Decoding the Social Structure of the AI and SNS Era through Umberto Eco's 'New Middle Ages': Mitsuhiro Takemura's Private School 'Takemura Juku NEXT' to Open June 27
Editorial Engineering Laboratory will launch 'Takemura Juku NEXT' on June 27, 2026, a 5-part lecture series by media aesthetician Mitsuhiro Takemura. The course analyzes the structures of modern society dominated by AI and SNS through the lens of Umberto Eco's 'New Middle Ages.'
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## Press Release Information
Title: Decoding the Social Structure of the AI and SNS Era through Umberto Eco's 'New Middle Ages': Mitsuhiro Takemura's Private School 'Takemura Juku NEXT' to Open June 27
Company: Editorial Engineering Laboratory (Headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; President: Akiko Ando)
Editorial Engineering Laboratory will launch 'Takemura Juku NEXT,' a five-part series of lectures featuring media aesthetician Mitsuhiro Takemura, starting in June 2026.
Using the perspective of the 'New Middle Ages' proposed by Italian semiotician Umberto Eco—famous for novels like *The Name of the Rose* and *Foucault's Pendulum*—this course decodes the structure of modern society where digital technologies like AI and SNS have become highly integrated.
As the foundation of social consensus wavers and the sense of 'certainty' is being lost due to changes in the information environment, this course offers a platform for thinking by transversally re-examining the relationships between technology, society, and culture from a historical context.
### Background of the Relaunch of 'Takemura Juku NEXT'
Since its opening in 2013, 'Takemura Juku' has been a lecture series that transversally discusses the front lines of the era, such as transmedia, artificial intelligence, and crypto-anarchy. After a temporary hiatus following a 2023 distribution project, it is now being relaunched as 'Takemura Juku NEXT' at 'Honrou,' the base of the Editorial Engineering Laboratory.
In the space of 'Honrou,' where approximately 30,000 volumes are housed, the course will combine Mitsuhiro Takemura's thoughts with the methods of Editorial Engineering to deepen the 'questions' needed to navigate the confusion of the modern age.
**Comment from Mitsuhiro Takemura:**
'Modern times seem to be reverting to a medieval structure rather than moving toward the future. In a society where AI and SNS are the norm, the nature of "truth" and "consensus" is wavering greatly. In this lecture series, we will re-examine the changes happening now from the perspective of the "New Middle Ages" and explore the foundation for future thinking.'
**About Mitsuhiro Takemura:**
Media aesthetician. Born in Tokyo in 1954. Graduated from Nihon University. Former professor at Nihon University, Kyoto University of the Arts, The University of Tokyo Graduate School, and Sapporo City University. He has been teaching media theory since the 1980s, researching digital environments from the dawn of the internet and VR to modern social media and AI. Fellow of the Center for the Study of Digital Life (NYC) since 2017.
### Capturing Modern Society through the Lens of the 'New Middle Ages'
The spread of AI and SNS has dramatically changed the way information is generated, distributed, and evaluated. However, behind this convenience, 'fluctuations in perception' are occurring, such as the collapse of social consensus, fragmentation of authority, and multi-layering of values. This situation overlaps with the 'New Middle Ages' predicted by Umberto Eco in the 1970s—the return of medieval characteristics like micro-societies and opaque struggles.
**Keywords for Reinterpreting the Modern Age:**
Contrasting the medieval world with the modern AI-driven society:
- Medieval World and AI Systems
- Theology and Algorithms
- Monasteries and Platforms
- Scholastic Debates and Online Discourse
- Manuscripts and Databases
- Heresy and Misinformation
- Witchcraft and Cancel Culture
- Light and Immersion
- Fragmentation of Authority
- Alchemy and Crypto Assets
- The Pied Piper of Hamelin and Pedophilia
- Public Execution and 'Enjou' (Online Flaming)
- Pilgrimage and Fandom
- Gossip and Podcasts
- New Middle Ages and Games
- Libraries and Google Books
Through these comparisons, we will capture the 'changes in perception' brought about by the modern technological environment in a multi-dimensional way.
### Features of the Lectures
The purpose of this course is not just to explain history or technology, but to acquire a 'perspective' for reading the modern world. In addition to the five lectures, the structure encourages participants to deepen their own thinking through discussions and online assignments. By combining this with the methodology of Editorial Engineering, knowledge is expanded into a practical framework for thinking.
