Even though the Weinstein scandal and the #metoo movement opened the debate about feminism across societies, it seemed that the debate did not happen in Japan. After doing some research, one can...Show moreEven though the Weinstein scandal and the #metoo movement opened the debate about feminism across societies, it seemed that the debate did not happen in Japan. After doing some research, one can see that mass media in Japan do not echo any feminist ideas. Throughout the years, the mass media have neglected feminist debates and even generated negative discourse on feminism. However, if one looks into more alternative media sources, it becomes obvious that the feminist debate is actually well established in Japan. There are media sources such as feminist journals that open discussions on topics like gender roles and sexual liberation. Feminist publications have existed in Japan since the beginning of the 20th century. However, as those journals challenge Japanese societal norms, they are categorized as niche media with quite a small readership. On the other hand, manga is another type of alternative media with a large readership that highlights a feminist debate. Within manga literature, there are specific genres that target a female readership from teenagers (shoujo) to adults (josei). I argue that among manga, shoujo and josei manga genres are the most read outlets of feminist ideas within Japanese media.Show less
In Japan, the concept of genze riyaku, which literally means ‘this-worldly benefits’, implies the sphere of this life in which most prayers, requests and needs of the Japanese towards the supposed...Show moreIn Japan, the concept of genze riyaku, which literally means ‘this-worldly benefits’, implies the sphere of this life in which most prayers, requests and needs of the Japanese towards the supposed power of the other world (takai) and its occupants (such as kami, Buddhas and ancestors) are directed. The notion, aside from its materialistic ethic, may be aimed at the attainment of peace of mind and emotional solace; inside this framework, it is usually possible to distinguish four different categories: prevention from disasters, wish for success in life and career, a prosperous love life, and the quelling of demons. First of all, it will be important to establish the limits of the concept ‘religious’ that so often we find in the literature about this topic, which “takes for granted an essentialist (and basically Christocentric) definition of religion” [Josephson, 2011]. After laying the foundations of the Japanese ‘religious’ situation, I will return to the main topic of genze riyaku, better describing the elements that it comprises and that are related to it, such as kudoku (merit). Further, I shall explain how the support from shrines and temples can be provided in different ways, such as through specific rituals, prayers from priests, the personal worship of statues or other sacred objects, and so on. Nonetheless, another option that enable the granting of benefits is the purchase of talismans and amulets, known as ema, omamori and ofuda: altogether, it is possible to affirm that what is embedded in these ritual institutions is a role of crisis management. Since the presence of genze riyaku dates back to before the introduction of the Western concept of religion in Japan, how should we actually label it? Is it a social, cultural, religious concept? What is its relationship with the ritual institutions, and does the genze riyaku help in stressing this sort of “Japanese religiousness”? Lastly, what can the economic aspect around the selling of talismans and amulets or paid rites tell us about the notion of genze riyaku?Show less
It is commonly accepted that food is part of heritage; indeed, food, because of its universal character, carries an emotional value that makes it a fundamental component of identity-making. Food...Show moreIt is commonly accepted that food is part of heritage; indeed, food, because of its universal character, carries an emotional value that makes it a fundamental component of identity-making. Food heritage was given an international recognition in 2010 when the UNESCO inscribed the first culinary practices on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Taking the Gastronomic Meal of the French registered in 2010, and the Japanese Washoku inscribed in 2013, this paper explores the issues surrounding the listing of national culinary traditions by the UNESCO. First, comparing the registration processes in France and Japan allows to understand how both elements can be perceived as “invented traditions”. However, the inscription had various consequences; if both countries used the UNESCO label for political and economic purposes, it seems like France did it to a lesser degree than Japan. Finally, a newspapers analysis shows the divergent reactions in the French and Japanese media and underlines the political nature of the inscription.Show less
Hate speech has become an increasingly severe problem in Japanese society since 2013, and Japan has been urged nationally and internationally to take a stance against discriminatory speech....Show moreHate speech has become an increasingly severe problem in Japanese society since 2013, and Japan has been urged nationally and internationally to take a stance against discriminatory speech. Consequently, Japan enacted its first domestic anti-hate speech law in 2016. This thesis aims to asses how effective the Hate Speech Elimination Act of 2016 has been in reducing discrimination against the Korean minority living in Japan. Through an analysis of secondary sources and national as well as governmental legislation, it concludes that although the Hate Speech Elimination Act of 2016 is unsuccessful in that it does not criminalize discriminatory speech in public spaces. It has, however, introduced a guideline for local governments to enact more effective laws banning hate speech.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
Bicultural or multicultural identities have emanated from migration in today’s world of globalisation. This study focuses on the gap in research on the development of return migration’s impact on...Show moreBicultural or multicultural identities have emanated from migration in today’s world of globalisation. This study focuses on the gap in research on the development of return migration’s impact on cultural identity through the case study of readjustment experiences of Japan’s kikokushijo. By examining eight factors, both personal, societal, and interactive, the analysis finds that recent return migrants experience less severe readjustment problems than those in the 1970s and 1980s, and that Japanese society’s perception of return migrants is less critical. Yet recent return migrants still struggle with “traditional” aspects of Japan, issues of identity, and stereotypes. Through the analysis of Japan’s kikokushijo, this research adds a new perspective and contributes to the broader field of migration in an era of globalisation with a focus on society’s perception of return migrants, cultural identity development, and readjustment strategies.Show less
There is quite a difference in corporate culture between Japan and the US. Despite this, both countries have many companies that thrive in many sectors worldwide, the video game industry being one...Show moreThere is quite a difference in corporate culture between Japan and the US. Despite this, both countries have many companies that thrive in many sectors worldwide, the video game industry being one of them. This seems to imply that there are multiple paths to success when it comes to running a company, or are there perhaps other factors playing? This analysis will focus mainly on Nintendo and Valve, from Japan and the US respectively, as both exemplify the differences in corporate culture between the 2 countries and both have found great success as a company. Analyzing them will hopefully give a better understanding of the differences between the corporate culture of the 2 countries, as well as finding out whether their respective corporate cultures have contributed to their success.Show less
The thesis presents how victimization and revisionism is used in Japan to address the historical memories of the Second World War, by showcasing elements of both in the anime titled Zipang.
