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Dr Matthew Stavros

BA, Michigan State University; MA, PhD, Princeton University.
Senior Lecturer

A18 - Brennan MacCallum Building
The University of Sydney

Telephone +61 2 9351 4805

Website www.mstavros.com
www.kyotohistory.com
www.pmjs.org

Biographical details

Matthew Stavros is an historian of early Japan, specializing in urban and architectural history during the medieval period. In his research, Dr. Stavros synthesizes texts, visual sources, and archaeological data to explore historical cityscapes and architecture as indicators of political, economic, and social circumstances. Other research interests include comparative urban history, religion, and material culture. Dr Stavros was trained in architectural and urban history at Kyoto University and earned his MA and PhD in East Asian Studies at Princeton University.

He is the author of Kyoto: An Urban History of Japan’s Premodern Capital (Forthcoming from the University of Hawai‘i Press).

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Teaching and supervision

Teaching

  • The Origins of Japanese Tradition (ASNS2631)
  • Japan in the Western Imagination (postgraduate) (JPNS6901)
  • Introduction to Japan (JPNS2660)
  • Approaches to Research in Asian Studies (ASNS3690)
  • Japanese 5 reading (team taught) (JPNS2621)
  • Colonialism in Asia (taught in History Department)

Supervision

Dr Stavros supervises honours and postgraduate research students in both Japanese Studies and Asian Studies. In addition to topics related to premodern history and culture, he also enjoys advising students on topics related to literature, nationalism, and Japanese interactions with the West.

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Current projects

Dr. Stavros is currently working on a historial biography of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu that focuses primarily on the shogun’s material legacy.

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Associations

  • Visiting scholar at the University of Tokyo Historiographical Institute, December to March annually.
  • Editor and Administrator of PMJS: Premodern Japanese Studies

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Selected publications & creative works

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Books

  • Stavros, M. (2005). Reading History in the Urban Landscape: Kyoto in the Early Muromachi Period 1336-1467. Ann Arbor: UMI Press.

Book Chapters

  • Stavros, M. (2012). Military Revolution and the Early Modernization of Japan. In Matthew Stavros, Lionel Babicz (Eds.), Introduction To Asian Cultures, (pp. 253-273). Sydney, Australia: Pearson Education Australia.
  • Stavros, M. (2011). Finding Heian-kyo in Medieval Kyoto. In Ishikawa, Hideshi; Hinata, Kazumasa; Yoshimura, Takehiko (Eds.), Symphony Ancient: Japan in East Asia, (pp. 258-274). Tokyo: Tokyo do Shuppan.
  • Stavros, M., Yasuo, T. (2008). Les monasteres fortifiés et les 'Temples-Agglomérations' au Moyen Age: T�?ji, Tenryūi, Yamashina Honganji et Honkokuji [Fortified temples and Temple-Towns in the Medieval Era: T�?ji, Tenryūji, Yamashina Honganji and Honkokuji]. In Nicolas Fiévé (Eds.), Atlas Historique de Kyoto, (pp. 151-156). Barcelona: Editions de l'Amateur.
  • Stavros, M., Yasuo, T. (2008). Vers une nouvelle ville [Towards a new city]. In Nicolas Fiévé (Eds.), Atlas Historique de Kyoto, (pp. 109-108). Barcelona: Editions de l'Amateur.
  • Yasuo, T., Stavros, M. (2003). Castles in Kyoto at the Close of the Age of Warring States: A look at the urban fortresses of Ashikaga Shoguns Yoshiteru and Yoshiaki. In Nicolas Fieve and Paul Waley (Eds.), Japanese Capitals in Historical Perspective: Place,Power and Memory in Kyoto, Edo and Tokyo, (pp. 41-66). UK: Routledge Curzon imprint of Taylor & Francis.

Journals

  • Stavros, M. (2010). The Sanjo bomon Temple-Palace complex: the first Locus of Ashikaga authority in medieval Kyoto. Japan Review, 22, 3-29.
  • Stavros, M. (2009). Locational pedigree and warrior status in Medieval Kyoto: the residences of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Japanese Studies, 29(1), 3-18.
  • Stavros, M. (2009). Review of Ellen Van Goethem's "Nagaoka: Japan's forgotten Capital". Japanese Studies, 29(1), 147-148.
  • Stavros, M. (2008). Preface. Japanese Studies, 29(1), 1-2.
  • Stavros, M. (2007). Building Warrior Legitimacy in Medieval Kyoto. East Asian History, 31, 1-28.

Conferences

  • Stavros, M. (2006). "Capitals" in Medieval East Asia. RSEA 2006 - International Conference on East Asian Architectural Culture, Kyoto 2006: Reassessing East Asia in the Light of Urban and Architectural History, Kyoto, Japan: Takahashi Yasuo.
  • Stavros, M. (2006). Space, Place, and Limits on Warrior Authority in Medieval Kyoto. RSEA 2006 - International Conference on East Asian Architectural Culture, Kyoto 2006: Reassessing East Asia in the Light of Urban and Architectural History, Kyoto, Japan: Takahashi Yasuo.

Original Creative Work

  • Stavros, M. (2005). Geographies of Identity in Nineteenth Century Japan. United States of America.
  • Stavros, M. (2005). Handmade Culture. United States of America.
  • Stavros, M. (2005). Seiken toshi. Seiken Toshi, Tokyo, Japan.

