This thesis closely examines the North Korean film Hong Kildong, which is a film adaptation from 1986, based on the tale of Hong Kildong. It then compares the film version with a pre-modern...Show moreThis thesis closely examines the North Korean film Hong Kildong, which is a film adaptation from 1986, based on the tale of Hong Kildong. It then compares the film version with a pre-modern literary version of Hong Kildong Chŏn. The research field of North Korean cinema lacked a nuanced deconstruction of the ideological message conveyed in Hong Kildong. Consideration of the background motifs and themes was found to be generally overlooked. This thesis aims to provide for this lack. By analyzing the North Korean film version, while using the Confucian Five Moral Relationships and virtues as a yardstick, this thesis identified how close the story followed or deviated from the Confucian ethics. The comparison between Hong Kildong (film) and Hong Kildong Chŏn (pre-modern fiction) pointed out what (ideological) changes had been made, changes mostly found in the character traits and the development of the storyline towards the end of each story, and helped to identify Juche ideological elements. Through the hypothesis, “Hong Kildong reflects the same ideological changes as have been made to create the yunsaek type kodae sosŏl,” I was able to lend credit to the implications that come with the ideological changes I detected, since they then do not apply merely to this film. My research results confirmed that the hypothesis was indeed correct. Art theory in North Korea has taken on a unified form which is broadly applied to every artistic activity, including both film and literary adaptations of pre-modern works of fiction. The same ideological development can be discerned in both types of adaptation. The central theme, or “seed,” of Hong Kildong can be defined as the revolutionary transformation from the old, corrupt Chosŏn society to the new, liberated Chosŏn, which is promised to those who move towards the sun, which is symbolism for Kim Il-Sung and his Juche thought. Elements that suggest ideas contrary to Juche ideology were consistently found within the realm of Confucian thought. Confucian thought however was not condoned, nor completely condemned in the film, but rather improved to make a smooth transformation to Juche ideology possible. This suggests that Confucian thought remains, however limited, a component in the North Korean people’s belief system. However, hidden elements that reflect anti-Juche or anti-Party Line thoughts, which might have been an influence of Shin Sang-Ok’s own ideas, could not be found.Show less
This thesis focuses on Nagai Kafū’s lighting representations (both natural and manmade light) in the first decade of twentieth century, exploring how Kafū manipulates light, as well as the light...Show moreThis thesis focuses on Nagai Kafū’s lighting representations (both natural and manmade light) in the first decade of twentieth century, exploring how Kafū manipulates light, as well as the light-shadow contrast in his urban-based texts selected from different time. The analysis follows a timeline divided in roughly three parts: debut years before his journey abroad (1900-1903), journey in America and France (1903-1908) and few years after returning to Japan (1908 and after). Given the technological gap between Japan and the West in modern period and thus reflected in Kafū’s writing, knowledge of the innovations in lighting technology will be mentioned when necessary. This thesis argues that the drastic transition of his lighting passion from manmade light to natural light after his returning to Japan in 1908 shall be examined as a significant message. As an urban writer, his transition in light preference not only reveals his critical thinking of Japan’s modernization after experiencing what had been completed in the West, but also gives his vision in terms of what contributes to a livable modern city in which the inhabitants are deeply resonated with the urban fabrics, especially in a spiritual sense. Last but not the least, to some extent, the transition in lighting representations could be considered as a presage of the writer’s stylistic reverse few years later.Show less
In 2006, the Japanese government introduced a new special needs education system. One of the reasons for this reform was to promote the inclusion of children with a disability into mainstream...Show moreIn 2006, the Japanese government introduced a new special needs education system. One of the reasons for this reform was to promote the inclusion of children with a disability into mainstream schools (MEXT 2006b). However, since the implementation of this new system, instead of attending mainstream education, the number of children in Japan that are receiving special needs support or go to special schools has increased significantly. In the period from 2005 to 2016 the number of children receiving special needs education rose from 199,227 to 327,201, while at the same time the total number of school-going children declined. One of the main reasons for this significant growth is the increased recognition of developmental disorders (hattatsu shōgai発達障害). Developmental disorders are defined by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (hereafter MEXT), and include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disorders and/or other similar disorders of the brain function that usually develop at a young age (Mithout 2016, 171; MEXT n.d.c). Seeing as this recognition of developmental disorders by the MEXT is quite recent, not much research has been done on how these students perceive education and what challenges they face at school. With my research I will contribute to the literature about disability in Japan, especially highlighting the experiences of the students. This thesis will answer the questions: “How do students with developmental disorders in the current Japanese education system experience the available school options? And what insight do their experiences give us in the different models of disability?”. In order to answer these questions, this thesis will first explore different understandings and models of disability (medical and social) that show us different ways in which one can interpret disability. These models will form the basis of the thesis, and will show how policy-making and the education system in Japan are characterized by these models. In order to get a better understanding of how students with developmental disorders experience school, fieldwork was conducted at various schools in the Kansai region to observe the environment and the curriculum. Furthermore, six in-depht interviews were conducted with students with developmental disorders who graduated from special needs education.Show less
