On the 21st June 2014, a Shintō shrine was inaugurated in the independent Republic of San Marino, as the second shrine outside the soil of Japan. The San Marino Jinja サンマリノ 神社 has been officially...Show moreOn the 21st June 2014, a Shintō shrine was inaugurated in the independent Republic of San Marino, as the second shrine outside the soil of Japan. The San Marino Jinja サンマリノ 神社 has been officially supported and recognised by Jinja Honchō 神社本庁, the administrative organisation that oversees about 80,000 Shintō shrines in Japan. However, what is mainly told about Shintō, still nowadays, is that it is the most antique and purely indigenous religion of Japan, a polytheism of immanent deities, defined as kami, strongly connected with the Japanese soil and centred around the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, and the imperial family descending directly from her. But, if Shintō is actually such a not inclusive religion, is it possible to define this foreign shrine legitimately and consistently Shintō, on a theoretical and practical perspective? In other words, if the claims of Shintō are the ones of a Japanese religion for Japanese people only, why the San Marino Jinja has been officially inaugurated and how does a Shintō shrine operate in a different country and cultural context? Actually, as it will be possible to discover through this research, most of the pillars on which Shintō is based are not historically consistent or accurate. It will be also possible to demonstrate how historically inaccurate it is to consider Shintō an indigenous religion in the first place. Therefore to deconstruct these claims, which could obstruct a legit globalisation of it, in this research Shintō will be discussed first from a theoretical point of view. Firstly by deconstructing the general held idea of Shinto itself, following the academical debate of the last fifty years. Secondly, by presenting the new rhetoric promoted by Jinja Honcho about Shinto as the “World's new religion of ecology”, in order to increase its national and international popularity. With this theoretical background it will be then possible to analyse the phenomenon on a practical perspective. In order to do so a comparative analysis will be featured: the Ise Jingu, the oldest model reference of jinja, will be compared to the San Marino site. The result will demonstrate whether the European shrine presents the same operating patterns as the native one, and therefore whether is a legit instance of a successful Shinto globalisation.Show less
This MA thesis aims to analyze the relationship between Japan and Korea from the point of view of Cultural Heritage Studies and Art History. The case study I took into consideration is the Korean...Show moreThis MA thesis aims to analyze the relationship between Japan and Korea from the point of view of Cultural Heritage Studies and Art History. The case study I took into consideration is the Korean Goryeo Buddhist Paintings, a painting tradition which is almost disappeared by its homeland, but which conserves the majority of its last surviving examples in Japanese temples and museums. This case study has no precedents and it is an interesting tool to understand the political dynamics behind the discussion of cultural properties return in East Asia. This thesis will consider the study of the subject throughout various fields: it starts from the historical debate on the paintings, then it will move to the colonial period policies for the protection of cultural properties in Japan and Korea, to the modern legislation on the return of cultural properties, the creation of a Japanese scholarship around the Korean painting tradition and lastly, it will end with an art historical analysis of the items.Show less
In this new millennium, the world is facing many drastic changes. Technology has revolutionized our lives and we are still trying to grasp the essence of this new age. Many traditions are fading,...Show moreIn this new millennium, the world is facing many drastic changes. Technology has revolutionized our lives and we are still trying to grasp the essence of this new age. Many traditions are fading, one of them being the practice of oral storytelling, used in pre modern societies by common folks to amuse themselves and to educate children at the same time. This essay analyzes the transition from traditional storytelling to mass communication, and its implications, through the case study of Japanese snake and dragon lore. The dragon, a well established symbol of Eastern Asian cultures, is the mythical evolution of a snake, considered to belong to the same species. The two animals are treated, however, in very different ways: the first is venerated as a kami , a god, while the second, even though object of worship too, is so feared that speaking about it is still considered a taboo. During the last century oral storytelling practice has been fading out, overpowered by the attractiveness of new medias. However, while the traditional practice is slowly dying out, storytelling itself is, I argue, just changed media. This essay will look into modern portraying of snakes and dragons, comparing tradition with new media. Through the example of Oscar winner movie Spirited Away (2001) and especially through the character of the white dragon Haku, it will be shown how anime and manga can represent a new way for the transmission and preservation of folk tales and beliefs. The director, Hayao Miyazaki, created the movie with the precise aim of educate children about Japanese values and traditions. Manga and anime can be considered a new form of storytelling, accessible simultaneously by anybody and anywhere in the world, that at the same time crystallizes a set of stories and beliefs.Show less
