Japanese Studies Commons^™

Anth 210: Anthropology Of East Asia, Tomomi Emoto

Open Educational Resources

No abstract provided.

(De)Constructing Paradigmaticity In Syntax: An Information-Theoretic Approach, Ryan Ka Yau Lai

Proceedings of the Society for Computation in Linguistics

The notions of paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations are central to linguistics. Traditionally, two linguistic forms are paradigmatically related if they fall in the same grammatical slot and can substitute for each other, and syntagmatically related if they occur next to each other. For example, in mainstream American English, modals may and can have a paradigmatic relationship since they share a syntactic position, but the modal may and perfect auxiliary have have a syntagmatic relationship as they co-occur in distinct syntactic positions, e.g. They may have eaten. Paradigmatically related forms may form a closed set, or paradigm. Paradigms are well-studied in …

Face And Its Effect On Modern Historical Memory: Nanjing, China’S Massacre And Japan’S Incident, Channing A. Baker

Student Scholarship

Rising tensions and an increased number of incidents between China and Japan in the current century show that the Nanjing Massacre has had an indisputable effect on modern Sino-Japanese relations politically and socially. Iris Chang’s book of popular history, The Rape of Nanking (1997), both renewed scholarly research and moved the debate into the public eye. This shift in the debate has led to continuing tensions between the two societies even as their governments officially maintain a peaceful relationship. The culture of “face” has made these Sino-Japanese tensions consistently intractable in the 21st century and sparked a number of anti-Japan …

Consumers' Perceptions Of Digital Privacy In The United States And Japan, Destiny Randle

Whittier Scholars Program

The purpose of my study is to explore the contours of contemporary consumer privacy protections derived from legislation, regulations and publicly available company policies as a way to get a better understanding of how consumer data is protected. A few examples ranging from company-based consumer protection in the United States to data breaches in Japan will be explored and examined. Finally, this paper includes a comparative survey of consumer perceptions and concerns related to personal data privacy in the U.S. and Japan. As a way to assess the degree to which digital privacy and personal data breaches have adversely influenced …

Lady Killers: Depictions Of Gendered Subjective Violence In Audition, Alexandra Rigby

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will examine the depiction of Asami as a female antagonist figure in the 2001 film adaptation of the novel Audition directed by Miike Takashi and adapted from the 1997 novel of the same name by Japanese horror author Murakami Ryū. By considering the differences in her original portrayal and how the language of film changes the presentation of Murakami’s female antagonist, this project aims to analyze how Murakami and the directors who choose to adapt his works approach depicting acts of violence committed by women in a genre inundated with male-coded violence against female-coded characters. The existing framework …

Signifikansi Aksi Melela Dalam Manga Shimanami Tasagore (2015), Erina Firdausy, Dewi Anggraeni

Paradigma: Jurnal Kajian Budaya

This study examines the concept of coming out as part of queer narrative within Shimanami Tasogare (2015), a manga by Kamatani Yūki. Although coming out has become an important concept within LGBTQ, previous related research tends to see coming out as a one-time achievement. This study analyses the significance of coming out in Shimanami Tasogare by using the queer narrative approach. This study applies Klein et al.’s theory (2015) which argues that coming out is a dynamic and non-linear social process. This study uses text analysis and compositional interpretation (Rose, 2001) as research method. Results show that coming out plays …

From Pedagogical To The Practical: A Study Linked By Japanese Themes, Kennedy Lomont

Master of Arts in English Plan II Graduate Projects

This portfolio consists of three essays linked by Japanese themes and also includes a practical project. These papers delve into the subjects of Japenese incarceration, magical girl anime, and Noh theater. My practical portion contains the materials that I have created and refined for job search purposes.

Caron's Japan: Tokugawa State And Society Through A European Lens, Cegan Hinson

Student Research Submissions

Dutch East India Company (VOC) merchant François Caron describes Tokugawa Japan as a rigid political hierarchy controlled by the Shogun, similar to the governments established by absolute monarchs in Europe. Caron understands and insightfully describes Tokugawa society by emphasizing perceived and real similarities between Tokugawa Japan and Early Modern Europe. He struggles to understand religious differences between these societies, but his description of Japanese religious practices still reflects how the Shogunate utilized Buddhism and anti-Christian policies to uphold their rule. Caron also depicts Tokugawa Japan as a land of plentiful resources prime for lucrative trade. He includes the writings of …

Qualia, Maxwell Henderson

Theses, Dissertations, and Student Creative Activity, School of Art, Art History and Design

In this thesis, I examine the transformative potential of pottery through the lens of "qualia," the subjective experiences, emotions, and perceptions that shape our conscious lives. Stemming from my personal journey, which includes a childhood of poverty in Arizona and a biracial identity, I advocate for inclusivity and diversity in art and society by challenging material hierarchies and conventional artistic practices.

