Japanese History

[LIVRO COMPLETO] O livro Estudos Japoneses: Pesquisas Nascentes busca dar evidência a trabalhos de jovens pesquisadores em formação. É composta por trabalhos de Iniciação Científica e pós-graduação que se encaixam amplamente na área de Estudos Japoneses. A obra busca incentivar a pesquisa científica séria e de qualidade nas Ciências Humanas, com foco no Japão. Almeja, ainda, dar sua contribuição para a formação de novos pesquisadores, bem como o aprofundamento do diálogo entre pesquisadores de Estudos Japoneses, fortalecendo a área no Brasil.

This research examines the construction and mediation of Japan's national identity during the "East Asian Olympic Era" (2018-2022)-a historically unprecedented period featuring three consecutive Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Tokyo, and Beijing. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the study analyzes editorials from Japan's five major national newspapers (Asahi, Mainichi, Yomiuri, Sankei, and Nikkei) to uncover how the "mirror of the Olympics" was used to differentiate Japan from its regional neighbors. The analysis reveals a recurring pattern: conservative media consistently prioritize geopolitical and security concerns, leveraging the Games to criticize rivals (especially China and North Korea), while liberal media often invoke the Olympic ideals of peace to criticize excessive politicization, though they, too, often end up reinforcing a modern Japanese identity defined by ethical self-awareness and organizational competence. The analysis also reveals a strategic evolution in Japan's "Self-Portrait": 1. PyeongChang 2018: Japan was framed as a "Prudent Observer," asserting security realism against perceived South Korean diplomatic naivety. 2. Tokyo 2020/21: The national identity fractured into a "Divided Self," navigating an internal crisis between state resilience and civic moral dissent. 3. Beijing 2022: A rare ideological consensus emerged, positioning Japan as a "Principled † Professor, College of Sociology, Rikkyo University 240 The Construction of Japan's National Identity through Representations of Asia Democratic Power" in direct opposition to Chinese authoritarianism. The study finds that across all three Games, the Japanese media consistently utilized the "Sports vs. Politics" dichotomy and the rhetoric of "Selective Pan-Asianism" to define Japan as the ethically superior and democratically mature anchor of East Asia.

The uniqueness and exceptional nature of Ligustro’s woodcut technique lie in his ability to break down the outline block (key block or Omohan), assigning a specific outline colour to each subject or element that makes up the image.
The traditional Japanese polychrome woodblock printing technique involves creating the first matrix of all the image’s outlines directly from the artist’s drawing, which, once glued onto the blank matrix, was carved (and thus destroyed) to create the key block of the image’s outlines; consequently, in the image, all outlines were black as they were all produced from the same single key block matrix.
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printing passes to complete a single work.
Being an accomplished chemist, he also produced his own colours, resulting in beautiful images with vivid, brilliant colours.
Ligustro uses all traditional and luxurious Japanese techniques, namely:
Nishiki-e, Bokashi, Gindei, Gin-Sunago, Karazuri, Kimekomi, Kindei, Kinpaku, Kin-sunago, Kirazuri, Mokkotsu, Sabi-Bori, Kira-e, Ginpaku, Ichimai-E, Yoko-E, Fukei-E, Maki-E, Urushi-E, Koroku, Gofun, Nashiji, Shigajiku, Suminagashi, Tsujigahama, Kohonzuri, Kompekisho-ga

L’unicità ed eccezionalità della tecnica xilografica di Ligustro si evidenzia nella capacità di scomporre la matrice dei contorni (key block o Omohan) dando ad ogni soggetto/elemento che compone l’immagine un suo colore specifico del contorno.

La tecnica tradizionale della xilografia policroma giapponese prevede la realizzazione della prima matrice di tutti i contorni dell’immagine realizzata direttamente dal disegno dell’artista che, incollato sulla matrice vergine veniva intagliato (e quindi distrutto) per creare il key block dei contorni dell’immagine, nell’immagine quindi tutti erano di colore nero in quanto tutti realizzati dalla stessa unica matrice key block.


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In questo modo poteva arrivare a 800 colori che richiedevano anche sino a 2500 passaggi di stampa per completare una singola opera.

Essendo un provetto chimico realizzava anche i suoi colori ed il risultato sono bellissime immagini dai colori vividi, e brillanti.

