The thesis makes an important point in emphasizing- against much of the conventional scholarly literature on the subject- that the Russo-Japanese War is usefully seen in a broader context of...Show moreThe thesis makes an important point in emphasizing- against much of the conventional scholarly literature on the subject- that the Russo-Japanese War is usefully seen in a broader context of competing imperial powers. The conclusion brings together the various players and the war's implications for each fairly effectively.Show less
Propaganda exists in many shapes and sizes: pamphlets, stories in newspapers and magazines, film, leaflets or speeches on the radio. Around the world, this type of psychological warfare has been...Show morePropaganda exists in many shapes and sizes: pamphlets, stories in newspapers and magazines, film, leaflets or speeches on the radio. Around the world, this type of psychological warfare has been used to convince the enemy that their cause is lost and the home front that they are on the winning side.The same was the case in Southeast Asia during the Asia-Pacific War, where Japan propagated a Great East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere. For this thesis I will examine Japanese propaganda in Indonesia and - more specifically - if this propaganda has developed or contributed to Indonesian national consciousness.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
By comparing historical narratives that coincided in WW II, I intend to examine how the national identities of the Netherlands and South Korea contrasted with one another and illustrate how the...Show moreBy comparing historical narratives that coincided in WW II, I intend to examine how the national identities of the Netherlands and South Korea contrasted with one another and illustrate how the former Comfort Women have been represented within their own social constructs thereafter. A crucial reason for partaking in a historical comparison, between the Netherlands and South Korea, is to combine a lesser documented case with a case which has received substantially more coverage in academia and the media. By examining historical events, I propose to shift the perspective from gaining formal recognition and compensation from the Japanese government, which is often the point of view in the media and an often discussed topic by academics, to instead: How were the former Comfort Women treated and represented by their own society after WW II? It is important to examine the Comfort Women Issue from a different perspective because the perspective of the society of which the former Comfort Women are a part of, holds as much significance in historical terms of accountability as the issue of the Japanese government’s reticence to offer satisfactory recompense.Show less
Since December 2012, with the political comeback of Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, Japan has been shifting its domestic policy in a more conservative direction, while at the same time opting for an...Show moreSince December 2012, with the political comeback of Prime Minister Abe Shinzō, Japan has been shifting its domestic policy in a more conservative direction, while at the same time opting for an assertive foreign policy involving a more resolute and proactive defense stance. Notwithstanding the political victories reported by the Abe government on both fronts, internal opposition to the new bills has been strong and widespread, involving not only the opposition parties, but also the LDP’s coalition partner Kōmeitō and public opinion. A wide range of protests and political activities have been held in Tokyo and in other major cities throughout the country against the government’s policies; among them, those organized by the group known as SEALDs have generated the greatest interest in the media and in the public. Because SEALDs’ relevance in the wider context of civil society in Japan has not been fully investigated yet, this thesis seeks to analyze SEALDs from a comparative perspective, with a view to clarifying the social and cultural roots of the group, and its originality in the context of contemporary Japanese social movements. Such a study would shed light on the political implications of the activities of SEALDs and on their potentiality to affect policymaking and public participation in civil society in contemporary Japan.Show less
Japanese views on the shared history between Japan and Taiwan has moved from cultivated ignorance to a generally positive view largely due to the economic and political development of Taiwan; the...Show moreJapanese views on the shared history between Japan and Taiwan has moved from cultivated ignorance to a generally positive view largely due to the economic and political development of Taiwan; the existence of Taiwan as an island of friendship to Japan in a sea of enemies and the democratisation and localisation movements in Taiwan.Show less
The Batavian society consisted of people of different nations. It was a society that started from scratch with the building and populating of Batavia in 1619. The process of people arriving in the...Show moreThe Batavian society consisted of people of different nations. It was a society that started from scratch with the building and populating of Batavia in 1619. The process of people arriving in the city and creating a living for themselves made visible the underlying organization: the formation of groups, leadership and the establishing of power. I relate and refer to texts on the topics of racialism, social biology, cultural communication and awareness, and colonial culture that allow insights in the Batavian situation.Show less