Reference Works

  • Stavros, M. (2012). Cities and Urban Culture, Pre-history to about 1200. In Andrea L. Stanton, Edward Reasamy (Eds.), Cultural Sociology of the Middle Ease, Asia, and Africa. California, USA: Sage Publications.

Other

  • Stavros, M. (2006), Several maps and illustrations for Matthew McKelway, Capitalscapes: Folding Screens And Political Imagination in Late Medieval Kyoto.
  • Stavros, M. (2005), "Map of the Territories of the Outcaste Headman, Suzuki Jin'emon," "Map of Japan," and "Map of Hokkaido." In David L. Howell, Geographies of Identity in Nineteenth-Century Japan.
  • Stavros, M. (2005), Two maps of medieval Kyoto in Morgan Pitelka, Handmade Culture.

2012

  • Stavros, M. (2012). Cities and Urban Culture, Pre-history to about 1200. In Andrea L. Stanton, Edward Reasamy (Eds.), Cultural Sociology of the Middle Ease, Asia, and Africa. California, USA: Sage Publications.
  • Stavros, M. (2012). Military Revolution and the Early Modernization of Japan. In Matthew Stavros, Lionel Babicz (Eds.), Introduction To Asian Cultures, (pp. 253-273). Sydney, Australia: Pearson Education Australia.

2011

  • Stavros, M. (2011). Finding Heian-kyo in Medieval Kyoto. In Ishikawa, Hideshi; Hinata, Kazumasa; Yoshimura, Takehiko (Eds.), Symphony Ancient: Japan in East Asia, (pp. 258-274). Tokyo: Tokyo do Shuppan.

2010

  • Stavros, M. (2010). The Sanjo bomon Temple-Palace complex: the first Locus of Ashikaga authority in medieval Kyoto. Japan Review, 22, 3-29.

2009

  • Stavros, M. (2009). Locational pedigree and warrior status in Medieval Kyoto: the residences of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Japanese Studies, 29(1), 3-18.
  • Stavros, M. (2009). Review of Ellen Van Goethem's "Nagaoka: Japan's forgotten Capital". Japanese Studies, 29(1), 147-148.

2008

  • Stavros, M., Yasuo, T. (2008). Les monasteres fortifiés et les 'Temples-Agglomérations' au Moyen Age: T�?ji, Tenryūi, Yamashina Honganji et Honkokuji [Fortified temples and Temple-Towns in the Medieval Era: T�?ji, Tenryūji, Yamashina Honganji and Honkokuji]. In Nicolas Fiévé (Eds.), Atlas Historique de Kyoto, (pp. 151-156). Barcelona: Editions de l'Amateur.
  • Stavros, M. (2008). Preface. Japanese Studies, 29(1), 1-2.
  • Stavros, M., Yasuo, T. (2008). Vers une nouvelle ville [Towards a new city]. In Nicolas Fiévé (Eds.), Atlas Historique de Kyoto, (pp. 109-108). Barcelona: Editions de l'Amateur.

2007

  • Stavros, M. (2007). Building Warrior Legitimacy in Medieval Kyoto. East Asian History, 31, 1-28.

2006

  • Stavros, M. (2006). "Capitals" in Medieval East Asia. RSEA 2006 - International Conference on East Asian Architectural Culture, Kyoto 2006: Reassessing East Asia in the Light of Urban and Architectural History, Kyoto, Japan: Takahashi Yasuo.
  • Stavros, M. (2006), Several maps and illustrations for Matthew McKelway, Capitalscapes: Folding Screens And Political Imagination in Late Medieval Kyoto.
  • Stavros, M. (2006). Space, Place, and Limits on Warrior Authority in Medieval Kyoto. RSEA 2006 - International Conference on East Asian Architectural Culture, Kyoto 2006: Reassessing East Asia in the Light of Urban and Architectural History, Kyoto, Japan: Takahashi Yasuo.

2005

  • Stavros, M. (2005), "Map of the Territories of the Outcaste Headman, Suzuki Jin'emon," "Map of Japan," and "Map of Hokkaido." In David L. Howell, Geographies of Identity in Nineteenth-Century Japan.
  • Stavros, M. (2005). Geographies of Identity in Nineteenth Century Japan. United States of America.
  • Stavros, M. (2005). Handmade Culture. United States of America.
  • Stavros, M. (2005). Reading History in the Urban Landscape: Kyoto in the Early Muromachi Period 1336-1467. Ann Arbor: UMI Press.
  • Stavros, M. (2005). Seiken toshi. Seiken Toshi, Tokyo, Japan.
  • Stavros, M. (2005), Two maps of medieval Kyoto in Morgan Pitelka, Handmade Culture.

2003

  • Yasuo, T., Stavros, M. (2003). Castles in Kyoto at the Close of the Age of Warring States: A look at the urban fortresses of Ashikaga Shoguns Yoshiteru and Yoshiaki. In Nicolas Fieve and Paul Waley (Eds.), Japanese Capitals in Historical Perspective: Place,Power and Memory in Kyoto, Edo and Tokyo, (pp. 41-66). UK: Routledge Curzon imprint of Taylor & Francis.
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