This MA thesis, “Inside the Heart of the Taiwanese High School: the Representation of the Classroom and its Students in Four Taiwanese High School Films”, examines how in Blue Gate Crossing, Winds...Show moreThis MA thesis, “Inside the Heart of the Taiwanese High School: the Representation of the Classroom and its Students in Four Taiwanese High School Films”, examines how in Blue Gate Crossing, Winds of September, You Are the Apple of My Eye, and Our Times, the classroom and its students are portrayed. I argue that the classroom is not solely used for teaching classes. Instead, the portrayal of the classroom and its students are more focused on the social aspects of the room. Dividing the social functions of the classroom in five themes, which are: the classroom as a social meeting point, the classroom as a place of loneliness, the classroom as a place of rest, the classroom as a place of friction, and rebellion against the authorities, the classroom becomes the center of the student's life during their six-year long stay.Show less
Bujangga Manik is a fifteenth-century story from Sundanese-speaking West Java about an ascetic who travels around Java and Bali before ascending to heaven. Its central narrative trope, of narrating...Show moreBujangga Manik is a fifteenth-century story from Sundanese-speaking West Java about an ascetic who travels around Java and Bali before ascending to heaven. Its central narrative trope, of narrating the ascetic's journey through a recitation of place names, has no clear parallels in South Asian literature, and I argue that it derives from an ancient Malayo-Polynesian tradition, similar to what the anthropologist J. J. Fox named the 'topogeny'. I attempt to show this through a dissection of Bujangga Manik and detailed comparison with ethnographic data from the Malayo-Polynesian-(Austronesian-)speaking world.Show less
This thesis intervenes within the current debate between both norm- and relational constructivist schools with regard to the maintenance and contestation of a state’s ‘identity.’ As to move past...Show moreThis thesis intervenes within the current debate between both norm- and relational constructivist schools with regard to the maintenance and contestation of a state’s ‘identity.’ As to move past the exaggerated efficacy that norm- and relational scholars attribute to material and discursive factors respectively, this thesis instead argues – in accord with Critical Discourse Analytical insights – that both the material and discursive exist within a dialectic. Through arguing that the material and discursive internalize one another without being reducible to either factor, it becomes possible to gain a more nuanced understanding of how both material and discursive influence the maintenance and contestation of a state’s identity. To this end the thesis poses the question of: what discursive strategies did Abe Shinzō utilize as to overcome the restraints imposed by Japan’s ‘peace-loving’ state identity as to effect the remilitarization of Japan? This question is subsequently operationalized through a critical engagement with IR identity theory, Antonio Gramsci’s Political theory, and Critical Discourse Analysis’s insights into the realm of discourse. This allows for an enquiry into how Abe Shinzō utilized both discursive and material means as to overcome Japan’s current anti-militarist state identity.Show less
Global climate change has emerged as one of the world’s most serious problems, one requiring international cooperation. China, as a large country and big emitter, is vital to such cooperation. It...Show moreGlobal climate change has emerged as one of the world’s most serious problems, one requiring international cooperation. China, as a large country and big emitter, is vital to such cooperation. It is therefore important to understand China’s position regarding climate change and international cooperation. This thesis examined China attitudes and how these are changing by conducting discourse analysis of Xinhua articles published during the 2009 and 2015 United Nations climate conferences. It found China’s attitudes shifted significantly between these two conferences and it became much more willing to cooperate.Show less
