This thesis analyses political speeches by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his second period of office from 2012 onwards, in order to uncover how he uses narratives of historical representations...Show moreThis thesis analyses political speeches by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his second period of office from 2012 onwards, in order to uncover how he uses narratives of historical representations to reach his policy goals. In light of the opposition to constitutional revision as proposed by Abe, researching how he deals and tries to manipulate discourse in this field allows for a better understanding of the future trajectory of Japan’s foreign policy. This is because constitutional revision would allow for Japan to have a more active role in security issues. At the moment Japan’s security position is still constricted by historical narratives based on constructed memories or political myths. While the push for constitutional revision is not new, the recent missile threats from North Korea together with pressure from the international community seem to be speeding up the process. These constitutional constrictions are also heavily bound by the post war relationship between the United States and Japan. Furthermore, because of historical narratives, the Japanese national identity remains a problematic issue in Japanese politics. Thus, the Japanese government has to cater to both Japanese citizens and the international community in its official communications. An analysis of political speeches may help us understand possible changes or disputes on memory as a result of political interests. This is because official representations of the past are strongly linked with identity and thus also with foreign policy. Therefore, through the use of poststructuralist discourse analysis, this paper aims to research how Abe positions himself in the discourse of war memories and his actions to accomplish constitutional revision from his second term onwards. Additionally, due to the importance of apology issuance for the stabilisation of Japan’s relations with neighbouring countries, such as China and Korea, this paper will briefly analyse Abe’s apologies and utterances of remorse during his speeches through Lind’s framework of apologetic apologies.Show less
This thesis, submitted as a graduation thesis for the BA International Studies at Leiden University, discusses how contemporary manga can serve as a medium for political messages and ideas. Due to...Show moreThis thesis, submitted as a graduation thesis for the BA International Studies at Leiden University, discusses how contemporary manga can serve as a medium for political messages and ideas. Due to its unique features vis-à-vis other forms of comics, manga has been a powerful tool for the production and consumption of cultural meaning by both its author and audience. Indeed, manga artists, such as Shigeru Mizuki and Osamu Tezuka, have actively used their works to convey various political messages and ideas, thereby forming public opinion on certain matters. However, scholar Hiroki Azuma claims that contemporary manga lack such capabilities, stating that they merely provide fan-service to consumers. Since no other author challenges Azuma’s claim, this thesis performs qualitative analyses on contemporary manga about the Japanese constitution and constitutional revision, in order to disprove Azuma’s claim, and to prove that contemporary manga, too, can have a political narrative. Analysing one government manga (Honobono Ikka no Kenpo Kaisei tte Nani?), two instructional manga (Ishinomori Shotaro no Manga Nipponkoku Kenpou and Manga de Wakaru Nipponkoku Kenpou), and one story manga series (Time Slip), this thesis reveals the various messages on constitutional change these contemporary manga seek to convey. Ultimately, this thesis disproves Azuma’s claim, showing that contemporary manga, too, can act as carriers of political meaning, and that they can either challenge or assert a certain hegemonic discourse.Show less