East Asian Languages and Societies Commons^™

Jdm And The Formation Of Japan’S Underground Car Culture: Street Racing, Identity, And Regulation, Lizhou Chen

Student Publications

Japan’s underground car culture is often associated with street racing, JDM, and modified cars, but these visible features developed from broader economic, social, and regulatory conditions. This paper argues that Japan’s underground car culture was shaped by three factors: postwar economic growth that made mass car production feasible, social identity and status attached to car type and driving behavior, and government regulation of the road system and driving habits that forced reckless driving into less visible times and locations. By examining car ownership, kei cars, youth self-expression, gendered meanings of vehicles, road design, and moral expectations around safe driving, this …

Disney's American Mulan, Sofia Diascro

CAFE Symposium 2026

In America, we are taught that we should live for ourselves. We are told we have personal freedom to be an individual and do what we want. Ancient China prioritized collectivism, an idea deeply rooted in Confucianism. Collectivism is about hierarchy, family, duty, and obligation. Disney’s Mulan movies differ from the Chinese legend of Mulan by emphasizing American values of individuality and self-discovery.

Centralized Urban Planning And Economic Segregation: Wealth Inequality At Tell Asmar And Khafaja, Mesopotamia, Yoko Nishimura

East Asian Studies Faculty Publications

This article explores a possible correlation between centralised planning and economic homogenisation within residential neighbourhoods in ancient cities. Pre-planned and constructed urban living quarters may have contributed to the concentration of residents with similar levels of material wealth. Distinct groups of people may be identified among different districts, neighbourhoods or specific sections within a neighbourhood at the intra-site level. Several examples from different parts of the world are given to show this correlation. Also, a case study to test this correlation is drawn from the third millennium B.C. cities of Tell Asmar and Khafajah in central Mesopotamia. Excavations at these …

The Impact Of War On Innocence, Khanh Luong

CAFE Symposium 2025

Grave of the Fireflies, directed by Isao Takahata, focuses on the impact of war on innocent civilians, specifically children, rather than on battles or acts of heroism. The film establishes a tone of powerlessness from the start. This poster examines the symbolism of fireflies in the movie and the destruction of innocence throughout the movie. The film reflects the childhood trauma of both the movie's writer and the director.

Is “Sám Hối” An Adequate Form Of Apology?, Hien Vu Gia

CAFE Symposium 2025

This project studies a recent Buddhism scandal in Vietnam, examining whether the apology offered by the authorities was successful. From this, the project explores if “sám hối” (or repentance) could be considered a form of apology.

The Economy, Emotions, And Japanese City Pop In The 1980s, Paige Drummond

CAFE Symposium 2025

This project contains research about the topics of economy, emotions, music, urbanization, and Japanese City Pop all during the 1980s. It shows the connections between all of these subjects and how they relate back to the City Pop genre. Common themes of City Pop songs are also explored and delved into by comparing songs and analyzing their lyrics, melodies, and topics.

Ethical Problems Of Enforcing Justice In Death Note And Psycho-Pass Anime, Aldiyar Alen

CAFE Symposium 2025

What happens when justice is controlled by a single person or a powerful system? This research explores how Death Note and Psycho-Pass show the dangers of extreme justice. In Death Note, Light Yagami takes the law into his own hands, believing he can create a perfect world by eliminating criminals. In Psycho-Pass, an advanced AI system judges people before they even commit crimes, deciding their fate based on predictions. Both systems aim to reduce crime but end up threatening personal freedom and fairness. By comparing these stories, this study highlights the risks of justice without balance, questioning how …

Pom Poko: When Nature Speaks Out Against Urbanization, Sabrina Huynh

CAFE Symposium 2025

Pom Poko highlights the correlation between the survival of nature and the progress of humanity. Therefore, by showing different dynamic relationships like Gonta’s aggressive way of fighting against or peaceful co-existence of Shoukichi, Pom Poko suggests viewers may feel that humans should find a way to live harmoniously with the environment.

