Digital Commons Network^™

From Vision To Legacy: Walter Gellhorn And The Establishment Of The Toshiba Library For Japanese Legal Research, Yukino Nakashima

Journal of East Asian Libraries

This paper chronicles events surrounding the creation of the largest academic Japanese law library in the United States, while focusing on two extraordinary law faculty members at Columbia Law School and their successful fundraising efforts from the initial concept of building a Japanese law library through the establishment of permanent funding. It recounts others who tirelessly supported carrying through this arduous plan. It is about insightful visions, perseverance, and lasting personal relationships, as well as building a foreign law collection in the United States. It examines lessons to be learned.

Interrogating Households In Anticipation Of Disasters: The Feminization Of Preparedness, Chika Watanabe, Celie Hanson

Critical Disaster Studies

It is now a maxim among scholars and policy-makers alike that disaster preparedness needs to involve community-based approaches in order to be effective. These include preparedness strategies in the household. But how do disaster preparedness policies and public discourses define “the household” in the first place? In this article, we explore how particular gendered notions of the household are reproduced in disaster preparedness policies and activities in Japan and the UK. Drawing on historical and cross-cultural analyses, we suggest that household preparedness efforts place the burden of labor on people coded as women—a phenomenon we call “the feminization of preparedness.” …

Here, There, And In-Between: On The Civilizing Process And Civilizational Analysis, Michael Palencia-Roth

Comparative Civilizations Review

This essay presents a cautionary tale about certain problems with systematization and abstraction in comparative civilizational studies. It advocates instead for the analysis of single works, limited events, or particular figures, within larger issues pertaining to what is understood as a “civilization” or “culture”. It prioritizes certain aspects of the civilizing process: the here, or the civilizing and interpretive gaze; the there, or the Other that is the object of that gaze; and the in-between. It further suggests that insights and methods from Mikhail Bakhtin, Hans-Georg Gadamer and others from the humanities, social sciences, and philosophy can …

From Rivals To Partners: The Evolution Of Environmental Cooperation Among China, Japan, And Korea, Changrui Yuan, Brice Tseen Fu Lee

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

This study analyses the trilateral cooperation among China, Japan, and Korea in the realm of environmental issues, focusing on the Trilateral Environment Ministers Meeting (TEMM) as the representative institution. Through a theoretical perspective based on rational design theory, this paper examines the rationality of TEMM's design and how it has addressed the enforcement problems and asymmetry of control among the three countries. The study also suggests some strategies for further deepening and empowering the trilateral cooperation, such as developing the environmental protection industry and carbon trading market, involving funds and non-state actors, and improving institutionalization. While acknowledging the achievements and …

An Examination Of Collective Memory Of The Tsunami Disaster: A Comparative Study Between Japan And Indonesia, Desideria Cempaka Wijaya Murti, Rustono Farady Marta, Almuntarizi Almuntarizi, Tifani Dianisya Manalu

Jurnal Komunikasi Indonesia

Japan and Indonesia, as two countries that are geographically vulnerable to tsunami disasters, have similarities in geography and culture. Analyzing disaster museums through the Inamura No Hi Museum in Japan and the Aceh Museum in Indonesia in communication, heritage, and cultural studies were conducted to show how museums' visual framework and experience are used to interpret post-disaster situations. This study aims to see how the Japanese and Indonesian disaster museums, closely related to visuals and local legends, convey information to educate the public about mitigation through the memory of the Tsunami disaster in the museum. This research is a comparative …

When Big Brother Blinks, Josh Eyre

BYU Asian Studies Journal

When discussing modern Japanese literature, works of the late 1930s and early 1940s are largely left out of the discussion. Stories written during this time are ignored by scholars, forgotten by readers, and at times even excluded from an author’s “complete works” by publishers (Keene 1987, 906–907). These works are often thought to be devoid of literary merit or not worth studying due to the high levels of scrutiny and censorship that Japanese authors were subjected to by the far right and intensely nationalistic Japanese government of the time. I would argue, however, that the near total dismissal of Japanese …

Christianity On Home Brew, Brayden Lane

BYU Asian Studies Journal

In 1659, after enduring three years of torture and refusing to renounce his teachings, a Christian priest was executed in Nagasaki by decapitation under order by local officials. This man, who had taken the name of Bastian at his baptism, had spent the previous several years leading and teaching his fellow Christians in the villages near Nagasaki. He did this in secrecy, for in those days, professing belief as a Christian had been declared illegal by the Japanese government under penalty of death. In the course of his ministry, he saw many of his brethren meet their deaths for their …

