Biography
- BA Japanese Studies & History, University of Sheffield
After travelling independently in Japan for 9 months, I went on to develop my Japanese language skills (JLPT N2 proficiency) and train as an historian, researching war memory and narratives in Japan through primary sources.
- MA Cultural Heritage & Museum Studies, University of East Anglia
Following on from my undergraduate research, I refined my understanding of heritage and material representation of the past. More details of my MA thesis, “Reinterpreting Difficult Heritage: Online & Transnational Engagement of Japanese War Memorial, ‘Mimizuka’”, can be heard on my Beyond Japan podcast episode: https://olivermoxham.wordpress.com/2021/09/10/debut-on-beyond-japan-reinterpreting-difficult-heritage/
- PhD in Archaeology (Heritage Studies focus)
My doctoral research will analyse international tourist interpretation of difficult heritage sites, focusing on the tourist cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in Japan.
Research
Continuing from my MA thesis, my PhD research explores international tourist interpretation of difficult heritage sites. Looking at memorials, museums and other war heritage sites in Japan’s major tourist cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, I seek to assess the value of these sites to overseas tourists whose nations share a history of war with Japan, as well as the role of language and translation in their interpretation.
Keywords: heritage, difficult heritage, tourism, interpretation, translation, war memory, East Asia
Teaching and Supervisions
PhD Supervisor: Dr. Liliana Janik