Ligustro usa tutte le tecniche giapponesi tradizionali e di lusso ossia:

Nishiki-e, Bokashi, Gindei, Gin-Sunago, Karazuri, Kimekomi, Kindei, Kinpaku, Kin-sunago, Kirazuri, Mokkotsu, Sabi-Bori, Kira-e, Ginpaku, Ichimai-E, Yoko-E, Fukei-E, Maki-E, Urushi-E, Koroku, Gofun, Nashiji, Shigajiku, Suminagashi, Tsujigahama, Kohonzuri, Kompekisho-ga

This paper is based on a presentation given at the 87th Annual Conference of the Nippon Buddhist Research Association, which was themed "What Is a Human Being? —Toward a New Dimension of Defining Humanity—." After confirming that the fundamental Buddhist concepts of *shujō衆生* and *ujō有情* (Skt. *sattva*; Pāli *satta*)—referring to sentient beings—conceptualize humans as collective, social entities, the author focuses on the Mahayana Buddhist concept of *ekō回向* (transference of merit), rooted in the aspiration to be "together with all sentient beings." The article then discusses the significance of "the compassion of the Pure Land" as a principle that enables all living beings "to restore reciprocity among themselves at a higher dimension" (Exchange Mode D discussed by Kōjin Karatani).

Ever since Japan’s northward expansion absorbed Hokkaido in the latter half of the 19th century, its sovereign possession has imbued Japan with what can be described as an inherent Arcticness, from its important cultural role as the homeland of the indigenous Ainu people to its historic role as an essential frontier buffer to contain Russian expansion, to its emergent role as an exemplar of Japan’s recent efforts to confront its complex history of expansion onto indigenously self-governing lands and its willingness to increasingly recognize Ainu indigenous rights, starting in 1997 with the Act for the Promotion of Ainu Culture, followed in 2008 by the non-binding but no less historically important resolution recognizing the Ainu as an indigenous people of Japan, which paved the way to the more formal and binding 2019 Ainu Culture Promotion Law. In addition to its shared commitment to redressing historical injustices against its own Indigenous peoples, Japan also shares with the Arctic nations a long and proud history as a whaling nation. But it’s not just lessons and traditions from the past that informs Japan’s perception of Hokkaido as a strategic frontier but visions for the future as well, and in particular the digital future. Tokyo has thus been pursuing an ambitious strategy to leverage its fortuitously forward geography adjacent to the polar world to turn Hokkaido into a future digital hub, as its geographical remoteness proffers strategic centrality in a world where the Arctic is emerging as a geostrategic center.

ARCHIPELAGO is an archaeological and historical database of land and sea food resources utilised in the Japanese Islands. Here we present a dataset of human bone and hair carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes measurements from Japanese archaeological sites covering the time span from the Upper Palaeolithic to the midnineteenth century. Reflecting the results of over 30 years of research, the dataset contains 1476 entries and covers the entire Japanese archipelago, although the data are more highly concentrated in coastal regions.

This paper attempts to reinterpret the thought of Shinran’s later years through the lens of contemporary philosophical concepts—specifically, Kōjin Karatani’s theory of modes of exchange and Kōichiro Kokubun’s theory of the middle voice—thereby connecting a central theme of Shin-Buddhist doctrine with cutting-edge discussions in contemporary philosophy and elucidate its significance in the modern world.

^^^^^ our un cadre occidental de l'industrie automobilere • W voyage à Tokyo qui a remplacé celui à Detroit tient à la • fois du pèlerinage à Lourdes (on vénère un modèle JL. industriel et on attend le miracle qui guérira de la mauvaise productivité), du voyage à Canossa (on reconnaît la supériorité de l'ingéniosité asiatique sur le savoir-faire occidental) et du parcours initiatique (chaque visite d'usine éduque un peu plus l'industriel ignorant et le conduit vers l'illumination organisationnelle). On ne sait plus exactement quant tout cela a commencé, car les Japonais ont toujours progressé avec une certaine discrétion et ce n'est que lorsque certains seuils ont été franchis que les Occidentaux ont ouvert les yeux. Qui aurait prévu dans les années cinquante, alors que Soichiro Honda bricolait des motocyclettes dans son garage, que la Honda Accord puisse être un jour la voiture la plus vendue aux Etats-Unis ? Qui aurait imaginé que l'industrie automobile britannique se reconstituerait un jour autour de Nissan (dont les premiers modèles d'après-guerre étaient des Austin !), puis autour de Honda et de Toyota ? Qui aurait pensé que les prestigieux modèles Mercedes, Jaguar, Porsche et BMW se verraient menacés par Lexus, Infiniti, Acura et Amati l ? Qui aurait pu croire que la Nissan Primera ait frôlé la récompense suprême : « voiture européenne de l'année 1991 » 2 ? Si le Japon a pu être perçu avec exaspération, ce n'est pas tant en raison de ses succès qu'à cause de la perplexité dans laquelle il a

