People

Research Faculty

KURAMOTO Ryosuke

KURAMOTO Ryosuke

Associate Professor
Department of Pan Asian Studies,
Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia
kuramoto[at]

Anthropology of Buddhism

Research Topics

Anthropological and sociological approach to institutional religions, Theravāda Buddhism in Myanmar(Burma).

My main research theme is the management of religious organizations. The set of rules in religions tends to restrict the follower’s way to acquire, own and use personal possessions because observing these rules is thought to be the optimum approach toward salvation. However, even living as follower requires personal possessions, such as various goods and money. Therefore, strict observation of the rules could prevent them from managing to live as followers. How can they then live according to the rules? I have studied this problem from the viwpoint of the management of religous organizations, taking Theravāda Buddhist monasteries in Myanmar.

Research activities

Articles and Book Chapters
  • KURAMOTO, Ryosuke. “Organizational Characteristics of the Thabarwa Center in Thanlyin.”Anthropological Studies of CBO and NGO Activities in Myanmar 2022.12: 56-73.
  • KURAMOTO, Ryosuke. “Monks’ Lives Shaped by Food: A Case Study in Myanmar.”Religious Studies in Japan 4 2018.2: 47-64.
  • KURAMOTO, Ryosuke. “Visualization of Buddhism in Myanmar Monastic life and the Distribution of Monasteries in Yangon.” Mapping Buddhist Cultures among Theravadin in Time and Space: CIAS, Kyoto University, 2017: 127-140.
Conference
  • KURAMOTO, Ryosuke. “Attempts at “Homelessness”: the nonreciprocal relationship between monks and lay people in modern Myanmar.” Presented at the AAS（Association for Asian Studies）2020 Annual Conference, September 2020.
  • KURAMOTO, Ryosuke. “How can we envision the Anthropology of Buddhism?” Presented at the SEASIA Biennial Conference 2019, December 2019.
  • KURAMOTO, Ryosuke. “Visualizations of Myanmar Buddhism: Monk’s Movement and Monasteries in Yangon.” Presented at the The workshop of Mapping Buddhist Cultures among Theravadin in Time and Space, September 2016.
  • KURAMOTO, Ryosuke. “Morality beyond Morality: A case study of Theravāda Buddhist monks in Myanmar.” Presented at the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences 2015, July 2015.
  • KURAMOTO, Ryosuke. “Envisioning ‘Myanmar Sangha’: An ‘Imagined Community’ of monks created by ‘a learning pilgrimage’.” Presented at the International Burma Studies Conference 2014, August 2014.
  • KURAMOTO, Ryosuke. “Structure of the Myanmar Sangha: Institution and Network.” Presented at the 2011 International Conference of Institute for Southeast Asian Studies/Pusan University of Foreign Studies, June 2011.

Experience

YearEducation
2003.3. Bachelor of Arts, Collage of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo.
2005.3. Master of Arts, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo.
2006.4. JSPS Research Fellow (DC2, until 2008.3.).
2013.12. Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo.
2013.4. Visiting Researcher, the National Museum of Ethnology (until 2014.3.).
2014.4. Research Fellow, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the University of Tokyo (until 2015.3.).
2015.4. Associate Professor, Anthropological Institute, Nanzan University (until 2017.3.).
2017.4. Associate Professor, Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia, the University of Tokyo.
YearAcademic experience