Alfonso Falero

Alfonso J. Falero Folgoso is a Spanish japanologist born in Granada in 1959. He is an expert on the history of Japanese thinking, the Shintō religion and the history of Ancient Japan.

Biography

Alfonso Falero obtained a degree on the History of Philosophy at the University of Granada (Spain). He was researching in order to finish his Ph.D. dissertation ("Sobre la Fenomenología Kantiana" (“On Kant's Phenomenology”), unpublished dissertation) when he went to Japan, and he lived there for a long period, working in different fields. After returning briefly to Europe, he went back to Japan and for a period of ten years he studied Japanese language at Ōsaka Foreign Studies University and later History of Japanese thinking at Tokyo's Kokugakuin University, one of the most prestigious schools in the field of Japanese Classical Studies. At this University he obtained a Ph.D. degree with a dissertation, originally written in Japanese language ("The Christian and Shintō Idea of Sin (“tsumi”); a Comparative Approach"). He became the first foreign national to obtain such a degree at a Japanese university on this field of studies. His adviser was professor Kenji Ueda ( _ja. 上田健司), the most prestigious Shintō's studies scholar at that time.

When he returned to his native country he became head and founder of the [http://www.usal.es/~filologi/index.shtml?h_asia.htm Oriental Studies Section] at the University of Salamanca, one of the only three Spanish universities where this degree is offered.

Alfonso Falero is married for more than 25 years to psychologist Rosa Morente. They have two daughters, Angela and Julia. His main hobby is listening vanguardistic music. Aikido was one of his passion when he was a student.

Fields of Research

His work at the University of Salamanca is centered on:
# Research on Ancient Japanese thinking (to the Nara Period).
# Popularization of Japanese Studies to the Spanish general public.
# Lately he has been involved on the study and promotion of new Japanese literature, especially the work of Masahiko Shimada　( _ja. 島田 雅彦).

Alfonso Falero is amongst the most prominent Spanish japanologists alive and one of the leading authorities in the field of Shinto Studies outside Japan.

Main Bibliography

*"The Christian and Shintō Idea of Sin ("tsumi"); a Comparative Approach"
*"Aproximación a la cultura japonesa"
*"Aproximación al Shintoísmo"
*"El legado de Francisco Xavier (1549–1999)"

External links

* [http://japanesestudies.arts.kuleuven.be/eajrs/system/files/History_of_Japanese_Studies_in_Spain.pdf History of Japanese Studies in Spain]
* [http://www.elrincondelhaiku.org/int_tab_042vo.php#alfonso El Rincón del Haiku (Spanish)]
* [http://www.pensamientoglobal.com/?p=7 A. Falero "El mundo de los Kami y el Aikidō" (Spanish)]
* [http://www.pensamientoglobal.com/?p=6 A. Falero "Why is Shinto Research Important Now?"]
* [http://www.pensamientoglobal.com/?p=3 A. Falero "Normalidad y anomalía (Acerca de “Me convertiré en momia” de Shimada Masahiko)"(Spanish)] [http://www.pensamientoglobal.com/?p=1 (Japanese)]