Shun Ikeda from Shinjuku, Tokyo, is a specialist in Japanese

Culture of Japan

The culture of Japan has evolved greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period to its contemporary hybrid culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America...

 language, culture and society, and a senior lecturer at the Australian National University

Australian National University

The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...

's School of Culture, History and Language. He has research interests in comparative education in Asia and socio-linguistics, and has published several papers and translations.

Education

Shun graduated Tokyo Metropolitan High School in 1967 and attended the Australian National University

Australian National University

The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...

 from 1970–1975, receiving a BA Hons. He then took up a teaching position at the Australian National University, which he holds currently.

Kabuki

Shun Ikeda is the current director of the Australian National University's Za Kabuki

Za Kabuki

Za Kabuki , founded in 1976 at the Australian National University, is the longest running Kabuki troupe outside of Japan. Directed by Mr. Shun Ikeda of the ANU Japan Centre, with a cast and crew consisting mainly of ANU Japanese students, the troupe performs traditional Kabuki plays almost entirely...

group, established in 1976. Za Kabuki follows Kabuki tradition while additionally performers are instructed by Shun to "enjoy yourselves". Shun has directed the performances every year except for 2008, when the performance of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's Love At Sea was directed by Masafumi Matsumoto.

Publications

Shun co-authored the textbook, "Modern Japanese Grammar: A Practical Guide" with ANU Japan Centre staff, Carol Hayes, Peter Hendriks and Mika Kizu. He also contributed an entries to the "Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture" published in 2001, and wrote a paper on "Teaching Japanese Culture and Language" for the Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia. He was also a secondary researcher for "Asian Accounts of Australia: change, comparison, and Analysis"