[KineJapan] In Memorium: Kota Inoue

Markus Nornes nornes at umich.edu
Thu Dec 16 17:07:23 EST 2021


I am saddened to learn that Kota Inoue passed away after a tragic accident
five days ago. Jim Fujii wrote a lovely obituary, which I'll add below.

Markus

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of Kota Inoue, an
Assistant Professor of Japanese Literature at Washington State University
at Pullman who died in a car accident on December 14, 2016. Born and raised
in Chiba Prefecture, he graduated from Rikkyo University before moving from
Japan to the United States to pursue graduate work in American Studies and
earning a Master’s degree from the University of Alabama. This degree would
come in handy as he increasingly recognized that the study of modern Japan
meant understanding the full might of pre- and postwar American
imperialism.  Changing his field of study to Japanese literature at the
University of Arizona where he received his M.A., Kota completed his
studies with a Ph.D. at UC-Irvine and then secured a tenure-track position
at the University of Redlands. His achievements there included winning
their Professor of the Year award in 2011.  Professor Inoue’s publications
focus largely on Japanese colonialism and literature in work that is
distinctive in addressing with erudition and imagination complex state,
private, and cultural expressions that converge in the formation of
non-Western colonial practices.  That Kota excelled in producing both
critically informed essays and adroit translations of Japanese works into
English reflects a self-conscious effort to situate himself within Western
academic protocols while resisting and subverting longstanding racial and
culturalist politics that continue to shape the practice of Japanese
Studies in the West.  Moving to Washington State University in 2012, he
continued to teach with distinction while working on the latter stages of a
manuscript exploring the relationship of colonialism to suburban space in
interwar (1920s and 30s) Japan. His most recent work increasingly addressed
the ecological implications of capital and imperialism. Kota was a
committed scholar-critic-activist well ahead of the curve in urging fellow
faculty and students alike to urgently foreground eco-environmental
concerns in their work and in everyday life. The force of his ideas, his
unmatched integrity, and his singular dedication to his students earned him
the fierce loyalty and appreciation of faculty and especially a large
number of students throughout his academic career.  He is survived by his
partner, Nancy Mcloughlin, family members in Japan, his beloved cat Commie,
and a remarkable array of friends ranging from academic colleagues, fellow
ecologists, and war resisters, to farmer’s market vendors, coop members,
and a legion of students who mourn the passing of a gentle and profoundly
engaged soul.

 James Fujii,

East Asian Languages and Literatures, UCI

https://dailyevergreen.com/6595/news/wsu-professor-of-japanese-dies-after-car-crash-in-southern-idaho/


---

*Markus Nornes*
*Professor of Asian Cinema*
*Interim Chair, Dept. of Asian Languages and Culture*

Department of Film, Television and Media, Department of Asian Languages and
Cultures, Penny Stamps School of Art & Design




*Homepage: http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nornes/
<http://www-personal.umich.edu/~nornes/>*
*Department of Film, Television and Media*
*6348 North Quad*
*105 S. State Street**Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1285*
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