Border Thinking

Japan, Asia and the World ... from their edges

Thinking with Borders

Edward Boyle is an associate professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies in Kyoto (Nichibunken), and editor of the Japan Review.

He also lectures at the Faculty of Law, Kyushu University, and is a research associate at the Slavic-Eurasian Research Center, Hokkaido University.

This site collects together some efforts to think through the world from its edges.

This collects together the research I have conducted on contemporary borders in a number of different regions of the world.


This research focuses on how Japan has historically seen and conceptualized its edges, and how they have been understood elsewhere.

Borders of Memory

I bring these twin interests in historical and contemporary borders together through a long-running project on Borders of Memory. This examines the role of sites of heritage and memory in the constitution and operation of borders, in both national and international settings. For further details please see the project's dedicated site below.