Joan’s research focuses on two areas: modern Japanese women writers and their literary critics, and Japanese children’s literature and culture in the context of modernization. This includes literary parodies of folk tales such as “Momotaro” (Peach Boy) and the politicization of children’s literature, especially between 1890 and 1945. She has served as president of the international Association of Teachers of Japanese, and continues to be involved on several fronts in promoting new ways of teaching Japanese language and culture both in the classroom and in the community, including the creation of a new literary manga textbook based on the novel “Botchan” by Natsume Soseki aimed at students of third-year Japanese language. While she was on sabbatical in Kyoto, Japan, with a Fulbright Research Grant during the academic year 2010–11, she was affiliated with Doshisha University. Her research project focused on the concept of children’s literature in Japan in the early 20th century.