Roles Of Religious Guides In Tourism: A Qualitative Study From Japan, Ricardo Nicolas Progano

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage travel has become an important element in contemporary tourism, as visitors flock to sacred locations (UNWTO, 2015). However, some aspects of pilgrimage travel remain relatively understudied, with one of them being the roles of guides in these locations. Based on previous academic works, the present study aims to bridge this gap by analysing the role of religious figures who engage in guiding activities aimed at the general public. For this, Shippōryū-ji, a Shugendō temple located in Japan, is presented as the case study. As previous research on the subject is scarce, a qualitative approach was deemed suitable. Utilising interview …

The Land Of Eight Million Gods: Communicating Christian Concepts Of God Into The Japanese Worldview, Ray Franklin

Reflections on Experiences Abroad

The author shares how he navigated a Japanese language barrier where the term God in English did not translate correctly.

Japan: Special Funds-Supplying Operations, Sharon M. Nunn

Journal of Financial Crises

The Bank of Japan responded to the COVID-19 economic downturn in March 2020 with several financial stability interventions. The Special Funds-Supplying Operations to Facilitate Financing in Response to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) (SFSO) offered interest-free loans of up to one year in maturity to eligible financial institutions in an attempt to encourage broader lending to Japanese businesses and households. Counterparties could pledge as collateral a broad range of corporate and private debt, including corporate bonds and asset-backed securities. Enhancements made throughout the program's operation led to substantial increases in SFSO use. First, the BoJ expanded institution and collateral eligibility, as …

Creative Citizen Peacebuilding: Japanese Artists And Audiences Respond To The Vietnam-American War, Long T. Bui, Ayako Sahara

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article explores two case studies related to South Vietnam and Japan, relating them to the controversial history and legacy of the Second Indochina War. The first is the Japanese adoption and adaptation of South Vietnamese antiwar music. The second is a Japanese film, uncovered decades later after the war, exposing the role of Japan in South Vietnam. Cultural productions, from nations allied with the United States, sought to expose the popular struggle for peace against the rising tide of Cold War military violence and corporate capitalist exploitation. Through interviews, archival research, and textual analysis, the article argues for a …

Time, The Calendar, And Centralized Power In Japan: Relying On The Research Of Yoshiro Okada, Hiroshi Saito

Japanese Society and Culture

When, why, how, and by whom was “time” combined with “law” in Japan? This paper scrutinizes the issue based on Yoshiro Okada’s research, especially his most important works: Nihon no Koyomi and his thesis “Meiji no Kaireki: ‘Toki’ no chuo shuken-ka.” It is thus possible to understand how the political authorities used the unification of the calendar system to demonstrate their power and to govern the lives of the nation. Thereafter, “time” was used as a fundamental and important standard for judgment in the science of law, legalism, and the rule of law. In this process, “calendar (time) and law” …

Visions For Japanese Society: An Examination Of Japanese Postwar Occupation Period Film, Kaitlin Smith, Michael Gibbs

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

By following the films of directors Akira Kurosawa ( 黒澤明), Yasujiro Ozu ( 小津安二郎), Masaki Kobayashi (小林正樹), and Shohei Imamura (今村昌平) around occupation period Japan, unified visions for Japanese society are formed as it transitions from wartime into the postwar era. Each of these films conveys a sense of rapid change in society, external pressures and foreign influence, a daily struggle, and immediate postwar suffering. Not only can these films be seen across a wide variety of styles, but they also each approach these issues with immediacy and show tentative outlooks for how Japan functioned and felt for most people …

Evaluation Of The Effect Of Culling On Browse Damage By The Japanese Serow In Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Shiori Ikushima, Naotoshi Kuninaga, Takashi Ikeda, Takuya Okamoto, Makoto Asano, Masatsugu Suzuki

Human–Wildlife Interactions

The Japanese serow (Capricornis crispus; serow) is a protected territorial ungulate native to Japan. However, locally overabundant serow populations can damage forest plantations and agriculture through browsing. Despite government permitted annual culling of serows on forest lands of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, browse damage continues to be reported in hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa; cypress) plantations. Sika deer (Cervus nippon; deer), which are co-located with serows can also browse cypress, but their impacts have never been evaluated. The objective of our research was to evaluate the involvement of each species in browse damage and to establish …

Peace And Nuclear-Free Advocacy Revisited: Lessons From New Zealand And Implications For Japan, Pinar Temocin

