While all shortcomings in this book and in the research process are, without exception, my own responsibility, I owe heartfelt gratitude to a number of people. First and foremost, I want to thank those who provided me with academic guidance. Prof. Nomoto Kyoko, who was my supervisor in the master’s programme as well as in the first three years of the doctoral programme at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, was much more than solely an academic advisor. She was a warm haven of support and always provided helpful and wise advice on my research and, in fact, many other aspects of life. Prof. Kim Puja, whom I was lucky enough to have as an equally wonderful supervisor after Prof. Nomoto retired, always motivated me to keep going. I am deeply indebted to Prof. Kim, as she provided me with patient support, kind guidance and constant encouragement despite the unfavourable circumstances of me living in Kyoto during the final years in the programme. Also Prof. Awaya Toshie and Prof. Katō Miho never failed to give stimulating input and insightful criticism to improve my lines of argument, methods and writing. I also want to express my gratitude to Prof. Raji Steineck and Prof. David Chiavacci, who supported me in my research stay at the University of Zurich for six months in 2015/2016. Prof. Ochiai Emiko, who was kind enough to let me join her seminar at Kyoto University and present my research on several occasions, cannot be thanked sufficiently for providing me with direction and inspiration and for suggesting handing in my manuscript for review to Brill.
My gratitude also goes to the editorial board of the series “The Intimate and the Public in Asian and Global Perspectives” at Brill, again to Prof. Ochiai as the editor-in-chief and the editors Wendy Logeman and Irene Jager, who have supported me throughout the publishing process. Tess Millar, thank you for your kind, professional and extremely swift copy-editing, despite the very tight deadline. Mariko Takagi, thank you very much for introducing me to Tess. Elisabeth Williams, I really owe you one for helping me with the dreadful literature list and for commenting on my conclusion in your final month of pregnancy! I would also like to express my deep gratitude for the constructive, insightful, and incredibly helpful feedback from two anonymous reviewers of the book manuscript. While I wasn’t able to respond to the advice and comments sufficiently in preparing the final manuscript, these extraordinarily dedicated and inspiring reviews will continue to resonate in my future research. Thank you very much!
Dorothea Mladenova, from the University of Leipzig, has always provided stimulating input with her research on shūkatsu as a good friend and
I would also like to say thank you to the artist who kindly let me use her “human circle” for the book cover. Talking to you about your work for hours over good food and wine was so much fun, and truly empowering and inspiring.
Financial support during my PhD research was supplied by mext (2011–2017) and Atsumi International Foundation (2017–2018). While both have provided me with the freedom to pursue my research full-time until I started to teach in 2018, the latter has been more a family than simply a financial provider. I met many friends through its events and have always found motivation there, even in times of academic desperation. I also want to thank the members of npo Pilcon, where I was able to do voluntary work during my time in Tokyo. Of course, without the interviews for the research presented in this dissertation, I would never have been able to gain a deep insight into the topic and dynamics behind ninkatsu. I owe deep gratitude to those who were willing to answer my questions. I am also grateful to Nakano-ku and the Nakano-ku Doctor’s Association for granting me permission to use Figure 8 in chapter 6, section 2.
Writing a dissertation and then re-writing it to become a book is a mentally and morally challenging project; much more than I have even dared to imagine when I embarked on this odyssey. The final stage of the book manuscript writing process took place during a difficult time in my life that I could only survive with the help of friends and family. My deep gratitude goes to all who have helped me through this and supported me in keeping my spirits up. Specifically, I am deeply grateful and indebted to the Nozakis (Masami, Tomomi, Akemi and Moja), and the amazing powerwomen Libby Williams, Caro Bergmann, Charlotte Blondeel, Janka Barna-Sinka and Rika Miyamoto. Thank you for your support, love and strength! I couldn’t have done this without you. There are many others who have supported me directly and indirectly,
My family deserves the most heartfelt gratitude I have to offer. Kyoko and Toshimichi are the best in-laws one could wish for and truly beloved grandparents (who never get tired of playing baseball with their grandchild!). Thank you for helping me in so many ways not to drown. Thanks to my wonderful sister Sandra with her children Kiana and Tiyam who are always in my heart and keep me going. My very deepest gratitude and love goes to my amazing and strong mum, who came to Japan from Germany several times during the research and writing process and who always provides loving perspective and wise advice. Mum, you are my rock and my sunshine!
I also want to thank my incredibly smart, kind and energetic child Nagisa, who has been an indescribable inspiration and a special source of strength along the way of this life-changing journey.
Yoshiro, my love and partner in life. Writing our PhD theses at the same time while working and raising a child made us push against our limits and sometimes brought us to dangerous territory. Going through this together, we learned so much and I am sure that we will be even better and stronger from now on. This project was at least as challenging for you as it was for me. I could never have done it without your love, endurance and support. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart!