The Japanese Government, since the establishment of the Kyoto Protocol, has failed in effectively addressing climate change. Research has shown that the Japanese Government’s failure in combination...Show moreThe Japanese Government, since the establishment of the Kyoto Protocol, has failed in effectively addressing climate change. Research has shown that the Japanese Government’s failure in combination with its control over the media developed a misleading conception among the Japanese population of its efficacy in implementing environmentally-friendly policies, thus different kinds of communication are needed. This study aims to determine how employing art as a surrogate form of communication might raise awareness on the necessity and urgency of tackling environmental issues in Japan. Building on an alternative conception of the human-nature relationship arising from Zen Buddhist and Shinto values, this study asks: “To what extent can ecological art in Japan promote a message of sustainability that raises awareness and enhances the action of everyday actors?” By means of process-tracing combined with a case study analysis, this study illustrates the causal mechanisms between the Japanese religio-cultural inspired conception of the human-nature relationship, ecoart, and the establishment of a more environmentally friendly society. The case study analyses on the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field (ETAF) initiative showed that, by means of ecoart focused on community, locality and emotions, ETAF represents a viable model for Japan to increase ecoart initiatives and stimulate grassroots efforts towards environmental protection by means of art. Further research is needed on the initiatives engaging with the Japanese public aimed at delivering a message of environmental betterment by means of art and culture, as well as to determine the effects of ecoart in other parts of the world.Show less
Aid practices are often not leading to inclusive human development. Research has shown that recipient countries face challenges to foster social progress, which is here to be understood as...Show moreAid practices are often not leading to inclusive human development. Research has shown that recipient countries face challenges to foster social progress, which is here to be understood as aggregate improvement of income, health status, and freedoms of the population. The challenges are often stemming from ineffective financial allocation of capital. This often forms the foundation for experts’ criticism of the effectiveness of aid efforts. Official Development Assistance (ODA), for example, can be deemed to be one form of partially ineffective aid practice. This study aims at identifying the causal mechanisms, triggered by ODA disbursements, that hinder social development. More specifically, the case of Japanese ODA in Myanmar shall be the focus of this study. Building on existing work, this paper asks: to what extent is Japanese ODA contributing to social progress in Myanmar? Based on an in-depth case study analysis of the Thilawa Special Economic Zone, this study seeks to demonstrate how the Japanese ODA project has not been successfully contributing to social development in Myanmar. The assessment of the results illustrated that the enhancement of human capabilities, understood with the Capability Approach developed by Amartya Sen, has not been verified.Show less
This research paper examines the role and influence of women in Japanese organizational cultures since their involvement in the labor force starting in the 1990s. This new labor force consisted of...Show moreThis research paper examines the role and influence of women in Japanese organizational cultures since their involvement in the labor force starting in the 1990s. This new labor force consisted of educated and highly-skilled women and was partly made possible due to the social visibility Japanese women started to receive during this time. As a result, Japanese organizational culture as we know it has gradually changed as well. Previous findings have suggested that women somewhat differ in some features of organizational culture, such as speech, dress code, and behavior. Due to these slight differences in these features, Japanese organizations began to change some of their policies and thus their organizational culture in order to develop a more inclusive environment. By analyzing several traditional Japanese organizations and their cultures, this paper demonstrates that Japanese women have influenced their organizational cultures to a certain extent. We can see that even the most traditional Japanese organizations have started to become more inclusive and open-minded towards gender equality which is, for example, visible in their women empowerment programs.Show less
Currently, workers in Japan face numerous challenges ranging from the physical and mental repercussions of widespread overwork culture and labor insecurity, especially amongst young and female...Show moreCurrently, workers in Japan face numerous challenges ranging from the physical and mental repercussions of widespread overwork culture and labor insecurity, especially amongst young and female workers. Over the last few decades, Japanese labor has become increasingly precarious and individualized by nature due to a range of political and social factors. The aim of this thesis is to identify the factors that have led to this situation and analyze how Japanese labor has individualized. This is done by first providing a historical analysis to identify the social and political factors that have contributed to this situation. Afterward, with the use of three different authors, this thesis prescribes how exactly Japanese labor is individualized. This thesis argues that deregulatory practices, within labor specifically, in combination with dominant social norms have led to a decrease in civic engagement in which workers are able to better improve their working situations.Show less
As Japan is suffering from labour shortages due to it's decreasing demographics and ageing population, foreign workers should present themselves to be a solution to the labour problems in Japan....Show moreAs Japan is suffering from labour shortages due to it's decreasing demographics and ageing population, foreign workers should present themselves to be a solution to the labour problems in Japan. However Japan has not been freely accepting all sorts of foreign labour, and has been mostly restricting itself to skilled foreign labour. This paper is trying to uncover the reasoning behind this preference for skilled foreign workers, while unskilled foreign workers are also required to solve the labour shortages. This will be done by researching the stance of the labour unions, the government, the companies, and how the language might influence the interaction between the two parties of the Japanese and the foreign workers.Show less
New political challenges, natural disasters, processes of globalisation and new communication technologies, among others, have altered the ways in which social movements around the world, not only...Show moreNew political challenges, natural disasters, processes of globalisation and new communication technologies, among others, have altered the ways in which social movements around the world, not only rise and evolve, but also re-imagine themselves and their aims. The following thesis addresses how the realm of contemporary Japanese social movements exert influence on public opinion through their choice of framing. Through an in-depth case-study of a recent student movement under the name SEALDs, a careful insight look will be casted on the historical traits of Japanese movements evolution and how the contemporaries make sense of such traits. More specifically, SEALDs managed to gain popularity and re-engage the younger demographics to take action in the political dialogue. The research aims at looking into the cultural and historical traits of SEALDs and how this particular student movement managed to become popular despite not succeeding in their initial goal.Show less
This thesis looks at the relationship between the Cool Japan products and how the export of these products reflects upon the public opinion of the Chinese and South Korean public. It addresses the...Show moreThis thesis looks at the relationship between the Cool Japan products and how the export of these products reflects upon the public opinion of the Chinese and South Korean public. It addresses the limitation of cultural diplomacy as a source of soft power in the context of Sino-Japanese and South Korean-Japanese relations.Show less
This thesis examines how the Korean state uses and distorts the memories of Colonial Korea in order to construct a national narrative of a victimized nation that was oppressed by the Japanese...Show moreThis thesis examines how the Korean state uses and distorts the memories of Colonial Korea in order to construct a national narrative of a victimized nation that was oppressed by the Japanese Empire and of a nation that engaged in a unified resistance against the Japanese Empire. This thesis argues that this national narrative is partially built upon ‘distorted’ colonial memories, as this narrative does not discuss the deep collaboration that occurred between the Japanese Empire and the Colonial Korean citizens. This thesis shall also argue that when one examines this case through the lens of the IR theory of constructivism and Takeo Hymans’ ‘politics of memory’ theory that this narrative is built with strong political motives that show the underlined political agenda that exists within the national identity building process. This thesis shall then show that these political motives are to distort or draw attention away from the involvement of the large number of Koreans that volunteered for the Japanese Imperial army and their actions to further Japanese imperialism within other parts of the Japanese Empire. It shall also highlight how the involvement of high-profile collaborators, such as Park Chung-Hee and Lt. General Hong Sa-ik, further distorts this narrative presented by the Korean state. Ultimately this thesis addresses the distortion that exists within the Korean-Japanese relations’ dichotomy and proposes that the only way for a meaningful dialogue between these two countries to exist is for both nations to acknowledge and discuss the distortions caused within their national narratives.Show less
