ABOUT

Dr. Janet Borland is a historian of modern Japan whose research focuses on fundamental relationships between people and the natural and built environment. 

Janet’s research interests and personal experiences culminated in her award-winning first book, Earthquake Children: Building Resilience from the Ruins of Tokyo (Harvard University Asia Center, 2020). Her second book project, Saving the Red-Crowned Crane: Modern Technology, Quiet Activism, and Conservation Diplomacy in Japan, is a social, cultural and environmental history of this majestic bird in Hokkaido.

In addition to articles published in leading journals such as Environmental History, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Japanese Studies, Modern Asian Studies, Urban History, the Journal of the History of Childhood and Youth and the Journal of Material Culture, Janet has presented her research at international conferences and invited seminars in the areas of Japanese history, Asian studies, disaster studies, international education, history of childhood, and architectural history. In 2012 she was awarded the Scott Opler Emerging Scholar Fellowship for her paper presented at the 65th Annual Meeting of the Society of Architectural Historians. Janet’s research has been funded by the Australian Research Council, the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, and the Japan Foundation.

In 2022, Janet’s dream of living in Japan came true. Following a Japan Foundation Fellowship in the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia at the University of Tokyo, Janet joined the Department of History at International Christian University where she taught courses on modern Japan.

In 2026, Janet is excited to move to a vibrant Asian city and join one of the world’s top ranked universities, where she will continue her research and teaching passion for environmental history.

Janet’s contact details will be announced here soon