Isekai: Discovering Factors That Contributed To Its Success And Diving Into The Mentality Of Contemporary Japanese Citizens, Anh Duc Nguyen

CAFE Symposium 2025

Isekai, an anime and manga genre where characters are transported to another world, has become popular in recent years. This paper examines the factors contributing to this phenomenon, exploring how isekai works resonate with contemporary Japanese citizens. It argues that the genre's appeal lies in its ability to offer escapism from societal pressures, particularly those stemming from economic hardship and a lack of perceived agency. By analyzing important and known isekai works, including Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken, this paper demonstrates how the genre fulfills a desire of the Japanese for fulfillment and sense of agency. Furthermore, it explores …

From Mountains To Cities: East Asian Landscapes, Catherine Haley, Conrad Martens, Cyndy Basil, Emma Wylam, Isobel Debenham, Katherine M. Tyson, Lenna Kouzoujian, Miriam Glatfelter, Molly Griffith, Noelle Muni, Yan Sun

Schmucker Art Catalogs

Under the direction of Prof. Yan Sun, student curators examine diverse depictions of landscapes from China and Japan. The selected works, including paintings on silk, ornate carvings in lapis lazuli, and prints, among others, offer meditations on nature and industrialization. Students consider the historical, material, aesthetic, and environmental significance of the works on display.

The Personality And Psychology Of Chen Zi-Ang, A Fiery, Noble Warrior And Martyr (陳子昂烈士之人格心理), Xiao-Yu Chen

Student Publications

From the perspective of psychology, personality refers to the long-term, significant pattern in which a person perceives themselves while responding to others and the world. In the vast majority of situations, a person’s experiences at and before age twenty-five, in addition to their reactions to these situations, have a significant impact over their personality and psychology. In the vast majority of cases, the significant sources of these experiences are the substantial impacts of familial circumstances and early professional interactions, in addition to their broader social-historical worlds. Chen Zi-Ang the martyr was in the human realm for forty or forty-one years …

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.

Cultural And Philosophical Beliefs In Tea Poetry, Julia M. Minor

CAFE Symposium 2023

Tea is a commodity that has greatly changed the course of history. One example of the influence of tea is in poetry. This project analyzes some examples of tea poetry from China and Japan to understand how tea in poetry conveys cultural and philosophical beliefs of given time periods. China and Japan are looked at collectively because their histories are very entwined. In the two Chinese poems, tea is tied to hierarchical relations and the importance of Taoism. In the Japanese poems, tea is greatly related to nature and appreciating simplicity. Three of the four poems are a reaction to …

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.

Imprints Of Life: Rubbings From Carved Stones Of The Han Dynasty, Elinor G. Gass, Yan Sun

Schmucker Art Catalogs

Imprints of Life: Rubbings from Carved Stones of the Han Dynasty explores the connectivity between an individual’s character and the historical narratives celebrated in Han society; on display in Schmucker Art Gallery are rubbings taken from carvings on architectural components of burial chambers and above ground shrines in the western Shandong Province. These rubbings, selected from Gettysburg College’s Special Collections and College Archives, date from approximately the 1st to 2nd century and illustrate the values of Confucianism and Daoism, the two prevalent philosophies embraced at the time. Confucianism establishes rules of morality and piety, while Daoism focuses on the balance …

The Asian Five Dragons: What’S The Relationship Of Confucianism And Gender Inequality?, Danny S. Craddock

Student Publications

Confucianism is not only a historically important belief system, but it also continues to be rooted in many societies today, particularly in East and Southeast Asia. The growing influence of some of these Confucian-ingrained societies on the international stage justifies expanding the limited literature present on Confucianism and its societal implications. Using a conceptualization of heavily influenced Confucian societies previously set out by earlier research, this paper evaluates the validity of the common age-old assumption that Confucianism is correlated with greater gender inequality, as determined by the World 2016 dataset. Specifically, research suggests that the opposite correlation might just as …

"Rhapsody Of Agonizing Contemplations On An Autumn Night" And "​​The Torment Of Lady Daffodil"（〈秋夕怨思賦〉與〈水仙怨〉）, Xiao-Yu Chen

Student Publications

“A spirit of extreme magnitude and fortitude that spreads passionately and boldly.” — Dr. Pu Yi-Nan, poet, scholar, and Professor at the Department of Chinese Literature of Tamkang University in Taiwan on the publications by Rivolia Chen Xiao-Yu’s that he has read 「浩氣慷慨。」 ——臺灣淡江大學中文系教師、詩人、學者普公義南，評其所閱陳瀟玉已刊之作

Traditional Chinese Poems, “The White Blossom” And “Agony Unfurls,” As Well As The Finished Parts In The Martyrdom Of Chen Zi-Ang, A Film Screenplay, And “Shadows Of Phoenixes” In Scarlet Tears On A Golden Branch, A Novel (華夏傳統詩〈素華〉與〈抽怨〉、電影劇本《陳子昂殉道記》已成之部、小說《金枝紅淚》中〈凰影〉已成之部), Xiao-Yu Chen

