In the early Edo period (17th century), Christianity was persecuted in Japan after about a century of missionary activities by European priests. The Japanese persecution used fumi-e, ‘trample...Show moreIn the early Edo period (17th century), Christianity was persecuted in Japan after about a century of missionary activities by European priests. The Japanese persecution used fumi-e, ‘trample images’, to force converts to apostatize. This thesis analyses an extant fumi-e from the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde, and aims to answer how this fumi-e can be used as an illustration of the process of mutual exchange and adaptation, also called transculturation, that occured before and during the persecution. Using Panofsky’s iconological analysis, the image on the fumi-e can be identified as a depiction of the Madonna of the Rosary. Art featuring this motif was brought to Japan by European missionaries. The fumi-e shows stylistic influences from non-European artistic traditions. These are reminiscent of the art made by Japanese students of the Jesuits, Japanese Buddhist art, the yamato-e style, and nanban art. These influences can be explained by placing the object in the context of the persecution. The Volkenkunde fumi-e was specifically made for the persecution, as a replacement of the worn-out initial fumi-e that consisted of paintings and other fragile items. Using other extant fumi-e featuring the same motif, the development and gradual change of the ‘Madonna of the Rosary’ image can be seen. This change can be explained by the lack of European examples due to the ongoing persecution, and the process of transculturation that had already begun with the first missionaries. This process of transculturation can be seen in other aspects of the persecution as well. The government systematized three major ways of persecution, which can be seen as methods of surveillance and population control. These methods were social control in the form of the goningumi system and offering rewards to informants, monitoring in the form of obligatory registration at Buddhist temples and the compilation of population registers, and tests of faith using the fumi-e. These methods did not only impact Christians, but became part of the fabric of Japanese society, and affected the shape of Japanese Buddhism as well. Furthermore, they asserted the authority of the Tokugawa government. The persecution also helped shape a narrative about identity, in which Christians served as the ‘Other’ against which ‘Japaneseness’ could be contrasted. Echos of this narrative can be seen throughout the Edo period extending into early Meiji, and even in contemporary attitudes towards (Western) foreigners. The Volkenkunde fumi-e illustrates all these points. Its visual qualities show the artistic exchange in the ‘Christian Century’, while its purpose and use demonstrate how the subsequent persecution transformed society by providing methods for population control, assertion of authority for the Tokugawa bakufu, and creating a narrative about identity. It is therefore both a product and an illustration of the transcultural process that occured in the encounter between Japan and Christianity.Show less
This thesis explores the conceptualization of selfhood, self-interest, and self-sacrifice in ancient Chinese thought by performing an intra-textual analysis of several anecdotes in the Han Feizi, a...Show moreThis thesis explores the conceptualization of selfhood, self-interest, and self-sacrifice in ancient Chinese thought by performing an intra-textual analysis of several anecdotes in the Han Feizi, a canonical text on ancient Chinese political philosophy dating back to the 3rd century BCE. More specifically, this thesis describes a paradox in early Chinese thought, particularly in the Han Feizi, about conceptions of self-hood as articulated in anecdotes involving self-interest and self-sacrifice. A close reading of relevant passages demonstrates that, according to the Han Feizi, the contradictory tension between self-interest and self-sacrifice that instigated the premise for this study is in fact not so paradoxical after all. According to the Han Feizi, individuals are motivated by their self-interested nature, even when they sacrifice their limbs, their children, or their lives in the pursuit of personal aggrandizement.Show less
The Japanese video game industry used to be a leading force in the world. During the 90’s and the early 2000’s, Japanese video games dominated the international market. Recently, however, during...Show moreThe Japanese video game industry used to be a leading force in the world. During the 90’s and the early 2000’s, Japanese video games dominated the international market. Recently, however, during the end of the last decade and the start of the current decade, Japanese video games experienced a huge dip in their sales. Japan has been attempting to use the ‘Soft Power’, the concept of influence generated by its popular culture overseas, to its advantage. The link between the Japanese video game industry and the concept of Soft Power have not been sufficiently examined as of now, hence why it was the focus of this study. The aim of this study was to come to an understanding of why these fluctuations in the market occurred, as well as look for the potential influence of Japanese video games and their popularity overseas on Japan’s Soft Power. By asking questions, in the form of a survey, to experts from the Dutch video game industry, the objective was to come to new insights on the matter and open up possibilities for further research. Results from the survey showed that previously underrepresented factors contributed to the fall in popularity of Japanese video games in the West. Elements like ease of use, lingual nuances, as well as intrinsic differences in preferences of the Japanese domestic audience and the Western audience, were identified. The link between the performance of Japanese video games overseas and Japan’s Soft Power was also confirmed. Respondents acknowledge the capability of Japanese video games to influence the consumer’s image of Japan, albeit not always in a purely positive way. Arguments were also raised that the Japan portrayed in video games is often not the real Japan. This holds true, but in order to make a target audience think more positively about Japan, the ‘real’ Japan does not need to be represented accurately. Thus, it can be argued that popularity of Japanese video games overseas does indeed correlate to an increase in Japan’s Soft Power.Show less
This thesis is a study of the role of one of the constituent domains of the early modern Japanese state, Hizen, in the Meiji Revolution which overthrew the Tokugawa state.
Sentence-final particle (SFP) is a distinctive feature in various languages, including Japanese and Cantonese. In the thesis, the usages of two SFP combinations, "yone" in Japanese and "gaa3-wo3"...Show moreSentence-final particle (SFP) is a distinctive feature in various languages, including Japanese and Cantonese. In the thesis, the usages of two SFP combinations, "yone" in Japanese and "gaa3-wo3" in Cantonese, are dissected and analysed, so as to tell the differences in semantic and pragmatic effects between the SFP combinations and their individual component particles.Show less