Nature around the globe is under threat of extinctions. A one-cures-all solution for this diverse problem is yet to be found, if ever. Declining wildlife populations and nature can be countered...Show moreNature around the globe is under threat of extinctions. A one-cures-all solution for this diverse problem is yet to be found, if ever. Declining wildlife populations and nature can be countered when they are being protected; however, without the right incentive, this is virtually impossible. Finding the right solutions for the protection and preservation of nature in Southeast Asia is challenging and will take a holistic approach. This thesis aims to explore whether the domestication of flora and fauna can serve as a solution for protecting nature, while simultaneously producing economic benefits for the local communities. The commodification of nature is picking up pace in Southeast Asia and is turning nature into a commodity that is being sold in the markets of Southeast Asia. This thesis will conduct three case studies on the domestication of flora and fauna to research how each case can contribute to protecting nature in Southeast Asia, which are: (1) the Asian Arowana, (2) Agarwood (Aquilaria genus), and (3) payment for environmental services.Show less
The goal of this paper is to examine the extent to which the language proficiency of parental input can be related with what kind of bilingual children’s language acquisition. The research objects...Show moreThe goal of this paper is to examine the extent to which the language proficiency of parental input can be related with what kind of bilingual children’s language acquisition. The research objects were bilingual children (1.5 - 9 years old) who have been exposed to two languages either from birth (simultaneous) or within the preschool years (successive). The literature was re-examined from a perspective of the input quality. The purpose was to use the already existing data to assess different qualities of input, where they were classified in terms of the uniform standardized language proficiency levels of the CEFR. The main findings are: (1) A2 level of CEFR could be seen as the threshold point of input quality; input proficiency at A2 or below A2 level of CEFR is so- called “low proficiency” and has little or no impact on bilingual acquisition; input proficiency above A2 can have an increasingly significant impact on language acquisition of bilingual children, except “mixing” (one sentence with words from two languages). (2) The language input quality with “mixing” or “low proficiency”, could not effectively stimulate language acquisition of bilingual children for them to be able to keep pace with their monolingual peers. Moreover, (3) native input might not always be the best, but it will always be positive for bilingual acquisition.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to investigate and examine Shinzo Abe’s proposed redefinition of Japanese nationalism from minzokushugi to kokuminshugi, and to place this redefinition within Japan’s...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to investigate and examine Shinzo Abe’s proposed redefinition of Japanese nationalism from minzokushugi to kokuminshugi, and to place this redefinition within Japan’s larger historical inclusion/exclusion discourse through the redefining of Japan’s ‘Japaneseness’. The first part of this thesis explains the theoretical framework in which this thesis investigates its research aim. This framework is composed of Foucault’s governmentality, Benedict Anderson’s ‘Imagined Communities’, the IR theory of Constructivism and Takeo David Hymans’ theory of the ‘Politics of Memory’. The purpose of this theoretical framework is to breakdown the distorted and contested memories that are used to shift the boundaries of Japan’s ‘Japaneseness’. This framework is furthered by examining the various theories of the Homogenous Nation theory, Mixed Nation theory, and National Polity theory and how they were used within Japan to (re)define the concept of Japaneseness. In the second part, this thesis examines how this constantly shifting concept of Japaneseness was used to assimilate different minzoku into the Japanese empire. This is initially done by examining how the Ainu and Okinawans were made a part of the Japanese consciousness and how this was achieved through the use of distorted memories. The breaking down of Japan’s distorted narratives is further progressed by examining Japan’s contemporary form of ‘memory politics’ through examining Shinzo Abe’s proposed redefinition of Japan’s nationalism. This thesis argues that while Shinzo Abe’s redefinition towards kokuminshugi can be seen as an attempt to move ‘towards a beautiful country’, it should instead be seen as Abe’s attempt to escape the colonial and post-war narratives that still plague Japanese nationalism today. In conclusion, this thesis argues that Shinzo Abe’s proposed redefinition of Japanese nationalism is not a new phenomenon but instead apart of a larger historical trend within Japan. This trend consists of the boundaries of Japan’s Japaneseness being (re)shifted in order to accommodate Japan’s political aims and agendas of the time. Consequently, the constant redefinition of Japan’s Japaneseness creates the situation where the existences of these minorities (Ainu, Okinawans, Zainichi Koreans, etc.) become distorted in the imagined history of the Japanese nation-state and are blurred into a singular ethnography.Show less
