This research project investigated the experiences of marginalised communities in East Asian port cities, challenging traditional views of cultural heritage as static inheritances curated solely by state apparatuses. By focusing on port cities such as Tokyo-Yokohama, Nagasaki, and Hirado, the study explored how minority groups—defined by ethnicity, religion, or citizenship—create, safeguard, and reinterpret their spaces, rituals, and memories. A core conceptual framework developed during this project is "Participatory Diversity," which advocates for a form of pluralism rooted in daily life engagement rather than merely intellectual dialogue.The research methodology combined academic debate with extensive site-based inquiry, examining the tensions between authorised narratives and vernacular memory in maritime networks. Key findings highlight how unfamiliar neighbours acted as critical cultural brokers, with foreign temples doubling as diplomatic nodes and minority religious sites negotiating visibility under varying regimes. Furthermore, the project successfully convened a major international conference and fieldwork workshop in January 2026, bringing together scholars, heritage practitioners, and community leaders to rethink the future landscape of East Asian maritime heritage.Significant academic outputs include monographs and edited volumes, such as Always in the Other Land: Minority Religions in East Asia, which further disseminate the project's findings on minority religions and transregional networks. Ultimately, the project demonstrates how localised interpretations of heritage can sustain social pluralism and reconnect port cities across the maritime world.

'Encounter in Nusantara Archipelago: Interactions between Islam and Overseas Chinese Religions before 1914,' aims to explore the complex and understudied interactions between Muslim and overseas Chinese religious communities in the Nusantara region. This research seeks to fill significant gaps in current historical and religious studies by investigating the social, cultural, and political exchanges that shaped early modern Southeast Asia. The project focuses on the lesser-known dimensions of religious coexistence and interethnic networks, challenging dominant Eurocentric and Sinocentric narratives.