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Although there are multiple pathways of conditions leading to desired policy outcomes, the viability of peace and nuclear-free advocacy can be related to the convergence of a strong, diverse, and active civil society, where leadership and a responsive political environment are well-integrated. We discuss that sociopolitical mobilizations (e.g. peace and nuclear-free advocacy), active civil society, and democratic institutions are not only linked to each other but are also co-existent. In this essay, we look at the case of New Zealand (Aotearoa) with its unique nuclear-free peace movement and find some implications for contemporary Japan, which is the only country which …

Japan’S Act On Strengthening Financial Functions (Asff), Vaasavi Unnava, Junko Oguri

Journal of Financial Crises

After the Japanese Financial Crisis in 1990s, the non-performing loan problem was mitigated in the large Japanese banks but persisted in the regional banking system. By 2004, regional banks accounted for half of all non-performing loans. In 2004, the government passed the Act on Strengthening Financial Functions (ASFF), legislation for capital injections to address the non-performing loan problem. Aimed at regional banks, the ASFF secured ¥2 trillion in capital, with various eligibility restrictions and requirements, such as a rigorous debt restructuring plan. As the Japanese economy and the financial system encountered multiple external shocks, the government amended the Act several …

Financial Functions Stabilization Act, Vaasavi Unnava

Journal of Financial Crises

In 1990, the asset-pricing bubble in Japan peaked and began a steady decline. Over the next seven years, a series of bank failures induced the Japanese government to introduce the first of a series of capital injections in 1998, 1999, and 2004. The capital injection of 1998, authorized by the Financial Functions Stabilization Act, made ¥13 trillion ($103 billion) available to financial institutions that applied. By the end of the injection window, 21 banks and trusts applied for and received ¥1.8 trillion ($13.5 billion) in subordinated debt and loans and preferred shares. While there were no limits on compensation for …

Prompt Recapitalization Act, Vaasavi Unnava

Journal of Financial Crises

In 1997, Japan’s banks were in crisis due to hundreds of billions of dollars of non-performing real estate loans. In response, the government performed three rounds of capital injections in 1998, 1999, and the early 2000s. The capital injection of 1999, authorized by the Prompt Recapitalization Act, made as much as ¥25 trillion ($208 billion) available to financial institutions that applied, regardless of their capitalization. By the end of the injection window, 32 banks and trusts applied for and received ¥8.6 trillion ($71.6 billion) total in preferred shares and subordinated debts. The Act required banks to submit and adhere to …

The History And Current Challenges Of Libraries In Japan, Francis A. Alix

SLIS Connecting

Japan's libraries have many positive attributes and continue to evolve. However, many library sectors struggle with serving users because of staff outsourcing, library leadership, and a focus on circulation statistics that prevent them from developing into 21st-century information and community centers. This paper reviews the history and current status of each library sector, including their services and staffing. It then examines their current challenges and how professionalism, librarian education, and community engagement are the main challenges to their success and suggests recommendations to elevate them to compete in the global arena.

Tabula Rasa: Mechanism, Intelligence, And The Blank Slate In Computing And Urbanism, Claire Gorman

The Yale Undergraduate Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Keiretsu Advantage: How Japanese Automakers Thwarted American Competition, Jasper Boers

The Yale Undergraduate Research Journal

Today, Japan’s auto industry is renowned for its dominance of foreign markets. Japanese cars are cheap and fuel-efficient, undercutting larger, more expensive automobiles from Europe and America. Scholarship on recent Japanese industrial development tends to prioritize a ‘developmental state’ and robust industrial policy in shielding Japanese manufacturers from trade liberalization. This paper will argue that, while the industrial policy steered by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) played a significant role in advancing the interests of the Japanese auto industry, it was ultimately the unique trust-based keiretsu conglomerate structure that gave Japanese auto producers a comparative advantage vis-à-vis …

The Resolution And Collection Corporation Of Japan, Mallory Dreyer

Journal of Financial Crises

Though the Japanese real estate and stock market bubble burst in the early 1990s, the ensuing financial crisis in Japan did not reach a systemic level until 1997, when four large financial institutions failed in a single month. Because of their heavy exposure to real estate and equity markets, Japanese banks had a nonperforming loan (NPL) problem, which was prolonged, and private sector estimates of the scale of the NPL problem differed significantly from the official estimates. In response, the Japanese government created multiple asset management companies; the Resolution and Collection Corporation (RCC) was the result of the merger of …

Going Glocal In A Pandemic: Can Japan Offer Lessons For Others?, Masaaki Takemura

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This Dialogue contribution draws some lessons from the Japanese countermeasures against the COVID-19 pandemic. It approaches this issue from a social point of view. Specifically, it focuses on social and cultural understanding process of an uncertainty event – in this case the COVID-19 pandemic, but also early instances – by the Japanese.

