This essay presents a study of 31 kanshi poems by the Heian poet/scholar/official Sugawara no Michizane (845-903) written during his governorship in the province of Sanuki (poems 183-213). Taking...Show moreThis essay presents a study of 31 kanshi poems by the Heian poet/scholar/official Sugawara no Michizane (845-903) written during his governorship in the province of Sanuki (poems 183-213). Taking issue with common approaches to Michizane and his writings, I deal with the material in four different ways in order to show the problems inherent in these practices, while simultaneously attempting to provide alternative inroads to Michizane's oeuvre. These four issues are: 1. the discrepancies between modern and premodern 'poethood', which usually remain unquestioned but are here complicated by zooming in on Michizane the scholar and the official instead; 2. the limited scope of biographers, for whom the period in Sanuki central in this essay is peripheral to Michizane's identity; 3. a strongly selective attitude towards Michizane's writings, which I avoid by taking the entire oeuvre attributed to one single year; and 4. what I call the 'biographical fallacy', where biographers take details found in Michizane's oeuvre about his life at face value. Instead, I understand his literary compilation as a consciously subjective collection of works that was designed to portray a desirable Self. By focussing on Michizane's use of the three different personae - that of poet, scholar, and administrative official - I show how the original compositions compiled into one new work are made to take on new meaning, which act, rather than a portrayal of historical fact, constitutes a politically motivated act intended to convey a specific self-representational message, disseminated by Michizane at the time, just before the exile to Kyushu, when his position at court was rapidly deteriorating, and which can thus be seen as one bid in the political game in the high echelons of court power.Show less
This thesis explores how the media mix, the Japanese equivalent of the media franchise, influences the entertainment experiences of its fan audiences through a case study. It not only analyzes in...Show moreThis thesis explores how the media mix, the Japanese equivalent of the media franchise, influences the entertainment experiences of its fan audiences through a case study. It not only analyzes in what ways the anime media mix of Yuri!!! on ICE functions as a system, in which media content is dispersed and consumed in different media forms, but it also explores the ways Yuri!!! on ICE is experienced as a world of its own that is interrelated with various other existing worlds, such as the world of professional figure skating, the online and temporary (event) spaces centered on fan culture and its communities, and the various existing cities on which the world of Yuri!!! on ICE is based. By analyzing not only a specific franchise, but also the variety of texts that relate with it from different theoretical perspectives, this thesis looks for gaps that can be filled in between different but related theories on media, semiotics, culture and space, particularly on the (re)construction of arbitrarily systematized worlds (both actual and virtual) through cultural production, signification and play.Show less
This essay analyses Oiwa, the female vengeful ghost protagonist of the kabuki play Tōkaidō Yotsuya kaidan, written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV in 1825. Due to its popularity, Oiwa has been a widely...Show moreThis essay analyses Oiwa, the female vengeful ghost protagonist of the kabuki play Tōkaidō Yotsuya kaidan, written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV in 1825. Due to its popularity, Oiwa has been a widely discussed topic by experts of the field, but there is a fundamental issue to reconsider if we are to achieve a better understanding of this character: why did she turn into a vengeful spirit? By applying the theoretical concept of intertextuality, i.e. by considering the relations between Yotsuya kaidan and other texts such as its sources and other plays from Nanboku’s repertoire, this thesis challenges the consolidated opinion that Oiwa turned into this frightful creature out of jealousy towards her unfaithful husband. Although jealousy is impossible to exclude, it argues that key to unravelling the motivations behind Oiwa’s revenge is the status of Yotsuya kaidan as the parody of the famous dramatization of the forty-seven ronin’s tale Kanadehon Chūshingura (1748). As propaedeutic to the making of this point, this work also looks at a less discussed side of Oiwa’s character, that as a daughter, wife and mother of a samurai household at the end of the Edo period.Show less
Yosano Akiko (1878-1942) is een van de beroemdste schrijfsters uit Japan. Zij schreef o.a. gedichten en vertaalde Klassiek Japanse literatuur naar Modern Japans. Echter schreef zij ook...Show moreYosano Akiko (1878-1942) is een van de beroemdste schrijfsters uit Japan. Zij schreef o.a. gedichten en vertaalde Klassiek Japanse literatuur naar Modern Japans. Echter schreef zij ook feministische essays en kinder- en meisjes verhalen. Vooral haar shōjo shōsetsu (meisjes verhalen) worden in Engels -en Japanstalige literatuur nauwelijks behandeld, omdat zij worden bestempeld als broodschrijverij. In deze scriptie laat ik door een analyse Akiko's shōjo shōsetsu 'Tamaki no ichinenkan' (Tamaki's Jaar) zien dat dit beeld van haar shōjo verhalen te simplistisch is omdat dit verhaal niet zomaar de shōjo-gendernormen uit de Meiji-periode reflecteert, maar een afspiegeling was van het vrouwbeeld en de levensstijl die Akiko in haar essays aanprees. Deze verhalen kunnen worden gezien als een uitwerking van haar feministische essays voor jonge meisjes, en hadden dus duidelijk een ideologische boodschap. Middels dit verhaal bood Akiko een alternatief voor de gendernorm (die tevens de standaard was in shōjo shōsetsu) van ‘de shōjo als ryōsai kenbo (goede vrouw en wijze moeder)-in-spe’.Show less
