Tianran Hang joined the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures in 2026 after completing her Ph.D in East Asian religions at Columbia University. Her research focuses on demons in medieval Japan, exploring how malevolent spirits were depicted, performed and appeased in premodern Japanese ritual practice and court literature. In her work, she emphasizes the intersection between ritual and entertainment, studying how early medieval Buddhist and Onmyōdō rites came to be consumed as engaging spectacle by lay audiences.

She currently teaches modern Japanese language as well as courses on Japanese literature and religion in the premodern and modern periods. Her classes takes up interdisciplinary approaches to a variety of media, ranging from classical courtier writings to contemporary manga and anime.

Areas of Expertise

Premodern Japanese literature, East Asian religion

Education

2026 — Doctor of Philosophy from Columbia University

2017 — Master of Arts from University of Pennsylvania

2016 — Bachelor of Arts from University of Pennsylvania

Courses Recently Taught

This first half of a year-long course continues building a solid foundation in the Japanese language while developing communication skills in Japanese. Students also learn approximately 100 kanji. Coursework involves extensive assignments for speaking, listening, writing and reading, which include materials about Japanese culture written in Japanese. This course includes required practice sessions with a teaching assistant, which are scheduled at the beginning of the semester. Students enrolled in this course are automatically added to JAPN 214Y for the spring semester. Prerequisite: JAPN 111Y-112Y or equivalent. Offered every fall.

In this course, we explore a wide range of topics related to Japanese culture, such as geography, speech style, technology, and sports. In addition to deepening students’ understanding of Japanese culture, this course seeks to further enhance reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills in research and presentation in Japanese. This course is conducted in Japanese and is repeatable for up to 1.0 unit/8 semester hours of credit if the content is substantially different the second time. Prerequisite: JAPN 213Y-214Y or equivalent. Offered every year.