Purify: Tanaka Shōzō’s Flows and Toxic Academia

Abstract We explore how the conceptual framework of Tanaka Shōzō’s theories of nagare (flow) and doku (poison) can be used as a lens to analyze systemic toxicity in Academia. We argue that thinking with Tanaka’s framework has the advantage of empowering individuals to take action and instill hope, while also emphasizing the systemic nature of academic toxicity. Tanaka, a 19th-century Japanese politician and environmentalist, developed his ideas in response to industrial pollution from the Ashio copper mine. He emphasized the interconnection between ecological, social, and political dynamics. We argue that his framework provides a perspective for understanding the entrenched issues in Academia, including exploitative labor conditions, toxic leadership, and structural failures in knowledge production. Through two key case studies – academic publishing pressures (“publish or perish”) and problematic conceptions of excellence in research funding – we illustrate how Academia functions as a doku system, sustaining unhealthy flows that undermine both individual well-being and the pursuit of knowledge. Drawing on Tanaka’s insights, we propose a shift towards nagare , advocating for cooperative, ethical, and sustainable academic practices that enable a healthier research ecosystem.