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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 Mixed as Fed Decision, Iran Tensions, and Inflation Data Weigh on Sentiment

Asian stock markets showed mixed performance on Wednesday as investors remained cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserves policy decision and ongoing geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran. Market...

Trump Signals Prolonged Blockade Strategy Against Iran Amid Rising Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly directed his advisers to prepare for a long-term blockade of Iran, marking a strategic shift toward sustained economic pressure as Washington evaluates its next moves in the...

Australia Inflation Surges in March as Fuel Prices Spike Amid Middle East Conflict

Australias consumer price index (CPI) rose sharply in March, driven largely by higher fuel costs linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS),...

Gold Prices Fall as Strong Dollar and Rising Oil Prices Pressure Markets

Gold prices dropped sharply on Tuesday, reaching their lowest level in nearly a month as a stronger U.S. dollar and rising oil prices weighed on investor sentiment. Spot gold declined 1.8% to $4,597.06 per ounce, while...

Oil Prices Slip Amid UAE’s OPEC Exit and Ongoing Iran Conflict Concerns

Oil prices edged lower on Wednesday after reaching a three-week high, as global markets reacted to the United Arab Emirates decision to exit the OPEC alliance. Despite the dip, continued geopolitical tensions surrounding...

Politics

King Charles Reaffirms UK-US Alliance Amid Global Tensions

King Charles III delivered a historic speech to the U.S. Congress, emphasizing the enduring strength of the UK-US alliance during a period marked by geopolitical uncertainty and strained relations. Addressing lawmakers,...

White House Defends Trump’s FIFA Peace Prize Amid Global Criticism

The White House has strongly defended the decision to award U.S. President Donald Trump the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize, pushing back against growing criticism from human rights organizations, athletes, and international...

Trump Meets King Charles: “Two Kings” Moment Sparks Debate on Presidential Power

U.S. President Donald Trump drew attention during a White House event welcoming King Charles and Queen Camilla, making remarks that blended history, symbolism, and political messaging. Reflecting on the shared heritage of...

U.S. Envoy Julie Davis to Retire Amid Ukraine War Diplomacy Challenges

Acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Julie Davis is set to step down from her role in Kyiv and retire from the State Department in June 2026, according to U.S. officials. Her departure comes at a critical moment, as...

Trump-Iran Conflict Escalates as Nuclear Talks Stall and Oil Prices Surge

Efforts to resolve the ongoing Iran conflict have reached a critical deadlock, with U.S. President Donald Trump rejecting Tehrans latest proposal aimed at ending the two-month war. The geopolitical tensions between the...

Science

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...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

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...

Technology

TSMC Exits Arm Holdings with $231 Million Share Sale Amid Strategic Portfolio Shift

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the worlds leading contract chipmaker, has officially divested its remaining stake in Arm Holdings, marking the end of its investment in the UK-based chip designer....

T-Mobile Beats Q1 Earnings Expectations on Strong Postpaid Growth

T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) delivered a strong first-quarter performance, surpassing analyst expectations thanks to robust postpaid subscriber growth and rising service revenues. The wireless carrier reported adjusted...

Seagate Stock Surges After Strong Q3 Earnings Beat and Bullish Outlook

Seagate Technology PLC (NASDAQ: STX) delivered impressive third-quarter results that surpassed Wall Street expectations, driving a sharp rise in its stock price. The data storage leader reported adjusted earnings per share...

Australia Targets Meta, Google, and TikTok With New News Payment Tax Proposal

The Australian government has announced a new plan that could impose multimillion-dollar charges on major tech platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok if they fail to compensate local media companies for news content...

Lightelligence IPO Soars Over 400% in Hong Kong Debut Amid Rising AI Investment Demand

Shares of Lightelligence, the Shanghai-based optical computing company formerly known as Shanghai Xizhi Technology, delivered an explosive performance during their Hong Kong stock market debut, underscoring strong investor...