This thesis focuses on editorials from the Asahi Newspaper and the Yomiuri Newspaper in the half year following an accident at a nuclear power plant to identify concerns related to the topic of...Show moreThis thesis focuses on editorials from the Asahi Newspaper and the Yomiuri Newspaper in the half year following an accident at a nuclear power plant to identify concerns related to the topic of nuclear energy usage after such an accident. The specific accidents used for this analysis are the Chernobyl accident, the Monju accident at Tsuruga, the Tokaimura accident and the Mihama accident. What we found during the research is that concerns about nuclear energy used to be associated with atomic warfare and the ‘peaceful usages’ of nuclear technology, where more recently this focus has shifted to concerns about communication, safety, security and environmental issues.Show less
This thesis discusses the initial mental health care response and subsequent development of postdisaster mental health policies after the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji earthquake and 2011 Great East Japan...Show moreThis thesis discusses the initial mental health care response and subsequent development of postdisaster mental health policies after the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji earthquake and 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. It seeks to discover which actors had which roles in the progress, and how responsibility and accountability have shifted. To accomplish this goal, a causal process tracing method was used which analyzes the causal mechanisms that shaped the development of post-disaster mental health policies after the 1995 and 2011 disasters. Afterwards, a comparative analysis was used to compare the policy shaping process from both periods. By doing this, we can ascertain if lessons regarding post-disaster mental health care response have been learned, and if so, in what way these lessons have had an effect on the post-disaster mental health care regulation. After the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji earthquake, the Japanese government was heavily criticized for their delayed action, while in contrast the local government, volunteers from the civil society and NPOs immediately came to action. At that time, there was not as much knowledge regarding post-traumatic stress disorder in Japan, and precautions were scarce. After the initial response and the first studies showing many victims battling mental health problems, the government developed post-disaster mental health policies. The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake triple disaster was unprecedented in scope, and mental health care measures employed since the 1995 disaster were not sufficient. Local governments from across the country, volunteers and NPOs offered their immediate help, while the central government was struggling in Tokyo with inadequate leadership, political power games and inflexible regulations. In the wake of the destruction regulations were again implemented based on the lessons learned, but a real recognition of mental health care still seems far away. A large focus remains on reconstruction of houses, infrastructure and financial revitalization, while the mental health of the victims seems forgotten. The national government should take up more responsibilities to protect not only the physical, but also the mental health of its citizens, and finish large projects such as permanent housing and community building in the affected areas that will provide the victims with a relief of stress and uncertainty.Show less
Between 2003 and 2006, the Gairaigo Committee, part of the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (NINJAL), released the Proposal for paraphrasing loanwords, which advocates the...Show moreBetween 2003 and 2006, the Gairaigo Committee, part of the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (NINJAL), released the Proposal for paraphrasing loanwords, which advocates the usage of Japanese paraphrases for 176 poorly understood loanwords. In the creation of this proposal, the committee prioritized an emphasis on the function of language (i.e., communication problems caused by loanwords) rather than an emphasis on tradition (i.e., ideological issues caused by loanwords). While this is true on an official level, an interview with a key member of the former committee suggests the conceivability that some of its members personally feared the corruption of the Japanese language and culture by loanwords. This outcome has led to an analysis of how Yomiuri Shimbun and Asahi Shimbun, two ideologically distinct newspaper companies represented in the committee, have dealt with the loanwords in NINJAL’s proposal. The research mainly involved a diachronic study of the words between 1995 and 2019 and a comparison of the two newspapers in this regard. The target words show significant differences according to newspaper, as there is an overall tendency of increasing usage in (the more progressive) Asahi Shimbun, while (the more conservative) Yomiuri Shimbun shows a decrease. However, in many cases, it is difficult to associate these changes with NINJAL’s proposal directly. The analysis concludes that there is no clear indication for a relation between the implementation of loanword policy and political ideology.Show less
