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Alessandro Poletto

Lecturer in East Asian Religions, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
Alessandro Poletto (he/they) specializes in the social and religious history of premodern Japan, with an emphasis on Buddhism in the early medieval period (tenth to the thirteenth century). He earned his PhD from Columbia University in 2020 with a dissertation entitled “The Culture of Healing in Early Medieval Japan: A Study in Premodern Epistemology,” in which he examined discourses and practices concerning healing and disease, with particular attention to the relationship between Buddhist healers and other technicians involved in the treatment of illness, namely court physicians and onmyōji. His other research and teaching interests include the understanding and ritual resolution of natural disasters in premodern East Asia, the history of the cultural exchanges between the Korean peninsula and the Japanese archipelago, and Buddhist material culture and archeology in East Asia.

His current research focuses on the material and textual dimensions of various types of deposits — within statues or under the ground — in order to get a grasp of Buddhism as practiced by lay Buddhists in early medieval Japan. Dedicatory or votive materials discovered inside Buddhist statues or in underground deposits (commonly known as kyōzuka) illustrate the motivations behind the undertaking of a certain burial of sutras, or the production of a copy of a specific sutra, allowing us to see the hopes, aspirations and anxieties of the people engaging in such practices, but also the ways in which they attempted to shape their destinies, and those of deceased dear ones, through their dedicatory good acts.

Before joining Washington University, Alessandro was a JSPS postdoctoral fellow at Kyoto University. He holds a B.A. from the University of Naples “L’Orientale,” and an M.A. from Osaka University.

Economy

New Zealand Unemployment and Inflation Debate Intensifies Ahead of 2026 Election

New Zealands economic outlook has become increasingly complicated as rising inflation and elevated unemployment place the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) under growing pressure ahead of the closely contested 2026...

Asian Stocks Slide, Oil Prices Climb as Middle East Tensions and Inflation Fears Shake Markets in 2026

Asian stock markets declined on Wednesday while oil prices advanced as escalating tensions in the Middle East fueled investor concerns and weakened confidence across global financial markets. The renewed conflict has...

Japan Producer Prices Surge in May, Strengthening Expectations of BOJ Rate Hike

Japans producer prices increased more than expected in May, highlighting ongoing inflationary pressures driven by rising energy and raw material import costs. Fresh data released by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) showed that the...

US Stock Futures Slip as New Iran Strikes Weigh on Market Sentiment Ahead of Inflation Data

U.S. stock index futures moved lower on Tuesday evening as renewed military action involving Iran dampened investor confidence and raised fresh concerns about geopolitical stability. Market participants are also closely...

BOJ Rate Hike Expectations Rise as Weak Yen and Strong U.S. Jobs Data Increase Pressure

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is facing growing pressure to accelerate interest rate hikes as the Japanese yen remains weak and expectations increase for a more hawkish U.S. Federal Reserve policy. Strong U.S. labor market data...

Politics

Randy Villegas Advances to Face David Valadao in Key California Congressional Race

Democratic challenger Randy Villegas, an educator and community advocate, is projected to advance to the November general election following Californias open primary election held on Tuesday. According to U.S. media...

US Voters Prioritize Party Loyalty Over Candidate Controversies, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests that most American voters are unlikely to abandon their preferred political partys candidate, even when serious controversies surround them. The findings highlight the growing political...

Trump Nears Decision on Permanent U.S. Intelligence Chief as FISA Renewal Faces Senate Resistance

President Donald Trump is reportedly close to selecting a permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI), according to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, as lawmakers debate the future of a key U.S. surveillance law set...

Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra Advance to California Governor Election After Primary Results

Republican political commentator Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra have officially advanced to Californias November 3, 2026, gubernatorial election after emerging as the top two candidates in the states June 2 open...

LePage Wins GOP Nomination in Key Maine House Race Ahead of 2026 Election

Former Maine Governor Paul LePage has secured the Republican nomination for Maines 2nd Congressional District, setting the stage for a closely watched showdown in the 2026 U.S. House election. The race is expected to draw...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

SpaceX IPO Demand Surges Past $250 Billion Ahead of Historic Market Debut

SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, is attracting unprecedented investor interest ahead of what could become the largest initial public offering (IPO) in history. According to a Reuters report, investor...

Trump Administration Defends Anthropic AI Restrictions in Ongoing Federal Lawsuit

The Trump administration has defended its decision to restrict the use of Anthropics artificial intelligence products, arguing in a new court filing that the federal government acted lawfully after the AI company resisted...

OpenAI Files Confidential IPO Draft as AI Giants Race Toward Public Markets

OpenAI has confidentially submitted a draft S-1 registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), taking a major step toward a potential initial public offering (IPO). The move positions the...

Apple Unveils Enhanced Apple Intelligence and Next-Generation Siri at WWDC 2026

Apple has introduced the latest version of its Apple Intelligence platform at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2026, signaling a stronger push into the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence market. The...

Qualcomm Stock Gains After Jensen Huang Endorsement

Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM) shares moved higher in after-hours trading on Monday, rising approximately 2% after NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang publicly praised the semiconductor company and encouraged investors to...