This thesis describes the comparative relationship between the yakuza and (Italian) mafia, and the movies that represent them. Special attention is given to the women within this groups, as they...Show moreThis thesis describes the comparative relationship between the yakuza and (Italian) mafia, and the movies that represent them. Special attention is given to the women within this groups, as they are often portrayed as passive and uninvolved. Both the movies and the literature confirm this marginalization of women, though for different reasons: the movies refer to the male audience of the movies, where strong women would not appeal to the main audience, while the literature refers to the male dominance of the crime world. Changes in the sex ratio of the crime world as well as the movies (that represent criminals) are, for now, a thing of the future.Show less
How can Yoshimoto Banana’s novel Goodbye Tsugumi be understood through the lens of feminist literary theories such as post-feminism and gender? This thesis first analyses the current discussion of...Show moreHow can Yoshimoto Banana’s novel Goodbye Tsugumi be understood through the lens of feminist literary theories such as post-feminism and gender? This thesis first analyses the current discussion of the novel. Then it moves onward with a new approach using feminist theory, and dissect the importance of relationships and surroundings of the two main female characters, Maria and Tsugumi. The reflection includes their emotions and how the present and past are dealt with.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
open access
2020-08-31T00:00:00Z
The contemporary Japanese author Murakami Haruki is world-renowned for his work as a novelist, essayist and translator. This study examines how his celebrity authorship is fabricated in the...Show moreThe contemporary Japanese author Murakami Haruki is world-renowned for his work as a novelist, essayist and translator. This study examines how his celebrity authorship is fabricated in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It poses the hypothesis that his celebrity authorship is inherently paradoxical, as the author seems to be invested in a multiplicity of subject positions.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to provide insight into the representation of boys in Battle Royale and what this says about masculinity in Japan. I will explore the book, the manga and the movie...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to provide insight into the representation of boys in Battle Royale and what this says about masculinity in Japan. I will explore the book, the manga and the movie versions of Battle RoyaleShow less
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) or 'Hokusai' for short, ukiyo-e or Japanese woodblock artist renowned for the print 'The Great Wave' (1830-32), published a year before his death the painting manual ...Show moreKatsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) or 'Hokusai' for short, ukiyo-e or Japanese woodblock artist renowned for the print 'The Great Wave' (1830-32), published a year before his death the painting manual 'Ehon Saishiki Tsū' or 'On the Use of Colouring' (1848). In this study I will pose the question of how Hokusai represented his drawing style in Ehon Saishiki Tsū, focussing on how Hokusai explained his use of lines. Ehon Saishiki Tsū has not yet been studied from this perspective. Most studies have focused on the usage of color or pigments in his paintings, which Hokusai gives instructions about in this manual. This study is relevant to art historians and connoisseurs of Japanese art as it puts emphasis on Hokusai's style and how he has represented it through Ehon Saishiki Tsū. In it I have found that Hokusai's explanation on how to draw waterfalls is an example of his realistic style of drawing we see in his middle and late period. Hokusai's way of presenting his explanations exemplify how he has positioned himself as an experienced artist who uses the medium of painting manuals to transmit his experience to his audience: the inexperienced student of art.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
open access
