JAPAN AND ASIA

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JAPAN AND ASIA
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• Post-war images of Asia in national narrative
  backward Asia
• Negative view transformed by 1949 Chinese
  revolution (Asian independence movements in
  India)
• 1953 Historian Ishimoda Sho, Maruyama Masao
• Cold War context ( US pressure)

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• 1950s fascination with the people minshu -
  mass culture influence of Chinese Revolution
  Intellectuals must learn from the masses
• Scepticism about western modernity and image of
  Asia improved.
• 1948 essay Takeuchi Yoshimi (scholar of Chinese
  literature) critique of Japan as tenko
  process of conversion, blind obedience to elites,
  China independent modernization idealization of
  China
• Japan slave of modern western civ.

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• Revaluation of Asia did not entail reassessment
  of war responsibility. Politicians, bureaucrats,
  emperor, militarists, ordinary Japanese seen as
  victims of war. No thought to Asian victims,
• 1960s 1963 OECD countries, economic miracle,
• 1968 self image change, 1951 47 said J inferior,
  1986 47 superior

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• Vietnam War Mai Lai massacre, inspire Japanese
  journalists to investigate Japanese atrocities in
  China. Honda Katsuichi Asahi Shimbun - China
  Travels Chugoku No Tabi Nanjing massacre.
• Novels
• Right wing constructions
• Society to Create New Text Books Pacific War
  fought against west to liberate Asia
• Ishihara Shintaro The Japan that Can Say No
• Anti-Asian utterances

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• Right Wings State Making Project
• Visits to Yasukuni Shrine
• LDP agenda for revision of 1946 constitution
• US-Japan relationship
• Status of Emperor
• Remaking state/military/glorify dead

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• Criticism from Korean Pres, Roh Moohyun and China
  
• Japan nullify past apologies, glorify past
  aggression
• P.M. Koizumi Junichiro official visits to
  Yasukuni since 2001 Shinto shrine custodian of
  Japanese empire
• Enshrined 2.5 million military people since
  early Meiji period
• Includes Tojo Hideki, Matsui Iwane, general
  Nanjing massacre class A war criminals.

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• Civilian victims atomic bomb victims not
  enshrined,
• Shrine is not a place of mourning
• Institution to honor and glorify the war dead
  soldiers. In the name of the state.
• Shrine takes a political position, war dead are
  martyrs,
• Does not accept legitimacy of Tokyo tribunals.

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• 1985 PM Nakasone Yasuhiro visit to shrine
  strong protest
• After 1986 no Japanese PM regular visit to shrine
  until Koizumi 2001
• Law suits,
• Fukuoka district court April 2004 ruling
• April 5 2005 text books,
• Protests in Beijing April 9.

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• Oppose Japans UN bid
• Boycott Japanese goods
• April 16 Shanghai tens of thousands protest
• 6-7 other cities.
• March 2005, 20 million Chinese sign a petition
  oppose Japan,
• China replace USA as Japans major trade partner.

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• Media in Japan, and politicians, - critique lack
  of democracy in China. See protests as internal
  protest against Chinese govt.
• Koizumi - Asian African summit in Indonesia 50th
  anniversary of Bandung
• 57 of Japanese say no to Yasukuni visits
• Abe Education Bill, teach citizenship, flag,
  service

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• Japanese images of Asia contradictory mirror
  Japanese national identity, changes in domestic
  and intl. pol. And economic conditions
• Asia, Consumption and Popular Culture
• Nostalgia for ASIA Frederic Jameson, nostalgia
  and pastiche are central features of late
  capitalist image production, - appropriation of
  past through images,
• Circulation of signs,
• Asian difference appropriated for J ends

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• Orientalist nostalgia for tradition Asia
  1990s masculinist nostalgia (Dorinne Kondo)
  Bali - tourist- spiritual renewal.
• Imperialist nostalgia (Thailand) loss incurred in
  process of modernization dominant (west)
  mourns dominated (non-west) is losing
• 1990s Japan seek lost modernized energy

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• Consumption of Asian popular culture
• Hong-Kong film,
• Korean soaps
• Vietnam Doku- Japan TV drama series Film
  Swallowtail Butterfly Chinese immigrants in
  Japan
• East Asian music