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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

Asian Markets Slide as Nvidia Earnings, U.S.-Iran Tensions and AI Valuations Weigh on Investor Sentiment

Asian stock markets declined on Friday as investors pulled back from risk assets, pressured by concerns over elevated technology valuations and persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Despite strong quarterly...

Gold Prices Steady in Asia, Set for Strong February Gains on Safe-Haven Demand

Gold prices held firm during Asian trading on Friday, positioning the precious metal for solid monthly gains as rising geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainty boosted safe-haven demand. Investors continued to...

Venezuela Oil Exports to Reach $2 Billion Under U.S.-Led Supply Agreement

Venezuelas oil exports under a flagship oil supply agreement with the United States are projected to reach $2 billion by the end of February, according to U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. Speaking to reporters in...

Stock Market Movers: Dell, Block, Duolingo, Zscaler, CoreWeave, Autodesk, Rocket, MARA

Major U.S. stocks posted sharp moves following earnings reports, updated guidance, and strategic announcements, driving heightened activity across the broader stock market. Dell Technologies (DELL) surged 11% after...

PBOC Scraps FX Risk Reserves to Curb Rapid Yuan Appreciation

Chinas central bank has taken fresh steps to manage the rapid appreciation of the yuan, signaling concern over the currencys recent strength against the U.S. dollar. On Friday, the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) announced it...

Politics

NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Meets President Trump to Tackle Housing Crisis and ICE Detentions

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described his latest White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump as productive, highlighting discussions on affordable housing and recent student detentions by federal...

U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Show Progress but No Breakthrough Amid Rising Military Tensions

The United States and Iran reported progress in high-stakes negotiations over Tehrans nuclear program, but no final agreement was reached, leaving the threat of potential U.S. military action still looming. Mediator Oman...

Philippines, U.S., and Japan Conduct Joint Naval Drills in South China Sea to Boost Maritime Security

The navies of the Philippines, the United States, and Japan carried out joint military exercises in the South China Sea this week, reinforcing defense cooperation and regional maritime security. The Armed Forces of the...

Denver Mayor Orders Police to Protect Protesters, Restricts ICE Access to City Property

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has signed a new executive order directing city police to protect peaceful protesters during federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations and prohibiting ICE agents from using...

USITC to Review Impact of Revoking China’s PNTR Status, Potentially Raising Tariffs on Chinese Imports

The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) announced Thursday that it will investigate the economic impact of revoking Chinas Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status, a move that could significantly increase...

Science

SpaceX Pivots Toward Moon City as Musk Reframes Long-Term Space Vision

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has revealed a significant shift in the companys near-term space exploration strategy, announcing that SpaceX is now prioritizing the development of a self-growing city on the Moon rather than focusing...

SpaceX Prioritizes Moon Mission Before Mars as Starship Development Accelerates

Elon Musks SpaceX is shifting its near-term space exploration strategy, choosing to prioritize a return to the Moon before pursuing missions to Mars, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report citing sources familiar...

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Technology

Nintendo Share Sale: MUFG and Bank of Kyoto to Sell Stakes in Strategic Unwinding

Nintendo is reportedly preparing a major unwinding of strategic cross-shareholdings that could see MUFG Bank and the Bank of Kyoto sell significant stakes in the iconic Super Mario maker. According to sources familiar with...

Hyundai Motor Group to Invest $6.26 Billion in AI Data Center, Robotics and Renewable Energy Projects in South Korea

Hyundai Motor Group has signed a landmark agreement with the South Korean government to invest approximately 9 trillion won ($6.26 billion) in major industrial and technology projects along the countrys western coast....

Anthropic Refuses Pentagon Request to Remove AI Safeguards Amid Defense Contract Dispute

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said the company will not comply with a Pentagon request to remove critical AI safeguards, despite reported threats that the Department of Defense (DoD) could cut ties and block the firm from its...

Meta Signs Multi-Billion Dollar AI Chip Deal With Google to Power Next-Gen AI Models

Meta Platforms has reportedly entered a multi-billion dollar agreement with Google to rent advanced artificial intelligence chips, marking a major step in the intensifying race to dominate AI infrastructure. According to...

Coupang Reports Q4 Loss After Data Breach, Revenue Misses Estimates

Coupang reported a fourth-quarter loss and revenue below market expectations, as the South Korean e-commerce giant continues to grapple with the fallout from a massive data breach. The company posted $8.8 billion in...