The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the influence of the Confucian family system over lesbian, gay men, bisexual, and transsexual rights, LGBT rights, in Japan. This thesis investigates how...Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is to analyse the influence of the Confucian family system over lesbian, gay men, bisexual, and transsexual rights, LGBT rights, in Japan. This thesis investigates how this family system portrays hegemonic gender roles over the Japanese population. One of the outcomes is that the Confucian family system created a registry system, or Koseki Seido which dates back the Tokugawa era. The koseki seido has been an obstacle for these LGBT communities to have a legal status in Japan. Also, the traditionalist nature of the Japanese society has severely impacted the efforts of these minority groups in obtaining civil rights, when compared to more LGBT-friendly countries. Even though LGBT communities have not obtained a legal status within Japan’s society, since 2015 the Shibuya prefecture has been issuing same-sex partnerships that have granted these communities a better legal status. The partnership certificates are not legally binding; however, same-sex couples can be afforded the same civil rights as that of opposite-sex couples. The inclusion of the same-sex partnership certificates as a case study serves to illustrate how Japan is progressing in adapting LGBT rights, albeit slowly.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
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In deze scriptie wordt gekeken naar waarom de kat zo veel wordt gerepresenteerd in Moderne Japanse literatuur. Beschreven wordt de rol van de kat in drie verschillende moderne Japanse literaire...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt gekeken naar waarom de kat zo veel wordt gerepresenteerd in Moderne Japanse literatuur. Beschreven wordt de rol van de kat in drie verschillende moderne Japanse literaire werken, in verband met de moderne Japanse maatschappij. Verschillende maatschappelijke thema's worden aangekaart en in verband gebracht met de rol van de kat. Ook wordt er gekeken naar waarom de kat in veel culturen vaak een grote rol speelt.Show less
Amidst an ever-changing international order, and the growing importance of the role of the business in international relations, it is important to analyze the foundations of the business...Show moreAmidst an ever-changing international order, and the growing importance of the role of the business in international relations, it is important to analyze the foundations of the business communities. Businesses function in diverse ways, from working in close relations with the state to diminishing physical boundaries through the reach of Multinational Corporations. The role of business is increasingly under focus, due to its role in facilitating mainly economic benefits, but also cultural, social, and even political ones. The mobility of businesses and their limitless access to innovation allows them to become a perfect candidate to attract and influence massive amounts of consumers globally, making it one of the more crucial actors in international relations today. While businesses were traditionally looked upon as simply being economically potent, the perspective has now shifted to how businesses influence culture, social and political affairs. According to the research, Western corporations functioned in more adhocracy-style management with moderate control due to their attention to flexibility and differentiation with competitors; n environment rooted in more individualization then collective thought. The analysis highlighted that for Japanese corporations, Japan’s national culture of consent has oriented Japanese corporations towards a more clan-like management style with a focus on the external market (competitiveness), as well as being an organic process that understands the needs of the individual. The analysis provides a unique opportunity to analyze the extent of how much corporate culture is influenced by the state's input on culture in Japanese corporations. While such classification appears convincing, their classificatory approaches nonetheless raise several questions such as: what does corporate culture really mean? While these authors interchangeably use tradition and culture, is culture really rooted in tradition? Or is it a dynamic tool that can be invented for the purpose of others in relation to the dichotomy that exists between the “organic” dynamism of culture vs. its bureaucratic purposes? How is the Japanese case so unique, and how significant is it? At the core of Japanese developmentalism, there exists a clear distinction between tradition and culture and is essential to building a Japanese national identity. This was because culture utilized aspects of tradition to reinvent what Japanese culture meant at the time based on external factors. The success of the Japanese developmental state model is attributed to the state’s creative appropriation of tradition, yet this shows that the term can be used as a tool to further the state’s ambitions.Show less
