How did you become interested in history?
I am not one of those people who was "always" interested in history. Through high school and my early years in college, I generally did not enjoy history. I did not see value in it, and I generally thought that it was a boring field that just involved the memorization of dates, events, and names of dead people. I wanted to do something more useful and exciting! It was only halfway through my undergraduate years that I began to realize how much the present could only be understood by reference to the past, and that wisdom for the present and future could not be had while ignoring the past. So not only was it useful, it was essential. I also began to realize how contentious the field of history was. This was not a field in which we were simply called on to learn "facts"--this was a field where the meaning and significance of events were constantly being questioned and debated; and, depending on the perspective taken, these pasts (as well as its implications for the present and future) could be radically different. So this was exciting as well.
What brought you to Wheaton?
As I was finishing my time teaching at Boston University, I began to look for a post that specifically would allow me to explore in areas that I had been wanting to for a while--history of ideas going beyond Japanese history, and to pursue issues related to philosophy of history and theology of history. I was aware of the kind of integrative work that Wheaton encouraged, so when I was invited to join the faculty, I took the opportunity. Its reputation for a strong academic culture and student body was naturally attractive as well.