Female marriage migrants have been a topic of academic interest due to their influence on the makeup of South Korean society for quite a while. Associated research ranges from the mental health of...Show moreFemale marriage migrants have been a topic of academic interest due to their influence on the makeup of South Korean society for quite a while. Associated research ranges from the mental health of these migrant women to multicultural education to accommodate this change and anything and everything in between. Studies inevitably mention how the emphasis on their role as wife and mother and reference to their reproductive labour is problematic. However, few studies consider how their specific situation on this spectrum influences their reproductive rights beyond simply pointing this out. Not acknowledging this more meaningfully leads to a gap in research and knowledge as reproductive rights are an important topic in the discourse on women’s rights in general and as such is inextricably linked with the fight for gender equality. Additionally, this blind spot is remarkable as the reason for female marriage migrants joining Korean families and households is foremost their reproductive labour as wives and daughters-in-law, with goes hand in hand with the explicit expectation of them becoming mothers of Korean children. Moreover, in the Korean context, them obtaining formal rights and social acceptance mostly depends on their reproductive labour and their (capability of) motherhood. The aim of this thesis is to take a closer look at this gap and why it is there. I will discuss how reproductive rights are referred to in relation to female marriage migrants, how their specific situation in Korea complicating their reproductive rights is discussed in related research, and what this means for their position as women in Korea. In this thesis I will focus my attention on how the expectation of reproductive labour and motherhood entangles with notions of citizenship and acceptance, combined with an overview of the discussion on human rights protection and how this includes reproductive rights. Ultimately, I aim to highlight an area of interest that will contribute to illuminating the complexity of the situation of marriage migrants and might assist in closing the gap that exists between the perspectives on female marriage migrants in research on the one hand, and the lack of targeted research considering their reproductive rights on the other. More specifically, the following questions will guide this research: Why are reproductive rights not included substantially in the debate regarding female marriage migrants in Korea, and how does marriage migration complicate the reproductive rights of these migrant women? Are reproductive rights included in the expectation of reproductive labour that is placed on female marriage migrants? What is the effect of this expectation on their position as women in Korea?Show less
Women’s empowerment is the pivot point of this paper; it investigates the contemporary Japanese women’s awareness of gender inequalities in the workplace and Womenomics. This thesis attempts to...Show moreWomen’s empowerment is the pivot point of this paper; it investigates the contemporary Japanese women’s awareness of gender inequalities in the workplace and Womenomics. This thesis attempts to suggest possible solutions to gender discrimination in the Japanese workplace. To accomplish this goal, this paper employs a quantitative method for data collection. The chosen sample consisted of Japanese women employed in Japanese companies alone. At a later stage, data analysis was done through a qualitative approach. Respondents’ feedback to the questionnaire was fundamental to draw this project’s conclusions. In this regard, Japanese women seem not to be aware of Womenomics’ contents and the majority of them consider these polices as useless in terms of women’s empowerment. By contrast, they are well aware of gender inequalities at their workplace, and they offered valuable solutions to solve the problem. A prospective awareness-raising intervention is considered essential because it would help to sensitize people to the problem and to faster gender equality’s fulfillment. Moreover, if people were aware of the persistent gender gap in contemporary society, their perception would encourage leaders to take action for the creation of a gender-equal society. According to the majority of the questionnaire’s respondents, if people cooperate as individuals and not as men and women, it will possibly be a starting point for gender stereotypes’ elimination.Show less
To encounter a flower, a snowflake, or a moon in haiku it is not uncommon. A great amount of haiku follow a rule, or an aesthetic preference, that the elements of nature should be present in its...Show moreTo encounter a flower, a snowflake, or a moon in haiku it is not uncommon. A great amount of haiku follow a rule, or an aesthetic preference, that the elements of nature should be present in its form with a 5-7-5 syllables arrangement. All of these preferences were challenged in the Secondary Art Debate (daini geijutsu ronsō 第二芸術論争) after WWII. What poetry should do was beyond this form of art. This discourse was brought into heated discussion and opposed by numerous contemporary haiku poets. Nakamura Kusatao 中村草田男(1901-1983), one of the founding haiku poets of the so-called “the Humanity-pursuit group” (ningen tankyūha 人間探求派), pioneered in this debate. He publicly refuted the condemnation of haiku as a “secondary art” and dedicated his life to strengthen his position in this debate, and dedicated his entire career to the modernization of haiku. The central research question of this thesis is how Nakamura envisage the modernization of twentieth-century haiku. In the further discussion, Nakamura’s attitude towards modern haiku is to be discussed. The context that apparently stimulated Nakamura to explore innovation in haiku will be provided in the first chapter, where two major debates in his life are the center of discussion. To understand the general directions that his innovations took, his haiku theory will be introduced in the following chapter. In the third chapter, the analysis will go through his major work from the form to the content to examine the differences between Nakamura’s work and the traditional work before him.Show less
