The global Antarctic through humanities and social sciences perspectives: observations from Japan

The 2021 Biennial Conference of the Standing Committee on Humanities and Social Sciences (SC-HASS) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) was held – for the first time in its history – in Asia, the theme of which was “The Global Antarctic”. Due to the continuing difficulties posed by COVID-19, the biennial conference was hosted by Kobe University Polar Cooperation Research Centre (PCRC) in a hybrid format, 18–19 November 2021. Having the conference in Japan spurred the participation of both international scientists and a wide spectrum of Japanese experts and scientists. This report seeks to reflect on two panels, entitled, Japan Session and Japan’s Antarctic Policy, respectively. The Japan Session was the customary event of the SC-HASS conference, which tries to attract the attention of local participants. It was thus conducted in Japanese with simultaneous interpretation into English. This panel was particularly interesting because all of its members have experience in participating in Japan’s Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE), providing non-traditional perspectives on Antarctic research activities. Professor Shin Murakoshi, a psychologist, delivered a keynote presentation on ‘The Antarctic as a Natural Laboratory: A Case of Cognitive Sciences’. Ms. Yumi Nakayama, a journalist, talked about ‘JARE’s first step: Journalist enthusiasm developed into national ebullience’. Ms. Yoriko Ikuta, a high-school teacher, spoke on the topic: ‘Teachers’ dispatch program under JARE and inquiry-based learning’. The panel was chaired by Professor Akiho Shibata, an international lawyer. Having studied risk cognition for 20 years, Prof. Murakoshi examines the cognitive science of people’s psychological adaptation in Antarctica, especially given that people working therein are isolated in certain spaces. While psychology studies concerning Antarctica are well-established in some Antarctic active nations, such as in the United States and Australia, Murakoshi hinted that there are certain ‘cultural’ aspects in risk recognition that differ across nations and societies, and that his studies on Japanese personnel at Syowa Station are unique in the field. Noting the fact that Shibata, within the 2016–17 JARE program, and Murakoshi, within the 2017–18 JARE program, have