### Special Sessions (Guest Performances)
In addition to the lectures, special sessions spanning thought, body, and culture will be held. The first session will feature a dialogue with guest Kei Wakabayashi (blkswn publishers) and a performance by Japanese dancer Tokutaro Hanayagi. A salon-style social gathering will follow the lectures to deepen interaction among participants. Performance and salon social gathering are also planned for the final session.
### Schedule
First Session: June 27, 2026
Title: Decoding the Social Structure of the AI and SNS Era through Umberto Eco's 'New Middle Ages': Mitsuhiro Takemura's Private School 'Takemura Juku NEXT' to Open June 27
Company: Editorial Engineering Laboratory (Headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; President: Akiko Ando)
Editorial Engineering Laboratory will launch 'Takemura Juku NEXT,' a five-part series of lectures featuring media aesthetician Mitsuhiro Takemura, starting in June 2026.
Using the perspective of the 'New Middle Ages' proposed by Italian semiotician Umberto Eco—famous for novels like *The Name of the Rose* and *Foucault's Pendulum*—this course decodes the structure of modern society where digital technologies like AI and SNS have become highly integrated.
As the foundation of social consensus wavers and the sense of 'certainty' is being lost due to changes in the information environment, this course offers a platform for thinking by transversally re-examining the relationships between technology, society, and culture from a historical context.
### Background of the Relaunch of 'Takemura Juku NEXT'
Since its opening in 2013, 'Takemura Juku' has been a lecture series that transversally discusses the front lines of the era, such as transmedia, artificial intelligence, and crypto-anarchy. After a temporary hiatus following a 2023 distribution project, it is now being relaunched as 'Takemura Juku NEXT' at 'Honrou,' the base of the Editorial Engineering Laboratory.
In the space of 'Honrou,' where approximately 30,000 volumes are housed, the course will combine Mitsuhiro Takemura's thoughts with the methods of Editorial Engineering to deepen the 'questions' needed to navigate the confusion of the modern age.
**Comment from Mitsuhiro Takemura:**
'Modern times seem to be reverting to a medieval structure rather than moving toward the future. In a society where AI and SNS are the norm, the nature of "truth" and "consensus" is wavering greatly. In this lecture series, we will re-examine the changes happening now from the perspective of the "New Middle Ages" and explore the foundation for future thinking.'
**About Mitsuhiro Takemura:**
Media aesthetician. Born in Tokyo in 1954. Graduated from Nihon University. Former professor at Nihon University, Kyoto University of the Arts, The University of Tokyo Graduate School, and Sapporo City University. He has been teaching media theory since the 1980s, researching digital environments from the dawn of the internet and VR to modern social media and AI. Fellow of the Center for the Study of Digital Life (NYC) since 2017.
### Capturing Modern Society through the Lens of the 'New Middle Ages'
The spread of AI and SNS has dramatically changed the way information is generated, distributed, and evaluated. However, behind this convenience, 'fluctuations in perception' are occurring, such as the collapse of social consensus, fragmentation of authority, and multi-layering of values. This situation overlaps with the 'New Middle Ages' predicted by Umberto Eco in the 1970s—the return of medieval characteristics like micro-societies and opaque struggles.
**Keywords for Reinterpreting the Modern Age:**
Contrasting the medieval world with the modern AI-driven society:
- Medieval World and AI Systems
- Theology and Algorithms
- Monasteries and Platforms
- Scholastic Debates and Online Discourse
- Manuscripts and Databases
- Heresy and Misinformation
- Witchcraft and Cancel Culture
- Light and Immersion
- Fragmentation of Authority
- Alchemy and Crypto Assets
- The Pied Piper of Hamelin and Pedophilia
- Public Execution and 'Enjou' (Online Flaming)
- Pilgrimage and Fandom
- Gossip and Podcasts
- New Middle Ages and Games
- Libraries and Google Books
Through these comparisons, we will capture the 'changes in perception' brought about by the modern technological environment in a multi-dimensional way.
### Features of the Lectures
The purpose of this course is not just to explain history or technology, but to acquire a 'perspective' for reading the modern world. In addition to the five lectures, the structure encourages participants to deepen their own thinking through discussions and online assignments. By combining this with the methodology of Editorial Engineering, knowledge is expanded into a practical framework for thinking.
### Special Sessions (Guest Performances)
In addition to the lectures, special sessions spanning thought, body, and culture will be held. The first session will feature a dialogue with guest Kei Wakabayashi (blkswn publishers) and a performance by Japanese dancer Tokutaro Hanayagi. A salon-style social gathering will follow the lectures to deepen interaction among participants. Performance and salon social gathering are also planned for the final session.
### Schedule
First Session: June 27, 2026