This thesis aims to answer the question if the lay judge system implemented in 2009 in Japan has changed the death sentencing process and the number of death sentences. Besides an analysis of...Show moreThis thesis aims to answer the question if the lay judge system implemented in 2009 in Japan has changed the death sentencing process and the number of death sentences. Besides an analysis of statistics of the Japanese government, this thesis also discusses the emotional consequences of lay judges having to impose a death sentence. By combining these two aspects, this thesis provides several points of discussion that might be valuable for further research.Show less
This thesis focuses on the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido Japan, and how they were represented in visual sources from the early modern period. The analysis features twelve prints and...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido Japan, and how they were represented in visual sources from the early modern period. The analysis features twelve prints and scrolls that show the Ainu as inferior or 'other' to their Japanese neighbors. Furthermore, the sources involve the concepts of racial stereotyping and power conflicts.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to evaluate how much progress Japan has made in dismantling its most costly non-tariff measures (NTMs). Two specific industries are evaluated: the pharmaceutical and the...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to evaluate how much progress Japan has made in dismantling its most costly non-tariff measures (NTMs). Two specific industries are evaluated: the pharmaceutical and the medical devices industry.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to find out to what extend the influences of North Korea and China have been a cause for the 2015 Comfort Women Agreement between Japan and South Korea, and why.
Dit onderzoek richt zich op de politieke, sociale en culturele veranderingen in de overgang van de Tokugawa 徳川時代 (Tokugawa-jidai) (1603-1868) en de Meiji periode 明治時代 (Meiji-jidai) (1868-1912)....Show moreDit onderzoek richt zich op de politieke, sociale en culturele veranderingen in de overgang van de Tokugawa 徳川時代 (Tokugawa-jidai) (1603-1868) en de Meiji periode 明治時代 (Meiji-jidai) (1868-1912). Door gebruik te maken van contextuele en visuele analyse van de ukiyo-e prentenserie ‘Chiyoda no Ōoku’ 千代田の大奥 (Het Binnenpaleis van Chiyoda) (1895-1896) van de kunstenaar Yōshū Chikanobu 揚州周延en diverse andere secundaire bronnen, worden de veranderingen die tijdens deze periode plaatsvonden aangetoond.Show less
When the reversion of Okinawa occurred in 1972, the island already was a complex amalgamation of various identities: heirs of indigenous Ryukyu culture, second-class Japanse citizens subjected to...Show moreWhen the reversion of Okinawa occurred in 1972, the island already was a complex amalgamation of various identities: heirs of indigenous Ryukyu culture, second-class Japanse citizens subjected to discrimination and war victims betrayed by its own government and colonised by a foreign force. Literally rising from the ashes, Okinawa has been reformulating its identity once again in face of challenges resulting from their marginal position amidst two greater powers. These include war trauma, economic rebuilding, continued discrimination by the mainland and persisting US base issues. Similar to a kaleidoscope, one can reposition individual elements to create a new constellation. Depending on the observer, different views and meanings can be constructed and interpreted. This thesis examines how Okinawans as a minority have emphasised and/or rearranged certain cultural symbols or narratives, creating new identities and using them as weapons, in order to negotiate a better standing within Japan following the period after the revision. Some developments that immediately come to mind are the emergence of civil society based on universal values of democracy, peace and ecology and the embedding of Okinawans as historical victims of the Japanese government and the mobilization of historical memory. I will be primarily focussing on contemporary post-reversion literature in my analysis, intending on researching the presence of these new identitities within contemporary novels. My objective is to observe if and/or how the ‘main model’ mentioned above is reflected and if the tendencies of modern literature have shifted accordingly.Show less
This thesis discusses how Paul Schrader visualised Mishima Yukio's distinct notions on beauty and death in the 1985 film 'Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters'.
The fox in Japan has an image of either a benevolent or an evil being. This thesis examines this creature and creates awareness to the origin of this image. The image of the Indian Dakini, a...Show moreThe fox in Japan has an image of either a benevolent or an evil being. This thesis examines this creature and creates awareness to the origin of this image. The image of the Indian Dakini, a voluptuous demon, merged with the image of the benevolent kami Inari in Japan. Looking at stories about the fox, the thesis proves that this image of the fox could better be described as one of an 'in-between' animal, neither good nor bad in being. The fox acts according to the situation it is in and is mostly just a mischievous animal.Show less
Gairaigo have become indispensable in Japan’s daily life due to their various functions. Some of these functions are employed in the industry of fashion. Here, gairaigo are used for example to...Show moreGairaigo have become indispensable in Japan’s daily life due to their various functions. Some of these functions are employed in the industry of fashion. Here, gairaigo are used for example to refer to new concepts or trends that cannot be described using native Japanese terms. These gairaigo lack a so-called equivalent in the Japanese language and are called cultural borrowings. Gairaigo that do have an equivalent in the Japanese language are called core borrowings, and are often used for their modern image. My thesis focuses on this use of gairaigo in the industry of fashion. In particular I do research into the ratio of core and cultural borrowings on covers of Japanese fashion magazines. The aim of this research is to find an answer to the following research question: “What is the relation between the age of the target group of Japanese fashion magazines and the ratio of cultural and core borrowings on the covers of these magazines?” This is done by gathering all candidate-gairaigo from covers of both magazines aimed at women aged 50+ and magazines aimed at women in their late 10s and 20s. All the found gairaigo are thereafter classified as either core or cultural borrowings. Finally a comparison is made between the ratio of core and cultural borrowings on magazine covers aimed at elderly women and the ratio of core and cultural borrowings on magazine covers aimed at younger women.Show less
