Kitasato Institute)
Minoru Inaba (Professor, Kyoto University)
Imre Galambos (Emeritus Professor, University of Cambridge)
Takashi Irisawa (Emeritus Professor, Ryukoku University)
Noriyuki Iwata (Former Professor, Ryukoku University)
Tomofusa Uesugi (Chief Researcher, Kyoto National Museum)
Xinjiang Rong (Professor, Peking University)
Kazuyuki Enami (Emeritus Professor, Ryukoku University)
Erdal KUCUKYALCIN (Visiting Researcher, Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures, Ryukoku University)
Zhenfen Wang (Director, Lushun Museum)
Sachiyo Oshima (Lecturer, Taisho University)
Yoshihiro Okada (Emeritus Professor, Ryukoku University)
Etsuko Kageyama (Associate Professor, Nagoya University)
Yukiyo Kasai (Research Associate, Ruhr University Bochum)
Akio Katayama (Former Professor, Tokai University)
Kazuto Kitamura (Associate Professor, Henan Agricultural University)
Haewon KIM (Curator, National Museum of Korea)
Kwon Youngwoo (Curator, National Museum of Korea)
Christiane Reck (Doctor, Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften)
Chao-jung CHING (Associate Professor, Kyoto University Hakubi Project)
Enjun Koizumi (Emeritus Professor, Shitennoji University)
Akihiro Sakajiri (Associate Professor, The University of Osaka)
Chisui Sato (Visiting Professor, Ryukoku University)
Simone Raschmann (Doctor, University of Hamburg)
Xiao Yue (Visiting Researcher, Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures, Ryukoku University)
Tokio Takata (Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University)
Xiqing Zhang (Professor, Peking University)
Hideaki Nakatani (Emeritus Professor, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)
Ai Nishida (Program-Specific Associate Professor, Kyoto University Hakubi Project)
Isao Nishitani (Associate Professor, Hanazono University)
Satomi Hiyama (Assistant Professor, Toyo University)
Mihoko Hiraoka (Visiting Researcher, Rissho University)
Yukiko Fujii (Visiting Researcher, Doho University)
Peter Zieme (Emeritus Professor, Freie Universität Berlin)
Xuehui Fang (Deputy Director, Lushun Museum)
Dai Matsui (Professor, Osaka University)
Kazunobu Matsuda (Emeritus Professor, Bukkyo University)
Hisako Mannami (Lecturer, Tsurumi University)
Akira Miyaji (Emeritus Professor, Ryukoku University)
Ryoichi Miyamoto (Associate Professor, Nara University)
Tomomi Murakami (Associate Professor, Tohoku University of Art and Design)
Yoshihito Muroji (Former Professor, Shiga University of Medical Science)
Takako Yamamoto (Associate Professor, Hiroshima University)
Yutaka Yoshida (Visiting Professor, Teikyo University)
Jicang Li (Professor, Nanjing Normal University)
Dilip Kumar Barua (Professor, University of Dhaka)
Farhana Yeasmin Baten (Associate Professor, Rabindra University)
Izumi Ueeda (Researcher, Kanazawa University)
Junzo Usuda (Contract Researcher, Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures, Ryukoku University)
Kazune Uchimoto (JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists, Kyoto University)
Keji Onishi (Contract Researcher, Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures, Ryukoku University)
Hirotoshi Ogihara (PD, Ryukoku University)
Itta Oyama (Part-time lecturer, Ryukoku University)
Susumu Kajiura (Contract Researcher, Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures, Ryukoku University)
Koichi Kitsudo (Part-time lecturer, Ryukoku University)
Toshihiro Kushima (Contract Researcher, Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures, Ryukoku University)
Shouji Sakamoto (Contract Researcher, Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures, Ryukoku University)
Mizuho Sugimoto (Part-time lecturer, Ryukoku University)
Ryu Takai (Part-time lecturer, Otani University)
Toshio Tamura (Part-time lecturer, Ryukoku University)
Hitomi Hatate (Contract Researcher, Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures, Ryukoku University)
Saya Hamanaka (JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies)

Research Type

Joint Research

Overview

The objective of this study is to provide a complete perspective on materials collected by the Otani Expeditions in Central Asia. This study group’s long-term plan (FY 2025-FY 2027) is to publish a new edition of “Monumenta Serindica (Studies on Serindian Culture)” incorporating the results of recent research. A research group has been established, and preparations have been made to achieve this objective. We are also collaborating with the Digital Archive Research Center (hereafter referred to as “DARC”) on various exhibitions at the Ryukoku Museum.
In FY 2025, we will participate in the 10th anniversary celebrations by the Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures (RCWBC). Cooperation in planning and running the event includes extending invitations to researchers from overseas.

We will continue to conduct research into the decipherment of manuscripts excavated in Dunhuang and Turfan, both in Japan and abroad. We will cooperate with the Kyo-U Library special exhibition and research lecture scheduled for April.
Taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the creation of a replica of the Kogenkaku (Xingyuange) inscription in Mongolia in FY 2022, we will promote research exchanges with the Karakoram Museum.
We will participate in an academic research presentation at the China Tibetology Research Center, which is scheduled to be held in FY 2025, and will conduct research exchanges.
We will contribute to the “Bulletin of the Research Center for World Buddhist Cultures” and publish research results. In particular, the Research Group on the Former Collection of Professor Kan’ichi Ogawa, launched in FY 2022, will work with DARC to continue digitally archiving and researching materials and contributing research outcomes.