Student Publications

Book Description

Chen Zi-Ang (courtesy name Bo-Yu, 659–700 CE) was a medieval Chinese author, poet, scholar, twice-prisoner, and a martyr. It has been a devotion of the Daoist and the Chinese folk religions to venerate him as the Holy Land Patron of the Shu Area (Sichuan) and his hometown, Shehong. During his brief life, Chen reverently practiced the cultural-spiritual lineage of Confucianism and was a devout follower of the Daoist religion. He was also a long-term manifester of the Chinese cultural-spiritual archetype of the warrior. Earning his doctorate in 684 CE, he served in a number of minor official roles, …

The Fall Of The Ikko Ikki: The Demise Of The Honganji In The Late Sengoku Period, Alexander M. Remington

Student Publications

During the late Sengoku Period Japan witnessed the fall of the Honganji, a sect of Pure Land Buddhism. The Honganji was a significant military, political, and economic power and commanded armies of commoners known as Ikko Ikki. The Honganji fell because it challenged the traditional social order of Japan, lacked unity, and stood against warlord Oda Nobunaga during his bid for hegemony. The fall of the Honganji resulted in consequential policies and impacted Japanese society going into the Tokugawa period.

The Constructing Of “Chinese-Ness”: The Culinary Identity Of Chinese Restaurants In Gettysburg, Pa., Lureann A. Semple

Student Publications

General Tso’s Chicken. Egg Rolls. Fried Rice. Fortune Cookies. Since the creation of Chop Suey in 1849, Chinese restaurants have not only displayed one of the most fascinating ethnic cuisines in the US but also become a commonly recognizable cultural symbol for Chinese-ness in the American “melting pot." Then what kind of “Chinese-ness” is presented and how is it constructed by these restaurants? Does its Otherness prevent it from fitting into mainstream American society or does its Americanization make this identity less ‘authentic’? By taking the Chinese restaurants in Gettysburg, PA, as a case study, this research studies the construction …

Adapting: A Chinese Philosophy Of Action, Mercedes Valmisa

Gettysburg College Faculty Books

If you are from the West, it is likely that you normally assume that you are a subject who relates to objects and other subjects through actions that spring purely from your own intentions and will. Chinese philosophers, however, show how mistaken this conception of action is. Philosophy of action in Classical China is radically different from its counterpart in the Western philosophical narrative. While the latter usually assumes we are discrete individual subjects with the ability to act or to effect change, Classical Chinese philosophers theorize that human life is embedded in endless networks of relationships with other entities, …

From The Yellow Springs To The Land Of Immortality, Sam Arkin, Georgia E. Benz, Allie N. Beronilla, Hailey L. Dedrick, Sophia Gravenstein, Alyssa G. Gubernick, Elizabeth C. Hobbs, Jennifer R. Johnson, Emily Lashendock, Georgia P. Morgan, Amanda J. Oross, Deirdre Sullivan, Margaret G. Sullivan, Hannah C. Turner, Lyndsey J. Winick, Yan Sun

Schmucker Art Catalogs

The Yellow Springs is a vivid metaphorical reference to the final destination of a mortal being and the dwelling place of a departed one in ancient China. In the writings of philosophers, historians, and poets during the long period of Chinese history, the Yellow Springs is not only considered as an underground physical locus where a grave is situated, but also an emotionally charged space invoke grieving, longing, and memory for the departed loved ones. The subterranean dwelling at the Yellow Springs is both a destination for a departed mortal being and an intermediary place to an ideal and imaginative …

Huang Li-Zhou (Zongxi, 1610-1695) The Venerable Warrior's "On The Monarchs," "On The Officials," And "On Laws" In English Translations, Xiao-Yu Chen

Student Publications

Huang Zongxi (September 24, 1610 - August 12, 1695), literary name: Li-Zhou, was an early modern Chinese Confucianist warrior, who advocated for a political system that divides power into regions and resembles a Euro-American federacy or confederacy. He had around fourteen years of experience, in which he militarily struggled against the Manchurian Ching government, and has "tens of millions of characters" of preserved works, such as his Waiting For the Dawn and more than five hundred poems. [excerpt from "About the Author"]

Luxurious Surfaces: Chinese Decorative Arts From The 15th To The Early 20th Century, William T. Caterham, Ashley E. M. Jeffords, Merlyn I. Maldonado Lopez, Sarah Paul, James H. Raphaelson, Megan N. Reimer, Shannon R. Zeltmann, Tianrun Zhao, Yan Sun

Schmucker Art Catalogs

Luxurious Surfaces: Chinese Decorative Arts from the Fifteenth to the Early Twentieth Century is a highly anticipated exhibition that highlights student learning in the art history program. The curators, William Caterham ’20, Ashley Jeffords ’20, Merlyn Maldonado Lopez ’22, Sarah Paul ’22, James Raphaelson ’21, Megan Reimer ’22, Shannon Zeltmann ’21 and Tianrun Zhao ’20, are students enrolled in the Art History Method class in Fall 2019. The exhibition examines the quintessential characteristics and the meaning of Chinese decorative arts embedded in the luxurious surfaces of sixteen carefully selected works from Gettysburg College’s Asian Art Collection.

