Yuji Nawata, born in 1964, studied German literature at the University of Tokyo, where he completed his PhD in 1994. He was habilitated in culture science at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in 2011. Since 2002, he has been a professor at the Department of German Studies of Chuo University in Tokyo.
Hans Joachim Dethlefs, born in 1952, received his doctorate from Philipps-Universität Marburg and works as a professor at the Department of German Studies at Chuo University, Tokyo. Publications, among others, include the following: »Der Wohlstand der Kunst: Ökonomische, sozialethische und eudämonistische Sinnperspektiven im frühneuzeitlichen Umgang mit dem Schönen« (Tokyo 2010). His research focuses on the evolution of Northern European art terminologies following Italian art theory.