Japanese Studies

Setsuwa and Self Writing: Witnessing Death in Hosshinshū

by Alari Allik

Rethinking Asia, multiplying modernity

by alastair bonnett

in Delanty, G. (Ed.) (2006) Europe and Asia Beyond East and West, London, Routledge, pp.269-283

A Cartographic Fade to Black: Mapping the Destruction of Urban Japan

by cary karacas

Co-authored with David Fedman, Stanford University, Department of History

In this paper we examine the history, production, and use – practical and rhetorical – of maps created by the United... more In this paper we examine the history, production, and use – practical and rhetorical – of maps created by the United States government during World War II as related to the development and execution of aerial bombing policies against Japan. Drawing from a range of maps and primary documents culled from libraries and archives in the United States, we argue that maps provide an important, and hitherto neglected, means through which to trace the exploration and eventual embrace of the incendiary bombing of Japan’s cities. In particular, our aim is to show how maps, along with the men who made and used them, played a central role in the planning and prosecution of air raids on urban Japan. We also address the mobilization of American geographers into the war effort, the re-configuration of America’s spatial intelligence community during World War II, and the ways in which maps were constructed in the context of total war.

"Am I my brother's keeper?" Discriminatory practices in the name of security

by Miguelángel Verde Garrido

Published in: Identity and Alterity in Multiculturalism and Social Justice: "Conflicts", "Identity", "Alterity", "Solutions?" (2008). (vol. 4). (pp.128-148). Kyoto: Research Center for Ars Vivendi/Ritsumeikan University.
ISSN 1882-6539

Seven years after the Japanese government abolished fingerprinting of foreign nationals due to an unusual display of... more Seven years after the Japanese government abolished fingerprinting of foreign nationals due to an unusual display of discontent in civil society, it has decided to amend its immigration laws (改正入管法) to allow, once more, for fingerprinting and photographing of foreign nationals, no matter their visa or residence status. In blatant contradiction with Japanese law, which makes it illegal to fingerprint anyone that has not been charged with a crime, this controversial measure is weakly justified by stating it will help to “prevent the occurrence of acts of terrorism against Japan.” However, with the exception of the Japanese Embassy hostage crisis in Lima, Peru, Japan has never suffered a terrorist act that didn’t involve Japanese nationals solely. The arrests that followed the Aum Shinrikyou’s (オウム真理経) fiendish Tokyo sarin gas incident lead approximately twenty Japanese nationals to be tried and convicted by the justice system, but none of the cult’s internationals members were ever found to be involved in the attacks. Similarly, the infamous Japanese Red Army (日本赤軍), which hijacked airplanes, bombed and stormed company facilities and embassies, and murdered civilian bystanders indiscriminately, perpetrated thirteen terrorist acts between the 1970s and the 1980s. And yet, only two on them were committed on Japanese soil, while the other eleven were committed abroad; in every case, nonetheless, the participants involved in the attacks were solely Japanese nationals.
The Japanese word for a stranger (他人) is an “other person.” Foreigners (外国人, “outside country people”), likewise, are usually called gaijin (外人), “outside people” or “outsider,” in informal circumstances. The Japanese scholar Ohsawa Masachi has forwarded that the Aum sect “can be seen as an extreme reflection of Japanese society in general,” since it “mirrors the same type of fear toward the ambivalent ‘other’ common within the Japanese population.” For Ohsawa, that fear of the ambivalent ‘other’ is “a symptom of the social disintegration brought forth by advanced capitalism,” and in that manner “not particular to the Japanese, but rather reflected in many ethnic nationalisms and religious fundamentalisms of contemporary global society.” Nowadays, when globalization leads us inevitably to attempt to constructively deal with the intricacies of multicultural contexts, the return of undeniable racisms and state-sponsored discriminatory policies must be carefully analyzed and protested.

A different kind of cultural frame: An analysis of panels in American comics and Japanese manga

by Neil Cohn

The growing interest and influence of Japanese manga (“comics”) in America has inspired comparisons between the... more The growing interest and influence of Japanese manga (“comics”) in America has inspired comparisons between the properties of the two cultures’ graphic systems. Various theories have hinted to the existence of structural variation between these cultures’ books, yet little quantitative data has served to support these claims. This study seeks to provide empirical evidence for these cross-cultural theories by examining 300 panels in each of twelve American and twelve Japanese comic books. It examines 1) how they highlight amounts of information, 2) their depiction of subjective viewpoints, and 3) the angle of view taken by their representations.

