Stella Dixon

Stella’s doctoral research focuses on how climate change is affecting everyday experiences of seasonality and the making of seasonal cultures in central Tokyo. In the largest city in the world, the world-famous ‘four seasons’ are no longer a given as extreme heat begins to change the seasonal landscape of the year. What does this mean for everyday seasonal experiences among Tokyo residents, and the ‘seasonal culture’ which rests on top of these multispecies rhythms? 

To explore this question, Stella spent one year in Tokyo (2024-25) observing and participating in the seasonal rhythms of the city, spending time with people involved in constructing ‘the seasons’ through food, art, flowers, and festivals, and with ordinary residents of Tokyo who experience seasonality alongside their everyday life.  

Now in her writing up period, Stella’s thesis is taking shape as a snapshot of ‘the seasons’ and seasonality as they occurred on the ground at the precipice of climate change, including reflections on the multiple and divergent temporalities underneath ‘the seasons’, the production of seasonal visual culture, rituals and commerce, and the process of building meaningful connections in the city through seasonality and seasonal events. 

Alongside her research Stella is enjoying re-engaging with academic life across both anthropology and Japanese studies, including the RAI, ASA, BAJS and JAWS, and is working towards publication. She also loves teaching as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, including the first year modules 102A SOAS Anthropology Now and 101B Anthropology In and Of The World in 2025/26. She takes great inspiration from the vibrant ideas of her students, who are invited to become co-producers of knowledge.  

Before coming to SOAS, Stella achieved first-class honours in BA Human, Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge, specialising in Social Anthropology (2017-20). Having got a taste for research as a transport planning consultant, where she worked on transport strategy and economic analysis for a variety of local and national partners, she returned to anthropology in 2022 to pursue her own research interests here at SOAS. She is a proudly autistic anthropologist and was the President of the SOAS Disabled Students’ Society in 2023/24 prior to her fieldwork.

Stella’s research interests are broadly centred around the anthropology of Japan, nature and climate change, seasonality, temporality, urban anthropology and place-making, and more-than-human/multispecies ethnography. Through her thesis she is also exploring topics including ritual, commerce, the creation of meaningful gatherings, and the use of digital tools in the city, among many others.