Deze scriptie zal kijken naar mogelijke sociale verklaringen voor de ineffectieve praktische toepassing van de wet rondom de geesteszieke delinquenten in Japan. Hiervoor zal er eerst worden gekeken...Show moreDeze scriptie zal kijken naar mogelijke sociale verklaringen voor de ineffectieve praktische toepassing van de wet rondom de geesteszieke delinquenten in Japan. Hiervoor zal er eerst worden gekeken naar de ontwikkelingen in de wet, waarom de wet is geworden zoals die nu is. Dit wordt gedaan door middel van een historische analyse in hoofdstuk 2. Vervolgens zal in hoofdstuk 2 worden uitgelegd hoe de MTSA in elkaar zit en welke groepen geesteszieke delinquenten niet in aanmerking komen voor dit systeem. Als laatste zal er in hoofdstuk 2 ook worden gekeken naar wat het strafwetboek van Japan zegt over de veroordeling van geesteszieke delinquenten en wat er daadwerkelijk gebeurt. Zo zijn er zaken waarbij delinquenten met een geestelijke achterstand en delinquenten die ten tijde van hun executie geestesziek waren, toch geëxecuteerd. Terwijl de wet voorschrijft dat dit niet mogelijk hoort te zijn. Vervolgens zal er in hoofdstuk 3 gekeken worden naar de verandering in de strafrechtelijke aansprakelijkheid, het punitief populisme en de doodstraf. Deze sociale factoren kunnen de ineffectieve praktische toepassing van de wet rondom geesteszieke delinquenten verklaren. Er zal gebruik worden gemaakt van een theoretisch kader van Fenwick om het punitief populisme in Japan te verklaren. Hoewel het punitief populisme in voorgaande onderzoeken omtrent geesteszieke delinquenten vaak kort wordt benoemd, zal er een uitgebreide analyse worden gedaan van het punitief populisme in Japanse context en hoe dit fenomeen invloed uitoefent op andere sociale factoren, zoals de strafrechtelijke aansprakelijkheid.Show less
This research provides new insights into Japanese society and the importance to food consumption onboard trains in Japan. Food and the consumption thereof play a part in every society. In the urban...Show moreThis research provides new insights into Japanese society and the importance to food consumption onboard trains in Japan. Food and the consumption thereof play a part in every society. In the urban areas of Japan there is no getting away from the consumption of food, especially in and around stations. One of the most common products consumed onboard the trains during long journeys is the ekiben. Another service providing food onboard trains is the dining car (shokudōsha). While the ekiben continued to thrive, the shokudōsha were discontinued completely in 2002. This thesis explains why this difference in prosperity exists through an examination of the history of the shokudōsha and the ekiben. Thereafter, it explains how societal changes influenced the cultural significance of both services. The thesis concluded that there was a difference in cultural significance between the shokudōsha and the ekiben. This thesis aims to contribute to the comprehensive research of food culture in Japan and to stimulate more English research into the shokudōsha to expand the knowledge of food culture in Japan.Show less
This study sets out to understand the workings, uncover the outcomes and shed light on the insiders’ experiences of cram schooling in Japan. Cram schools are an intertwined part of the Japanese...Show moreThis study sets out to understand the workings, uncover the outcomes and shed light on the insiders’ experiences of cram schooling in Japan. Cram schools are an intertwined part of the Japanese education system, with the majority of Japanese students being enrolled in cram school at some time in their education. The seemingly necessary but in reality voluntary cram schools lead to several issues: one of them, referred to in this study as the first dimension, is the dimension of cram schooling causing a lot of stress for and pressure on the students, and depriving them from much-needed free time. The second dimension focuses on the accessibility of cram schools, and brings the debate of inequality and social immobility to this study. The third dimension is based on original interviews and provides an inside look into the experiences of cram school students and teachers, in a search for an answer to the research question: “How do the participants of Japanese cram schooling experience the cram schooling system and do their opinions match the criticisms voiced by outsiders?”Show less
I believe the importance of Japanese mercenaries and recruited civilians for the VOC cannot be forgotten in the debate about the establishment of Dutch power in the Indonesian Archipelago....Show moreI believe the importance of Japanese mercenaries and recruited civilians for the VOC cannot be forgotten in the debate about the establishment of Dutch power in the Indonesian Archipelago. Certainly not in the 21st century, in which we question issues like colonialism and imperialism. My main question will be: ‘What difference did the Japanese mercenaries and recruited Japanese civilians make to the VOC during their establishment of power in the Indonesian Archipelago between 1609-1641?’Show less