CONCEPTUAL CHANGES IN JAPANESE ARCHAEOLOGICAL THOUGHT - THE ROLE OF TORII RYUZO AND HIS THEORY ON "PREHISTORIC JAPAN"

by Rafael Abad

「鳥居龍蔵の「有史以前論」と近代日本における考古学思想の転換」、『鳥居龍蔵研究』第１号 、２０１１年３月。

"Conceptual changes in Japanese archaeological thought - the role of Torii Ryuzo and his theory on "Prehistoric Japan" ", Torii Ryuzo Kenkyu, pp. 113-127, 2011.

At the Digital Watershed: Terrestrial Television Broadcasting in Japan

by Scott Koga-Browes

Draft version. Final version will appear in "Japanese Studies" during 2012

The switch to digital terrestrial broadcasting on 24 July 2011 marked a watershed for the broadcasting industry in... more The switch to digital terrestrial broadcasting on 24 July 2011 marked a watershed for the broadcasting industry in Japan. Digitalisation is the single largest industry-­‐wide event since the advent of alternative distribution technologies, satellite and cable, in the 1980s. Preparation for the switch to digital, known as chideji-­‐ka, has put existing business arrangements under pressure and has led to a renewed focus on of the future shape of the industry. There is increasing acknowledgement that change, especially in the relationship between central and local broadcasters, is inevitable. This paper summarises the position of the industry at the beginning of its digital age, arguing for a new view of broadcasting in Japan that recognises the two-­‐tier reality behind industry rhetoric. It also summarises the major options open to the industry as it looks to redefine itself in a much-­‐changed media environment.

Sōka Gakkai in Japan

by Levi McLaughlin

All Research is Fieldwork: A Practical Introduction to Studying in Japan as a Foreign Researcher

by Levi McLaughlin

The Asia-Pacific Journal, 30-1-10, July 26, 2010

Tokyo Governor Says Tsunami is Divine Punishment—Religious Groups Ignore Him

by Levi McLaughlin

Published on www.religiondispatches.org on March 17, 2011

Did Aum Change Everything? What Sōka Gakkai Before, During, and After the Aum Shinrikyō Affair Tells Us About the Persistent "Otherness" of New Religions in Japan

by Levi McLaughlin

Faith and Practice: Bringing Religion, Music and Beethoven to Life in Soka Gakkai

by Levi McLaughlin

What challenges does Japan face in its human security and peace-building role?

by Sophie Marta

Accompanying hand-out to my presentation on the topic

Submitted as part of the assessment for "Japan Today: Politics and Governance"

Department of... more Submitted as part of the assessment for "Japan Today: Politics and Governance"

Department of Asian Studies
The University of Adelaide
2012

This presentation focused on two main points: how Japan came to be involved in international peace-building efforts, and the domestic social and legal challenges that Japan faces today because of this involvement.

Unable to conform, unwilling to rebel? Youth, globalization and motivation in Japan', Frontiers in Cultural Psychology, 2 (Article 207)

by Tuukka Toivonen

Toivonen, Norasakkunkit & Uchida.

This paper investigates the effects of globalization on Japanese young adults from sociological and psychological... more This paper investigates the effects of globalization on Japanese young adults from sociological and psychological perspectives. While Japan’s socio-economic institutions have shown mainly resistant (or “hot”) reactions to globalization, individual-level adaptations remain oriented toward conformity to dominant life expectations, which remain largely unchanged, despite decreasing rewards. However, a socially withdrawn sub-group (the so-called hikikomori) appears to be unable to conform yet is also unwilling to rebel. The experimental evidence we review suggests such youth deviate from typical Japanese motivational patterns but have not necessarily become more Western. This poses serious problems in an interdependence-oriented culture, but the paralysis of this group seems to be an outcome of labor market change rather than a psychopathology. Finally, we also identify a contrasting group – whom we call the quiet mavericks – that adapts in creative and integrative (or “cool”) ways by negotiating conformist pressures tactfully. Our account sheds light on just how complex and painful the psychological and sociological effects of globalization can be for young people in conformist societies, with implications to policy and social sustainability.

'"Don't let your child become a NEET!": The strategic foundations of a Japanese youth scare', Japan Forum, 23: 407-429

by Tuukka Toivonen

Toivonen, Norasakkunkit & Uchida.

