Japanese views on the shared history between Japan and Taiwan has moved from cultivated ignorance to a generally positive view largely due to the economic and political development of Taiwan; the...Show moreJapanese views on the shared history between Japan and Taiwan has moved from cultivated ignorance to a generally positive view largely due to the economic and political development of Taiwan; the existence of Taiwan as an island of friendship to Japan in a sea of enemies and the democratisation and localisation movements in Taiwan.Show less
The Batavian society consisted of people of different nations. It was a society that started from scratch with the building and populating of Batavia in 1619. The process of people arriving in the...Show moreThe Batavian society consisted of people of different nations. It was a society that started from scratch with the building and populating of Batavia in 1619. The process of people arriving in the city and creating a living for themselves made visible the underlying organization: the formation of groups, leadership and the establishing of power. I relate and refer to texts on the topics of racialism, social biology, cultural communication and awareness, and colonial culture that allow insights in the Batavian situation.Show less
Comparative analyses of ethnic minority policies in Manchukuo and the Soviet Union during the inter war years. Rather than "ideas", it was mostly the need of the indigenous population for the...Show moreComparative analyses of ethnic minority policies in Manchukuo and the Soviet Union during the inter war years. Rather than "ideas", it was mostly the need of the indigenous population for the establishment of hegemony as well as domestic and international crisis that drove ethnic minority policies.Show less
This essay asks what the differences and similarities were between the Seikan debate and the debate surrounding the Taiwan Expedition. By comparing the motivations behind and rhetoric around these...Show moreThis essay asks what the differences and similarities were between the Seikan debate and the debate surrounding the Taiwan Expedition. By comparing the motivations behind and rhetoric around these two instances of aggressive foreign policy, this essay aims to shed a light on the degree of Western and traditional ideological influence and consequently show how Japan saw great changes in its ideological discourse during the early years of Meiji rule (1868–1877).Show less
In my thesis I will prove how the blind spot for furusato in the government's cultural heritage policies is harming rural communities and therefore counteracts various other goals set to relieve...Show moreIn my thesis I will prove how the blind spot for furusato in the government's cultural heritage policies is harming rural communities and therefore counteracts various other goals set to relieve the effects of the economic crisis.Show less
Though the history of Japanese railway companies share similarities with those found for example in the Netherlands and Belgium, there are differences. I argue that these differences facilitated...Show moreThough the history of Japanese railway companies share similarities with those found for example in the Netherlands and Belgium, there are differences. I argue that these differences facilitated the control of private railway companies in Japan. Furthermore, Japanese railway companies expand on their service by undertaking various side businesses such as department stores, being active in real estate, and so on. Because of this difference in activities, I argue that their impact on the development of railway stations as a public space has been greater than those found in Europe. Even though it can be argued that space is political, space itself is shaped by historical and natural elements. Thus, to understand how Japanese railway companies have influenced public space, it is important to look at its historical component. I will first discuss space and social theory and use this as a starting point for my theoretical framework, allowing for an insight into how spaces are defined and how they influence social interaction. After discussing general theory on space, I will discuss space within an urban setting in order to demonstrate how different aspects of theory on space come into play. I will delve into how urban environments like cities are divided but also how on the other hand these are connected with each other. Within the established framework, I will then focus on two railway stations, Ikebukuro Station and Tokyo Station, to demonstrate that even though they are both a public space they differ in their representation of a public spaceShow less
The Japanese colonial scholar Yanaihara Tadao (1893-1961) has long been considered a liberal scholar who, despite wartime Japan's totalitarian regime and contrary to popular opinion, heroically...Show moreThe Japanese colonial scholar Yanaihara Tadao (1893-1961) has long been considered a liberal scholar who, despite wartime Japan's totalitarian regime and contrary to popular opinion, heroically defended the rights of the colonised. Nevertheless, much of what he wrote was based on imperialist assumptions of backward, undeveloped, barbaric 'natives' and the idea that colonialism as a system of global politics is fundamentally just and even desirable. In this thesis, I trace the origins of the positive image of Yanaihara “the liberal thinker”, and contrast this image with a reading of Yanaihara as an “imperialist.” In doing so, I show that for a good understanding of the nature of Yanaihara's thought, it is crucial to be aware of both these sides to his work. To illustrate the relevance of this awareness, I also discuss the findings of two recent publications concerning Yanaihara that fruitfully abandon the unequivocally good opinion earlier scholarship had formed of him.Show less