The Chinese state has recently put a lot of emphasis on making “informatization” (xinxihua) the key engine of domestic economic and societal development. However, these plans also include schemes...Show moreThe Chinese state has recently put a lot of emphasis on making “informatization” (xinxihua) the key engine of domestic economic and societal development. However, these plans also include schemes such as the controversial Social Credit System. By bolstering the power of technology, the Chinese leadership hopes to increase the centralization of governing power and at the same time increase its control over Chinese society. New technologies such as Big Data or the Internet of Things (IoT) become crucial in these endeavors but these come not without risk, as they can be comprised or malfunction. By analyzing the policy documents issued on a technology like the IoT, this thesis tries to scrutinize the envisioned scope of the Chinese leadership’s techno ambitions. This wide scope goes from using this technology to transform anything from manufacturing to medical care, to improving social management and “military-civil integration” (junmin ronghe).Show less
With the threat of terrorism in its latest and potent incarnation as Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) still on the ascendancy, the global war on terror has entered a new era, and its efficacy...Show moreWith the threat of terrorism in its latest and potent incarnation as Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) still on the ascendancy, the global war on terror has entered a new era, and its efficacy is in question. More than 15 years have passed since the 9/11 terror attacks, and yet success in suppressing terrorist activities and insurgencies still remains unclear. Successful counter-terrorism strategies in the wake of ISIS seem to require nations addressing extremism as the ideological motivation for terrorism. Reliance solely on the hard approach of war on terror seems to neglect the importance of the historical, cultural and ideological roots of terrorism. There is a pressing need now for countries to implement and include both “hard” and “soft” approaches in its counter-terrorism framework. Being the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country Indonesia has been an appealing target for ISIS in Southeast Asia. As a lynchpin in the region it has become absolutely critical for the country to handle the ISIS threat and reduce potential spillover in the region. While the Indonesian state has faced several challenges in countering the ISIS threat, it has also attained reasonable success in mitigating and containing the threat.Show less
The human fascination with fear of the unknown has been documented in art and literature across civilisations for centuries. In every culture, this has manifested itself in the forms of creatures...Show moreThe human fascination with fear of the unknown has been documented in art and literature across civilisations for centuries. In every culture, this has manifested itself in the forms of creatures as bizarre as they are terrifying. These physical forms can be inspired by the world around us or reflect aspects of our own humanity. Perhaps the most awe-inspiring of all of these are those forms associated with the ocean. This paper explores the theory that art featuring sea monsters and other supernatural creatures is a phenomenon which appears in a society undergoing significant upheaval, change or trauma. Comparing the respective contexts of British and Japanese sea monster art, it will show how similar circumstances produced art that, while very different in visual aesthetic, has a remarkable amount of features in common in terms of subject matter and context. Furthermore, it will examine the ways in which these monsters are depicted in visual art can tell us about how British and Japanese societies approached and dealt with the fear and anxiety surrounding issues such as loss of traditional social structures, political and economic instability and the rapid and unpredictable change this brought about.Show less
Although Japan started participating in the commercial international art world during its so-called ‘bubble period’ between 1986 and 1991, very few Japanese artists currently enjoy international...Show moreAlthough Japan started participating in the commercial international art world during its so-called ‘bubble period’ between 1986 and 1991, very few Japanese artists currently enjoy international art market visibility. Furthermore, Japan’s own art market and market actors remain understudied. This study aims to provide insight in Japan’s position in the international art world, focusing on contemporary art galleries, important gatekeepers of the art market. Through quantitative data analysis of Tokyo’s contemporary art galleries, this thesis identifies two factors to measure art galleries’ globalization: their ‘home bias’, which is the degree in which galleries represent artists from the country it is based in; and its participation in international art fairs. Although data for both factors show a relatively high national focus, Japan’s galleries’ home bias is especially large. Furthermore, Japan’s own art market stays underdeveloped and does not sufficiently succeed in attracting international art crowds. These factors pose difficulties for international participation and obtaining international relevance. On a larger scale, this study of Japan functions as a case study for drawing conclusions on globalization of art markets in general, and the validity of the concept of a ‘global art world’.Show less
