Home / Address: 5 Charles St.,  Lewiston, ME  04240  U.S.A.
59 Fukuhara Chizu-cho Yazu-gun Tottori, 689-1425 JAPAN
E-mail:  kofuji@bates.edu

Keiko Ofuji was a lecturer in the Asian Studies Program. She studied linguistics and teaching of second languages, methods of teaching Japanese, and Japanese art and literature at University of Kansas, Cornell University, and Colombia University. She received her M.A. degree in East Asian Studies from University of Kansas. Her Masters thesis was Dowa (Human Rights) Education through Children's Books.

Keiko Ofuji's research program focuses on Buraku Issues and sexual minority Issues as well as the current situation and problems of sexuality education in Japan. Her most recent work is translation of a children's book, "The Princes and the Treasure" (2015) written by Jeffrey Mills. Other 'essays' appear in "Japan, lesbian and bisexual youth," "Japan, Gay and Transgender Youth in," and "Japan, LGBT Educational Issues in" for Youth, Education, and Sexualities: An International Encyclopedia, Vol 1 A-J, (Greenwood Press: CT, 2005). She worked on translation, "My Coming Out Story as a Gay Teacher in Kyoto"and others for The Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education. She regularly wrote report-essays for a Japanese educational journal, Kikan Sexuality (Eidel Research Publishing: Tokyo) since 2005. Also, she translated and/or wrote Japanese subtitles for English films (100% Women, Boy I Am, etc.) for the annual Kansai Queer Film Festival in Osaka, Japan.

Her teaching included Japanese language courses at all levels and cultural courses on Japanese art and crafts as well as Japanese people and society including family, minority issues, education, conventions, and tradition. She also advised senior theses written in Japanese language.