Dreams relate profoundly to various cultural phenomena, and the aspects of this relationship are broad and diverse. The aim of this collaborative investigation entitled “Dreams and the Representation” is to analyze the phenomena of dreams in Japanese culture, and develop analytical methodology for transcultural and general research.
　The relationship between the terms “Dream” and “Representation” is direct and inevitable, but the terms may also correspond more loosely. For this reason, these two concepts are juxtaposed to orient the extent and direction of this interdisciplinary study.
　“Dream” is an important keyword in the study of cultural history. To study the themes inherent in this keyword from an interdisciplinary viewpoint, our project is therefore undertaken by a number of scholars with diverse specializations in fields such as, but not limited to, literature, history, art, religion, and time theory.
　Dreams are represented visually in many different cultural contexts, in various styles and media, and their representation changes according to social and historical situations. In particular, the pictorialization of dreams offers interesting possibilities. For example, the “speech balloon” (or bubble) is a popular device for depicting speech acts in picture books and manga, and a significant symbolic image in contemporary culture. Historically, however, speech balloons also seem to have a close relationship with the visualization of dreams.
　Spirituality and the externality of human thought has become a topic attracting much interest. Between 1999 and 2002, Araki, this project’s leader, organized a collaborative research project entitled “Internal Mind” and “External World”: Expression, Tradition, Belief and Myo-e’s Dream Diary. This project inherits some of the thematic issues raised then, such as the internality and externality of mind and the close connection it has with the representation of dreams. We plan to re-read Myo-e’s Dream Diary in tandem with members of other domestic and overseas study groups.
　Furthermore, our project proposes, or dreams, to build a database collection of the research on dreams to further develop the research environment. During this three-year project, relevant guest speakers will be invited, and collaboration with several external study groups are planned for the mutual exchange of similar research.

Research Representative	荒木　浩	国際日本文化研究センター・教授
Organizer	Markus RÜTTERMANN	国際日本文化研究センター・准教授
Team Researcher	安東民兒	羽衣国際大学現代社会学部・教授
〃	池田　忍	千葉大学文学部・教授
〃	入口敦志	国文学研究資料館研究部・助教
〃	上野勝之	京都大学総合人間学部・非常勤講師
〃	鍛治　恵	NPO睡眠文化研究会・事務局長
〃	加藤悦子	玉川大学芸術学部・教授
〃	河東　仁	立教大学コミュニティ福祉学部・教授
〃	笹生美貴子	日本大学他・非常勤講師
〃	仙海義之	公益財団法人阪急文化財団　・学芸課長
〃	高橋文治	大阪大学大学院文学研究科・教授
〃	立木宏哉	東京大学大学院人文社会系研究科・博士後期課程
〃	玉田沙織	名古屋学院大学　・講師
〃	丹下暖子	摂南大学・非常勤講師
〃	林　千宏	亜細亜大学経営学部・講師
〃	平野多恵	成蹊大学・准教授
〃	福島恒徳	花園大学文学部・教授
〃	松薗　斉	愛知学院大学文学部・教授
〃	松本郁代	横浜市立大学国際総合科学部・准教授
〃	箕浦尚美	大阪大学大学院文学研究科・助教
〃	室城秀之	白百合女子大学文学部・教授
〃	伊東貴之	国際日本文化研究センター・教授
〃	倉本一宏	国際日本文化研究センター・教授
〃	早川聞多	国際日本文化研究センター・教授
〃	榎本　渉	国際日本文化研究センター・准教授
〃	郭　南燕	国際日本文化研究センター・准教授
〃	木村朗子	国際日本文化研究センター／津田塾大学法学部・客員准教授／准教授
〃	中川真弓	国際日本文化研究センター・外来研究員／日本学術振興会特別研究員(PD)
Team Researcher Overseas	李育娟	国立台湾師範大学　国際華語與文化学系 (台湾)・助理教授
〃	Ive Covaci	Fairfield University (Fairfield, CT) (アメリカ)　・ASIANetwork-Luce Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow in Japan Studies
〃	Jorg B. Quenzer	Universitaet Hamburg Asien- und Afrikastudien Japanologie (ドイツ)・Prof. Dr.