This paper focuses on paving new ways to analyze political agency and the re-molding of the concept of orthodoxy according to contingent needs in the two most relevant emperors of the Western Han...Show moreThis paper focuses on paving new ways to analyze political agency and the re-molding of the concept of orthodoxy according to contingent needs in the two most relevant emperors of the Western Han Dynasty (202 BCE-9 CE), namely Han Gaozu (256-195 BCE) and Han Wudi (156-87 BCE). Through a textual analysis, this researches will investigate music as a cultural artefact and in what terms it is talked about, finally shedding some light on the logical fragility of assuming orthodoxy and tradition as never changing.Show less
In this thesis, I aim to answer the question “how did Japanese teachers themselves view the state of postwar education during the American Occupation?”. In chapter 1, a brief overview will be given...Show moreIn this thesis, I aim to answer the question “how did Japanese teachers themselves view the state of postwar education during the American Occupation?”. In chapter 1, a brief overview will be given of the state of education and the educational reforms during the American Occupation. In chapter 2, the scholarly debate on the issues surrounding Japanese education in the Occupation period (1945-1952) will be described and analysed, as well as the scholarly debate on the views of the Japanese people on defeat and war responsibility in the direct postwar period. In chapter 3, three examples of the realities faced by teachers in Japan during the American Occupation are explored on the basis of two published diaries and one published memoir:“ How did teachers deal with defeat? Days of anguish and fumbling around - Two-year education diary (Kyōshi wa haisen dō mukaeta no ka: Kunō to mosaku no hibi― 2-Nenkan no kyōiku nisshi)” by Nagai Kenji and “War and love: a female teacher’s war and postwar diary (Ikusa to ai to: Josei kyōshi no senchū sengo nikki)” by Kobayashi Hana and Reminiscences of an Elementary School Principal (Aru shōgakkō-chō no kaisō) by Kanazawa Kaichi. The experiences of these teachers will be analysed in the broader context of the postwar education in order to get a better understanding of the “bottom-up” processes they participated in. I argue that viewing postwar education from a “bottom-up” perspective brings to light new insights on the educational reforms and their implementation, and the on experiences of teachers as under the American OccupationShow less
Most scholars agree that the Japanese amphibious strategy is fundamentally flawed by the lack of cooperation between the Japanese Self Defense Forces’ (JSDF) ground and maritime branches, as well...Show moreMost scholars agree that the Japanese amphibious strategy is fundamentally flawed by the lack of cooperation between the Japanese Self Defense Forces’ (JSDF) ground and maritime branches, as well as the latter’s lack of dedicated amphibious capabilities. However, while the struggles of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) have been extensively documented in papers and interviews by academics, retired JGSDF and United States Marine Corps (USMC) officers, research on its Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) counterpart has lagged behind. The JMSDF’s amphibious warfare unit, counterintuitively or perhaps fittingly called the Mine Warfare Force (MWF), is only mentioned contextually, and portrayed as an inadequate JMSDF counterpart to the JGSDF’s marines. Yet, the archipelago nation, standing as the greatest obstacle to China's seaward expansion, cannot afford to possess ineffective amphibious forces. Whether it is from the perspective of containing, deterring, or fighting the People's Liberation Army (PLA), for Japan, the ability to quickly deploy and sustain forces on its islands is essential. Why was arguably the most professional Navy in Asia unable to develop an effective amphibious counterpart for Japan's naval infantry? By conducting a comprehensive analysis of Japanese naval literature from official and quasi-official sources, this thesis aims to demonstrate that, contrary to common wisdom, neither Japan's pacifist nature nor a preconceived lack of JMSDF interest in amphibious capabilities shaped this result. Instead, the deeper reasons for this failure must be sought in intra- and inter-organizational politics within the JSDF. To prove this point, the thesis will analyze the MWF's evolution from its inception to the present day, focusing on three transformational moments that occurred in the periods of 2011 to 2013, 2014 to 2017, and 2018 to 2023.Show less
