Josef Kreiner

Josef Kreiner (15 March 1940 in Vienna) is an Austrian Japanology ethnologist who held the positions of Professor of Japanese studies at the University of Bonn and Director of the Japanological Seminar of the University of Bonn from 1977 until his retirement in 2008.

Life Josef Kreiner was the son of Anton and Anna Kreiner. Kreiner studied the ethnology of Japan, its people and its prehistory at the University of Vienna and University of Tokyo. He was promoted in 1964 to Dr Phil at the University of Vienna. After two years, as a lecturer at the Institute of Japanese Studies, Kreiner habilitated in Japanology in Vienna, under Alexander Slawik. From 1969 - 1971 Kreiner spent his time at the University of Bonn as a lecturer It was named in honour of Philipp Franz von Siebold, German physician, botanist, who achieved prominence by his studies of Japanese flora and fauna and the introduction of Western medicine in Japan. In 2013, well after his retirement, Kreiner worked as a visiting Fellow for special tasks at the Hōsei University to supervise, among others, the newly founded International Association of Ryukyuan and Okinawan Studies.

Societies 2008 Kreiner was elected as an honorary member to the European Association for Japanese Studies. 1991 Member of the Academia Europaea.