This article contributes to the growing body of literature on Japanese youth problems by tracing and unpacking a... more This article contributes to the growing body of literature on Japanese youth problems by tracing and unpacking a recent moral panic surrounding young people identified as ‘NEETs’ for being ‘not in education, employment or training’. While sharing many key features with other mainstream youth problems in Japan, the case of ‘NEETs’ illuminates particularly well the strategic interplay of social labels and more technical policy categories. To this end, a clear distinction is made between the social category nīto and the policy target group ‘NEET’. Close attention is paid to how these were re-defined in the Japanese context, including how the latter came apply to a remarkably expansive age group (15–34-year-olds). Most importantly however, the account highlights the central actors and interrogates their respective interests, providing strong support for the argument that the ‘NEET problem’ amounted ultimately to a strategic campaign designed to clear the way for new youth policies. The findings explicated will contribute to our understanding of high-profile youth scares as well as other social problems in Japan that operate through the media but are intimately linked to policy-making.

Modern Japanese Waterfront Developments - Global vs. Local

by Raffaele Pernice

Paper presented at IV Ajman Urban Planning Conference “Waterfront: New Trends in Urbanism and Architecture”, 29th-31st March 2010, AUST - Ajman University of Science and Technology, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

This study outlines the trend of waterfront (re-)development in Japan during the recent decades by presenting some... more This study outlines the trend of waterfront (re-)development in Japan during the recent decades by presenting some significant urban and architectural projects located in large cities, such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe, and other local and regional centers. These projects, analysed and proposed as exemplary case studies, present a concise overview that is representative of the Japanese approach to the design of waterfront environments. This approach ranges from mega-scale urban projects with high international ambitions, typical of the sustained economic growth since the early 1980s, to a more limited scale that aimed to create friendlier and community-oriented environments.

Laying down the law: Teachers’ use of rules.

by Gregory Bornmann

On JALT 95: Curriculum and Evaluation. (Proceedings of the JALT International Conference), Nagoya, Japan, November 1995

This paper offers an analysis of the way rules function in the classroom by applying insights generated by recent... more This paper offers an analysis of the way rules function in the classroom by applying insights generated by recent debates in legal theory. Members of the Critical Legal Studies (CLS) movement have been particularly adept at identifying the logical contradictions which are pervasive in legal discourse. These contradictions—between formal rules and ad hoc standards; between subjective values and objective facts; between intentionalism and determinism—render all legal disputes problematic. CLS theorists have also devoted a great deal of effort to demonstrating that law and society are interpenetrating, and thus inseparable. For this reason, the classroom as a basic social institution offers especially fertile ground for legalistic analysis.

The Chrysanthemum and the Shield. The Pacific Theater Missile Defense and its consequences for Japanese Security Strategy.”

by Matteo Dian

Japan is moving along a long-term trajectory to assume a normal” security role, gradually eroding the... more Japan is moving along a long-term trajectory to assume a normal” security role, gradually eroding the self-binding  prescriptions  that  have  marked  its  foreign  policy  identity  during  the  Post  War  era. Recently, this process has been accelerated by the emergence of new security threats in the East Asian security environment. In the short-term, the North Korean nuclear and ballistic program is the most immediate  threat  for  Japan.  In  the  longer  term,  Chinese  military  modernization  and  the  increasing power projection capacity of the PRC represent the main strategic challenges. As  a  result  of  these  trends, Japan is  moving  away  from  its  traditional post-war  self-restraint and  is attempting to  craft  a  more  assertive  security  strategy  in  response  to  what  it  perceives as  newfound security realities. The development of the US-Japan Theatre Missile Defense represents a crucial step in this direction. On the one hand, Japan’s participation in the Ballistic Missile Defense system represents the de facto overcoming a considerable part the legal and political underpinnings that had sustained the “Culture
of  Antimilitarism”.  On  the  other hand,  it  contributes  to  redefine  the  Japanese  role  in  the alliance
with  the  United  States,  enhancing  the  interoperability  of  forces  and  promoting  a  unified  chain  of command  and  control.  These  developments  are  likely  to  encourage  Japan  to  play  a  role  of  “hub nation” and active junior partner in the US-led military apparatus in East Asia.

Des "Nippologies" dans les musées : design et identité japonaise à Paris

by Coralie Castel

Published in Cipango, Journal of Japanese Studies from Inalco (National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civiizations), Japanese Studies department

Reconstruire ses souvenirs : le nettoyage des photographies emportées par le tsunami à Kesennuma

by Coralie Castel

Published in Ebisu n°47, the Journal of Japanese Studies from the Maison Franco-Japonaise in Tokyo, 2012

In Kesennuma, a city affected by the tsunami, an association of inhabitants undertakes the washing of thousands of... more In Kesennuma, a city affected by the tsunami, an association of inhabitants undertakes the washing of thousands of personal photographs found in the ruins, in order to return them to their owners. This collective action of “saving memories” is supported by volunteers from all the country, and eventually contributes to the reconstruction of the local society.