With about two thirds of the population commuting every day, the railways system is the beating heart of Tokyo’s urban daily life. Major railway stations, which primarily function as nodes in the...Show moreWith about two thirds of the population commuting every day, the railways system is the beating heart of Tokyo’s urban daily life. Major railway stations, which primarily function as nodes in the transportation network, have developed from humble wooden structures into massive sites of consumption, destination themselves, which act as economic, social and cultural hubs. A major factor behind this development is private railway companies' extensive engagement in the real estate sector, which throughout the 20th century has resulted in the birth of new commercial spaces within the context of the station: the terminal department store (a department store inside of the station managed by a railway company), the ekichika (an underground area of the station), and more recently, the ekinaka (the area within the gates of the station). This thesis explores the relationship between city and railway station through a contextualization of the three spaces mentioned above and the case study of Shinjuku, the busiest station in the world. The analysis shows that by reintegrating urban spaces in the context of the station, private railway companies have created a new urban playground for the passenger, decontextualized from the idea of commuting.Show less
Over the last 25 years, the realm of education has undergone enormous transformations around the globe, and especially in China. Indeed, while many have acknowledged the country’s role in world...Show moreOver the last 25 years, the realm of education has undergone enormous transformations around the globe, and especially in China. Indeed, while many have acknowledged the country’s role in world economy, few have stressed its parallel achievements in the field of internationalization of Higher Education. Nonetheless, researchers debating the issue have often adopted top-down approaches or focused on similar sets of examples, overlooking the complexities of each case. Moreover, international students' own viewpoint and their importance as the main actors shaping and undergoing the process as has often been neglected. The main aim of this thesis then, which is based on a mixture of interviews with international students, ethnographic observations conducted by the author at Shandong University, PRC in 2019, together with the study of secondary sources, is to shed light and highlight the importance of under-analysed themes and actors in the field of Internationalization of Higher Education in China. The findings of my research show that: international students form different background seemed to hold a positive evaluation of their experience in China; cultural-specific notions like Mianzi play an important role in the trajectory of internationalization of Shandong University; in turn, this last consideration seem to pose a challenge to the mainstream, linear view of the field which considers Internationalization as a global, active force passively employed by Chinese universities to reach specific - and mainly national - goals.Show less
This research is about the untold history of intersexuality during a time when androgyny in juvenile boys was desirable and men performed female roles on stage. Moreover, it introduces the role of...Show moreThis research is about the untold history of intersexuality during a time when androgyny in juvenile boys was desirable and men performed female roles on stage. Moreover, it introduces the role of the body in the story about gender ambiguity in pre-modern Japan. Until now, studies on the history of gender and sexuality have focused on the role of culture in sex determination. However, this study proposes that biology was equally important. Through a critical analysis of visual material produced during Japan's pre- modern times, the intersexed character may be revealed as an essential figure for understanding the construction of gender, sex and sexuality in historical and contemporary times. In the Heian-period (794-1185), the intersexed character was presented as an absurd sexual deviant in the Yamai no Shōshi. The Genroku-period (1688- 1704) depicted intersexuality as a female deficiency in the work Kōshoku Kinmō-zui by Yoshida Hanbei, which was also reproduced around one and a half century later in Ryōsuitei Tanekiyo's Kaiin Suikōden Sho-hen. Towards the end of the Edo-perdiod (1800-1868) more graphic works of intersexed bodies appeared. Keisai Eisen's Makura Bunko invoked a gaze of shameless fascination and pity, whereas Utagawa Kunitora's Otsumori Sakazuki put intersexuality into the realm of erotic fantasy. Ultimately, this research asks the question: What do early images of intersexuality reveal about attitudes towards gender, sex and sexuality in pre-modern Japan? The answer to this question reveals how intersexed bodies, in various periods of time, were to be looked at with humour, curiosity, pity and sexual desire.Show less
The author explores the motives of Chinese parents to send their children to Waldorf school and how those change over time. Through the grounded theory analysis of field work data, the author...Show moreThe author explores the motives of Chinese parents to send their children to Waldorf school and how those change over time. Through the grounded theory analysis of field work data, the author concludes that there is a multitude of motives to make the initial decision for Waldorf. Being a Waldorf parent, however, is characterized by worrying much about whether the decision is still right and how to improve the childrens' education.Show less
