| Position | Research Associate |
|---|---|
| Faculty | Indian Philosophy and Buddhist Studies |
| Graduate School | Indian Literature & Philosophy and Buddhist Studies |
| Department | Indian Philosophy and Buddhist Studies |
Career
| March 2024: | Ph.D., Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo |
| April 2024: | Appointed to the Faculty of Letters, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo |
Research Areas
Buddhist Studies
1) Japanese Medieval Zen
Sakuma's research explores how Zen Buddhism, which was fully introduced from China during the medieval period, was received and uniquely evolved in Japan, where a wide variety of Buddhist doctrines had already been established.
The primary subject of study has been the thought of Kokan Shiren (1278–1346), a leading Zen monk of medieval Japan. Specifically, Sakuma conducted a fundamental examination of Kokan Shiren’s writings and clarified the essence of his Zen philosophy. Currently, he is expanding his focus to assess the influence of Shiren's thought on the early modern period and examine its significance in the history of ideas.