This thesis seeks to examine the notions of shame and guilt in the literary expression of these concepts in Endo Shusaku’s novel, Scandal (1986). With an emphasis on analyzing shame and guilt in...Show moreThis thesis seeks to examine the notions of shame and guilt in the literary expression of these concepts in Endo Shusaku’s novel, Scandal (1986). With an emphasis on analyzing shame and guilt in this fiction as key elements in the characters’ psychological struggle, the thesis aims to determine how their interweaving reveals Endo’s personal sense of identity in the context of post-war Japan. The thesis argues that, through his literary accounts, Endo has contributed to enriching this intellectual exploration of these two notions. Based on a detailed scrutiny of Scandal, the thesis also briefly reflects on previous theoretical paradigms of shame and guilt to point out Endo’s position within the diverse flow of defining these concepts.Show less
This thesis researches to what extent Indonesian online based media create a discourse that emphasize the Chinese-Christian identity of Basuki Thjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as a minority during the...Show moreThis thesis researches to what extent Indonesian online based media create a discourse that emphasize the Chinese-Christian identity of Basuki Thjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as a minority during the Jakarta gubernatorial elections of 2017. The thesis employs a qualitative discourse analysis method that researches online articles of news portals Tempo.co, Kompas, and The Jakarta Post. To understand discourse on the Chinese-Christian identity in its proper context, first is researched what the Chinese identity means within Indonesian society by taking a historical perspective. Secondly, this thesis explores the role of religion in modern Indonesian politics as well as the political and religious context of the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections. News articles linked to Ahok’s blasphemy case, demonstrations against Ahok, and the elections are selected for analysis. In total 42 articles have been analyzed. The results show that there is difference in writing styles between English and Indonesian language based online news portals. Whereas the Indonesian language based news portals remain neutral to Ahok’s identity as Christian-Chinese by not referring to it, the English language based The Jakarta Post creates a narrative in which Ahok is emphasized as part of a Christian-Chinese minority.Show less
In 2001, the Chinese government officially recognized Zhongdian County in Yunnan Province as Shangri-La, which is a fictional concept that signifies paradise introduced by the British author James...Show moreIn 2001, the Chinese government officially recognized Zhongdian County in Yunnan Province as Shangri-La, which is a fictional concept that signifies paradise introduced by the British author James Hilton (1933). Ever since the region has been renamed, some visitors have started to express that Shangri-La County has transformed into a theme park and has lost its authenticity. The current essay explored, by using Bryman’s (2004) theory of Disneyization as a framework, whether it can be said that the name change into Shangri-La has changed the region into a theme park. The resources of this research were scholarly literature, travel blogs and TripAdvisor reviews about Shangri-La. Of the four principles mentioned in Disneyization, that all describe a trend common to a theme park, the principles of theming, hybrid consumption and merchandising were all found to be take place in the Shangri-La region. Only performative labor, as defined in the theory, was considerably less present in Shangri-La County. However, in regard to how Chinese theme parks (like Yunnan Ethnic Folk Village) function, such as the lack of smiling service, the principle of performative labor may still apply to Shangri-La. Thus, the result indicates that Shangri-La is comparable to a theme park and that how the theory of Disneyization is defined currently has no universal validity because it takes no cultural differences in account. Furthermore, in view of Jean Baudrillard’s (1994) account of postmodernism, Shangri-La is similar to a theme park in that they both create a hyper-reality in which a highly similar but ‘unreal’ reality is experienced by visitors through the processes of simulation or simulacrum. In this sense, the Shangri-La narrative has bestowed a frame by which tourists started to percept and experience the region’s authenticity. However, considering that Western tourists are predominantly the ones seeking authenticity in Shangri-La – may it be an authentic setting or an authentic self – it is their confrontation with the touristic environments like Dukezong that sways them to evaluate the region as a theme park. The voices of the local population and Chinese tourists were not brought into account in the current research; future research should therefore explore deeper how these groups’ experience the changes in Shangri-La County.Show less