Under the title ‘seeing culture by ear’, this thesis discusses what radio and radio studies is able to ‘show’ academia, what Japanese radio listeners get to ‘see’ when they tune in to their...Show moreUnder the title ‘seeing culture by ear’, this thesis discusses what radio and radio studies is able to ‘show’ academia, what Japanese radio listeners get to ‘see’ when they tune in to their favourite (community) radio stations and why these stations can be eye-opening for scholars researching radio and communities. The main argument is that radio is able to (greatly) contribute to the socialisation and cultivation of its listeners (especially on a local level) and that it is an appropriate medium for creating a sense of locality. To show how this could possibly be achieved, this thesis uses George Gerbner’s “Cultural Indicators Approach” and applies it to two community radio stations in northern Japan, namely FM Wappy in Wakkanai (Hokkaidō) and BeFM in Hachinohe (Aomori). By looking at the institutions involved with the creation of broadcasts and the messages which actually fill the airwaves, it becomes easier to see how the cultivating (and socialising) capabilities of these radio stations are realised. A few of the results are the large emphasis on the experiences of people, the participation of the station with local events and the opportunity for members of the community to create their own (short) shows. Also, especially in the case of BeFM, a continuous referral to local history, culture and language adds to the idea of radio being a tool for strengthening communal sentiments and local identity. Besides secondary (academic) literature, this thesis also contains fieldwork done by the author in 2015, an interview held with Mrs. Katō Yumi, the chairwoman of the board of directors at FM Wappy, and a message analysis of radio programmes broadcast during the summer of 2016.Show less
Deze scriptie behandelt de naoorlogse films van Ozu Yasujiro, en met name de films met het Noriko-personage 'Late Spring', 'Early Summer' en 'Tokyo Story'. Gekeken wordt naar de verhouding tussen...Show moreDeze scriptie behandelt de naoorlogse films van Ozu Yasujiro, en met name de films met het Noriko-personage 'Late Spring', 'Early Summer' en 'Tokyo Story'. Gekeken wordt naar de verhouding tussen het personage en de tijdperk waarin het personage 'leeft'.Show less
n de benadering van het werk van vrouwelijke Japanse dichters zoals Itō komt veelal de term vrouwelijkheid naar voren, om te stellen dat vrouwen wezenlijk anders schrijven dan mannen. Toshiko...Show moren de benadering van het werk van vrouwelijke Japanse dichters zoals Itō komt veelal de term vrouwelijkheid naar voren, om te stellen dat vrouwen wezenlijk anders schrijven dan mannen. Toshiko Ellis2 legt uit dat een categorie als ‘vrouwelijk’ ontstaan is, omdat het werk van moderne vrouwelijke schrijvers oorspronkelijk gepromoot werd als werk dat vanuit een uniek vrouwelijk oogpunt werd geschreven en dat vrouwen dus wezenlijk anders schreven. Bij een begrip als vrouwelijkheid komt echter onherroepelijk de vraag omhoog wat dit begrip precies betekent. Wanneer is iets ‘vrouwelijk’ in Japan en waarom wordt een dergelijk kenmerk toegekend aan zoiets als moderne poëzie door vrouwen?Show less
While references to the Takarazuka Revue are by no means scarce in academic writing about Japanese theatre or popular culture, the perspective chosen by most authors is often based on gender...Show moreWhile references to the Takarazuka Revue are by no means scarce in academic writing about Japanese theatre or popular culture, the perspective chosen by most authors is often based on gender studies. This is an understandable trend, considering the Revue’s status as a long-running company whose actresses consist solely of unmarried women. It is exactly this status that opens the door to inquiries regarding the gender identification or sexuality of the seito (lit. ‘student’; the performers of the Revue are referred to as seito to nuance that they are still in training rather than being professional actresses1), as well as that of the fans who consume this form of entertainment. However, this approach places the focus on the theatrical productions and their value as entertainment as being subservient to gender mechanics of the Revue instead of the other way around. Often, the creative work involved in the lavish productions staged by Takarazuka receive but a brief mention in academic writing, if any at all. It is my opinion that the manner in which Takarazuka shows are written and staged is equally important to the understanding of the Revue’s popularity as the efforts made by its seito to master the art of playing another gender. To this end, I will focus on the adaptation of foreign productions to the Takarazuka stage. Because these adaptations invariably undergo changes in order to be assimilated into the Revue’s repertoire, I believe that by researching the differences with the original material will offer an interesting perspective in which way the writing and staging of shows contributes to creating the world of dreams Takarazuka is famed, or notorious, for.Show less
Er zijn verschillende methodes om boeken, films en spellen in genres onder te verdelen. Het spelgenre ‘JRPG’, oftewel Japans(e) Role Playing Game(s), is een genre dat uniek is vanwege de...Show moreEr zijn verschillende methodes om boeken, films en spellen in genres onder te verdelen. Het spelgenre ‘JRPG’, oftewel Japans(e) Role Playing Game(s), is een genre dat uniek is vanwege de classificatie op grond van het land van herkomst. Het feit dat dit genre tegenover het ‘Westerse’ RPG-genre staat vind ik een intrigerend verschijnsel. Een genre indeling op deze basis is vrij uniek, want er zijn omtrent dit onderwerp mijns inziens onterecht geen wetenschappelijke artikelen over gepubliceerd. Ik tracht te onderzoeken welke precieze rol en functie vertelstructuren uitoefenen in JRPG om deze lacune op te vullen. Om dit te bewerkstelligen ga ik in op het classificeren van videospellen, vervolgens de geschiedenis van beide genres onder de loep nemen om zelf een scherpe lijn te kunnen trekken tussen de twee genres.Show less