Sex Trafficking In Asia: The Impact Of Policy, Economic Opportunity, And Globalization, Emma C. M. Lavoie

Student Publications

This paper examines the prevalence of sex trafficking in Asia and considers factors that make it stand out among other regions of the world. It explains the consequences of poorly designed policy on sex trafficking, using the Chinese One Child Policy as an example. It also looks at the lack of economic opportunity in countries like Thailand and Cambodia, that can incentivize the selling of women to traffickers. Finally, this paper considers the role of globalization in making the transport of sex trafficking victims easier as well as the effect of modern communication technologies on trafficking.

The Tale Of The Tokugawa Artifacts: Japanese Funerary Lanterns At The Penn Museum, Yoko Nishimura

East Asian Studies Faculty Publications

That previously stood at the back of the quiet inner courtyard of the Penn Museum waited many years for its significance to be rediscovered. It is one of the Tokugawa lanterns that long illuminated the shogunate family’s grand mausoleums during the Edo period (1603–1868 CE) in the Zōjōji temple in Tokyo, Japan. Photographs taken around 1930 show the lanterns flanking the Museum entrance in the Stoner Courtyard. The prominent placement of these objects suggests that, in those days, the Museum acknowledged the significance of the lanterns. One of the lanterns was subsequently moved to Museum storage after suffering damage from …

Mother Of God, Mother Of Christianity: The Development Of The Marian Tradition In Early Modern Japan, Alaina Keller

Student Publications

The Christian figure of the Virgin Mary, first introduced as Jesus’ mother in the Bible, has since been repeatedly reinterpreted in various roles and imagery through her incorporation into different cultures. This project analyses the historical adoption and adaptation of Mary among Christian converts in Japan, from the arrival of Jesuit missionaries in 1549 to the end of the Tokugawa era in the nineteenth century. An examination of doctrinal prayers, the rosary, and Marian iconography within Japan illustrates Mary’s role as the Mother of God and compassionate intercessor for early Japanese Christians. Moreover, their affinity for Mary enabled Christianity to …

A Monument To Culture And Achievement: The Samurai Suit Of Armor And Katana At Gettysburg College, Carolyn Hauk

Student Publications

Of the many artifacts found in Gettysburg College’s Musselman library, perhaps the most unusual and seemingly out of place may be the centuries-old replica of a samurai suit and katana standing guard over visitors and students from an oversized glass case on the first floor. Though hard to miss, their connection with Gettysburg College is not so obvious. A plaque located below the suit reads, “Samurai Armor and Warrior Katana; Late 19th Century; Gift of Major General Charles A. Willoughby; Class of 1914.” These artifacts represent hundreds of years of the ancient Samurai tradition in Japan, a crucial element of …

Coming Soon To A Chinese Theater Near You: Why China Matters Even To Hollywood, James N. Udden

Friday Forum

In recent years, China has engaged in infrastructure projects on a scale and scope without historical precedent. Cinema in China is no exception. For roughly a century Hollywood has managed to dominate the world largely through the control of the largest exhibition market in the developed world, meaning the USA and Canada. Just a couple years ago, however, the Chinese exhibition sector surpassed North America as the world’s largest linguistically unified and developed film exhibition market. Find out why screenwriting classes in the USA now include courses on how to write for the Chinese market. Find out why even you …

Friend Or Foe: Perceptions Of China In Africa, Shahn M. Savino

Student Publications

China's rush to Africa for resources and a sphere of influence has inspired much debate in the academic world. Many western scholars generalize China's Africa strategy or African perceptions of that strategy. These are both grave mistakes. While China's objectives in Africa are the same all over, the way it achieves that strategy varies from nation to nation. In addition, African perceptions of China vary from nation to nation. Using Algeria and Niger as main case studies, this paper will show that the wealth of a nation changes the way that the Chinese government and Chinese nationals interact with that …