The international conference “Traces of the Past, Horizons of the Future: Exploring Japan at the Crossroads of Humanities, Technology and Global Dialogue” was held from 14 to 16 November 2025, bringing together more than 80 participants from 19 countries, including researchers, students, and colleagues from Croatia, Japan, Slovenia, as well as across Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

We were especially pleased to see a strong turnout of young researchers, including nine presenters from our own Japanese Language and Culture program in Pula. Such a diverse group of participants underscores the global reach of Japanese Studies, and it is particularly meaningful that this anniversary coincides with ten years of developing Japanese Studies in Pula.

The conference had the honor of hosting the following distinguished keynote speakers:

• Professor Emeritus Kikuo Maekawa (National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics, Japan), who presented results of corpus-based research on the Japanese language and new trends related to artificial intelligence in his lecture “Prospects and Challenges for the Study of the Japanese Language in Japan: Social Change, AI, and Beyond.”

• Professor Emerita Joy Hendry (Oxford Brookes University), who offered a global perspective on the anthropology of Japan and challenged the East–West dichotomy in her lecture “Anthropology of Japan in a Global Context: Beyond the East West Dichotomy.”

• Professor Emeritus Andrej Bekeš (University of Ljubljana), whose long-standing support has been vital for the development of Japanese Studies in Pula, spoke about national languages in Japan and in the South Slavic region in his lecture “The Construction of National Language and Nation-State in Comparative Perspective: Japonic and South Slavic Linguistic Continua.”

The academic program consisted of seven thematic panels of parallel sessions, one roundtable discussion, and two workshops, covering linguistics, translation, anthropology, history, cultural studies, art, philosophy, and digital humanities.

In addition to the scholarly program, participants also enjoyed a range of cultural and social activities: the opening ceremony featuring a koto performance, a gala dinner, a guided walk through Pula’s historic center, and an excursion to Brijuni National Park.

As part of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of Japanese Studies in Pula, certificates of appreciation were awarded to long-standing collaborators of the Department and to all those who have contributed to its development.

We extend our sincere thanks to everyone for their participation, collaboration, and contribution to this international scholarly gathering.

We also express our special gratitude to the Toshiba Foundation for the financial support that made the organization of this conference possible.

Photographs from the conference are available at the following link: 2025 JapConf Unipu.