In this episode, Asian Ethnology co-editor and managing editor Ben Dorman discusses the journal's ongoing move to the Scholastica publishing platform and the broader commitment to open access and sustainability that drives it.

Asian Ethnology has been publishing research on the peoples and cultures of Asia since 1942, first as Folklore Studies, then as Asian Folklore Studies, and now in its current form. The journal is fully funded by Nanzan University and remains free to read and free to publish in — a genuine Diamond Open Access model.

Ben reflects on the motivations behind the transition, including modernizing editorial workflows, improving discoverability, and offering readers content in both HTML and PDF formats. He also discusses the decision to discontinue self-produced print editions, focusing resources instead on digital accessibility, environmental responsibility, and long-term sustainability.

The episode highlights the people behind the journal's work and emphasizes Asian Ethnology's continuing mission to deepen understanding of Asia's cultures, promote scholarly exchange, and connect researchers around the world.

Background music courtesy of shamisen master Koji Yamaguchi. Used with permission.

Interviewer: Ben Dorman, co-editor Asian Ethnology

Recorded 8 June 2017, Nagoya, Japan

Peter Knecht was the editor of Asian Folklore Studies from 1980 until 2007. The journal changed its name to Asian Ethnology in 2008.

In this extended interview, Peter discusses his experiences working as the editor of Asian Folklore Studies. He talks about when he first encountered the journal working under founding editor, Matthias Eder, and what happened when he took over the journal in 1980.

Interviewer: Ben Dorman

In this episode, John Powers (Deakin University) discusses an interdisciplinary project involving historians, anthropologists, scientists, and folklorists concerning rivers that originate in Tibet, which play a key role in global hydrological cycles yet are in crises as a result of multiple threats.