Eric C. Rath, Associate Professor, History

Eric C. Rath, Associate Professor, History

Biographical Statement

My research focuses on premodern Japanese social and cultural history especially foodways, consumption, and the performing arts. I offer courses on Japanese and Tibetan history and food culture, and I have taught at the University of Kansas since 1999.

My recent research on the history of Japanese culinary culture appears in two books. Food and Fantasy in Early Modern Japan (University of California Press, 2010) traces the history of Japanese cuisine from its origin in medieval rituals to its formalization in early modern culinary writings. Japanese Foodways Past and Present, co-edited with Stephanie Assmann (University of Illinois Press, 2010), includes 14 chapters by scholars from Japan, America, and Europe covering 600 years of Japan’s food culture with topics ranging from children’s lunches, dining out in WWII, and wine.

I have also written about the masked noh drama, one of the highpoints of Japan’s traditional culture. The Ethos of Noh: Actors and Their Art (Harvard University Asia Center Press, 2004) examines the professionalization of noh theater and developments in noh’s artistry from 1400 to the modern day.

I am currently researching a book titled, “The Japanese Way of Smoking: The Culture of Tobacco in Early Modern Japan.”