I delve into the vibrant aesthetics of Japanese Kutani porcelain, the fluidity and balance in ceramic vessels, and the impact of my background on my artistic approach. My experiences foster a rejection of painterly language and arbitrary hierarchies, prompting …

Maturing Manga: An Analysis Of Adult Themes In Shōnen Manga, Audrey Leahy

Honors College Theses

Manga is a Japanese form of visual storytelling comparable to comic books and graphic novels that has seen a significant increase in popularity abroad in the twenty-first century. In Japan, manga is published in magazines intended for particular target audiences. The two most prominent of these are shōnen, manga for young men, and seinen, manga for adult men. This paper examines these demographics and explores the growing similarities between these two demographics. The research compares the adult content and themes of manga in both shōnen and seinen manga. The series Dorohedoro and Chainsaw Man were analyzed both quantitatively for amounts …

Exploring Parallel Themes: Comparing Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime And Punishment With Akutagawa Ryūnosuke’S “In A Grove” And “Rashōmon”, Zuozekai Wang

Senior Theses and Projects

This paper highlights the similarities between Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and Akutagawa Ryūnosuke's “In A Grove” and “Rashōmon.” Through an analysis of the themes of female characters, story design, environment and social background in each work, this paper argues that there are striking parallels between the ways in which the two authors address these issues. By examining the similarities and differences between their works, the paper illuminates how Fyodor Dostoevsky and Akutagawa Ryūnosuke use literary works to show their attitude to their respective contemporary social issues.

‘Aboutness’ Relation In Japanese Topicalization: An Analysis Of The Np1 Wa Np2 Da Construction, Megumi Yoshida

Japanese Society and Culture

This study investigates the comprehension of a Japanese topicalized construction with the structure NP₁ wa (topic) NP₂ da (copula) by native speakers of Japanese. The meaning of this kind of sentence can be extremely ambiguous when NP₁ and NP₂ do not refer to an identical referent. However, it is usually not considered ambiguous when used in a particular context since the context indicates how it is meant to be understood. This study examines the uses of this construction in experimentally controlled contexts. The results indicate the significant effects of the syntactic or semantic relation with the …

Japanese-English Translation: Thinking With Master Nishida, By Miki Kiyoshi, Parts 1 & 2 Of 4 (First Published In Fujin Kōron, August 1941) 日英翻訳：「西田先生のことども」、三木清著、総四章の第一章と第二章（初発婦人公論、昭和十六年八月）, Christopher Southward

Comparative Literature Faculty Scholarship

日英翻訳文：「西田先生のことども」、総四章の第一章と第二章、三木清著

[Miki Kiyoshi--Thinking with Master Nishida, Parts 1 & 2 of 4]. Translated, revised, formatted, and edited by Christopher Southward, 2022-2023. All rights reserved

Miki Kiyoshi's account of his apprenticeship under Nishida Kitarō at Kyoto University with considerations of his mentor's unique contributions to Japanese philosophy through critical engagements with the West.

A Century Of Critical Buddhism In Japan, James Mark Shields

Faculty Contributions to Books

This chapter introduces the central arguments of Critical Buddhism as a lens by which to view the course of “modern” Buddhism in Japan, particularly as it relates to politics. It traces philosophical and political precedents for Critical Buddhism in the context of Japanese modernity, by focusing on several progressive Buddhist figures movements from mid-Meiji through early Shōwa, including the New Buddhist Fellowship and the Youth League for Revitalizing Buddhism. I argue that previous attempts to centralize criticism as a basic Buddhist precept were unsuccessful in part do to an inability to distinguish the Buddhistic components of their thought and practice, …

I, Discomfort Woman: A Fugue In F Minor, Seo-Young J. Chu

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Pig Gourd: The Meaning Of Tezuka’S Playing Around With Form, Jon Holt, Teppei Fukuda

World Languages and Literatures Faculty Publications and Presentations

Taking an arguably minor character from Tezuka Osamu’s oeuvre, Natsume Fusanosuke argues how the Pig Gourd’s cameos even in the artist’s most serious works demonstrate a bifurcated sense of play and high-brow artistry in his manga. Natsume employs an early version of his ‘manga-expression theory’ (manga hyōgen-ron) manga-analysis approach, which he began to develop in this, his first manga-studies monograph and seminal study of the ‘god of manga’ Tezuka Osamu. This translation of a chapter essay from Where Is Tezuka Osamu? (Citation1992) demonstrates Natsume’s versatility in isolating thematic patterns or formal experimentations in an artist’s style, including …

Dissertation Chapters Underway: 10,000 Shards, Or Opening And Activating Depth: Handicraft, Value, And The Work Of Art (Shards 00000-00001), Christopher Southward, Christopher Southward

Comparative Literature Faculty Scholarship

Dissertation Chapters Underway: 10,000 Shards, Or Opening and Activating Depth: Handicraft, Value, and the Work of Art (Shards 00000-00001), Christopher Southward

Post-Traumatic Growth And Comfort Characters In Japanese Media, Brandon S. Ireland

CAFE Symposium 2023

A study of the concept of comfort characters as an idea formed thanks to post-traumatic growth and an emotional attachment to fictional characters thanks to survivor stories.

Magical Girls: Queer Identity In Japan, Keira Mcdevitt

CAFE Symposium 2023

Queer themes have long been interlaced with feminist ideals and "magical girls" within Japanese anime culture. The subject is explored within two iconic magical girl anime, "Madoka Magica" and "Revolutionary Girl Utena", as well as the history of queerness in Japan and its relevancy to modern ongoing franchises.

Aum: The Cult At The End Of The World, Dereck Daschke

Journal of Religion & Film

This is a film review of AUM: The Cult at the End of the World (2023), directed by Ben Braun and Chiaki Yanagimoto.