Pandemic And Õen Consumption In Japan: Deliberate Buying To Aid The Seller, Kosuke Mizukoshi, Yuichiro Hidaka

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

This dialogue contribution discusses whether it is possible to create favorable new social assistance under the market principles, based on the Ouen or Õen (aid) consumption in Japan. The meaning of consumption has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, aid consumption is increasing. This means helping local restaurants and producers by willfully and proactively buying and consuming their services and products. This is a favorable form of new social assistance and the result of strong marketing and market functions. The penetration of market forces may surpass pure altruistic behavior such as donations and gifts, by creating new market-linked …

Disengaged And Disempowered: How Depoliticization Prevents Two-Party Competition In Japan, Cooper Price

The Commons: Puget Sound Journal of Politics

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has ruled Japan for nearly the entirety of its postwar history. After a short period of opposition control (2009-2012), the LDP has spent the past eight years reestablishing the dominant-party system through which it has monopolized Japanese politics since the 1950s. This article contends that the LDP’s resilience is bolstered by two important aspects of Japanese civil society: the bureaucracy’s insulation from democratic accountability, and a growing public trend of disengagement with the political process. I explain both of these tendencies through the theoretical lens of depoliticization. Flinders and Wood identify “depoliticization” as a shift …

Terror Threat At Tokyo Olympics 2021, Daiju Wada

Japanese Society and Culture

While we witnessed collapse of Islamic State’s territorial control, Jihadists threat will continue for decades. But the real threat will not come from groups such as Al Qaeda and Islamic State but its Salafi Jihadism. Of course, the ideological threat is not visible and can never be eradicated by military actions. Cyberspace has facilitated the threat to be transnational pandemic phenomenon, as proved by inspired individuals. The backgrounds of those vary by person and this ideology performs as a detonator in driving individuals into violent terrorists.

Japan is located at the periphery of Jihadist’s interest. But Islamic State declared their …

Pornography, Its Harms, And A New Legal Strategy: Research And Experience In Japan, Seiya Morita, Caroline Norma

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

In this article we describe pornography’s harms in Japan, which are known about from surveys and research, and from the outreach and consulting activities of Japanese feminist-abolitionist groups. Among these are the Anti-Pornography and Prostitution Research Group (APP) and People Against Pornography and Sexual Violence (PAPS). We then propose a renewed classification scheme for pornography’s harms that centrally considers the experiences of victims in Japan. Lastly, we consider various legal approaches to addressing the myriad harms we describe and suggest possibilities for a new legal strategy. The article’s research comes from Japanese-language materials produced by the above-mentioned activist groups, as …

The Counterproductivity Of Protectionist Tariffs, David Korn

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

This paper questions whether protective tariffs are counterproductive as political-influence tools. This thesis will examine protective tariffs implemented throughout history in different circumstances and levels of technological development. In every case examined, the results and principles behind protective tariffs remain constant. The historical examples utilized in this research include Civil War taxes, the Smoot-Hawley tariff, and Trump’s tariffs against China in 2018. Each of these examples serve as consequential representations of protectionist tariff policy. Protectionist tariffs artificially raise prices and restrict markets while simultaneously propping up inefficient industries. Thus, this paper explores whether the benefits of protectionist tariffs justify their …

The Spread Of International Borders As A Prelude To The Spread Of International Borders During Covid-19, David E. Toohey

International Journal of Peace Studies

This article analyzes how Covid-19 has impacted borders and xenophobia. In particular, it looks at how four countries with generally right-wing politics, but not necessarily right-wing viewpoints, have used xenophobia to deal with Covid-19: The United States, Japan, Brazil, and Australia. This paper chronicles the expected rise in blaming other countries for the spread of Covid-19 with unexpected consequences. Rather than solidifying national borders and constituencies in the face of an international threat through xenophobia, right-wing countries have instead created a successful border creation process with little room to expand. The options seem to be a fragmentation of these countries …

The Yakuza: Organized Crime In Japan, Darlene N. Moorman

The Downtown Review

Examining organized crime groups should not be purely economic; in other words, the culture, social structure, political contexts, and so on, are also critical in an insightful analysis of any organized crime group. For this paper, the Japanese yakuza are considered both in an economic viewpoint, such as how they make money, but also in other areas, such as its syndicates' notable cultural contributions and specific social characteristics. Moreover, this paper explores the dynamic changing of the organization overtime, especially in regards to its shifting relationship with the Japanese government.