RESUMO: O uso de métodos participativos para o ensino de Direito no Brasil tem sido objeto de diversas discussões nos últimos anos. Contudo, tais métodos se concentram usualmente no uso de técnicas que estimulam saberes racionais para a aquisição e retenção de conteúdo e para o desenvolvimento de habilidades A partir de uma pesquisa qualitativa baseada em fontes primárias (observação participante), este texto relata e analisa experiências do uso de técnicas teatrais (mimese e performance) para ensinar os Direitos Humanos no Brasil. Os autores avaliam os limites e as possibilidades de utilizar tais estratégias pedagógicas interdisciplinares que operem no interior do diálogo entre Direito e Arte para promover o protagonismo estudantil em Escolas de Direito brasileiras. A ideia é estabelecer uma educação ainda mais consciente, sensível, autônoma e participativa sobre a proteção internacional dos Direitos Humanos.

GIOVANNI BERIO IN ARTE LIGUSTRO COSI' LA CULTURA NON SI FERMA Per info mail francesco.berio(AT)gmail.com Quattro volumi dedicati a LIGUSTRO e il suo Giappone. Questi volumi sono utili per tesi, per docenti, per studiosi, per ricercatori, per allievi e per il premio Ligustro. Ligustro dal suo amato Giappone, racchiuso nel piccolo studio di Imperia Oneglia, ha lasciato straordinarie idee da intuire e fantastiche opere da ammirare. Il mondo delle stampe giapponesi era indissolubilmente legato a due grandi personaggi ed amici che oggi non sono più con noi: JACK RONALD HILLIER (Londra 28, 8, 1912 - 5, 1, 1995) Giovanni Berio in arte LIGUSTRO (Imperia 1, 1, 1924 - 11, 12, 2015) Ligustro dal suo amato Giappone, racchiuso nel piccolo studio di Imperia Oneglia, ha lasciato straordinarie idee da intuire e fantastiche opere da ammirare. In diverse occasioni Ligustro, con le sue stampe, i surimono, gli e-goyomi, i mitate, gli ex libris, gli haiku e con il kaimei (cambio di nome) ha contribuito a rafforzare i legami tra Italia e Giappone. In tutte le preziose opere, si possono notare i principali temi della produzione artistica del Maestro Ligustro quali la profondità, la luce, la bellezza femminile, la vita, la felicità, l'amicizia, la famiglia e la sua armonia, l'educazione, la cultura, la natura ed un mondo migliore. Apertura della sala dedicata al Maestro Ligustro presso la Biblioteca Civica Leonardo Lagorio di Imperia Piazza Edmondo De Amicis, 7 - Imperia In data 9 maggio 2015 si è svolta, presso la sala convegni della Biblioteca Civica Leonardo Lagorio di Imperia, con il patrocinio della Fondazione Italia Giappone e della Fondazione Mario Novaro, l'apertura della sala dedicata al Maestro Giovanni Berio in arte LIGUSTRO quale traguardo successivo dopo l'importante donazione (legni incisi, corrispondenza, calligrafie giapponesi, libri ed opere d'arte personali e di altri autori, l'archivio completo di una vita artistica) del Maestro alla Città di Imperia. La sala è fruibile iniziare, come punto di riferimento di eccellenza, per consultare tutto il materiale donato per approfondimenti personali ed eventi divulgativi. Inaugurazione della sala dedicata a Ligustro presso la biblioteca pubblica Leonardo Lagorio – Imperia (Italia) Piazza Edmondo De Amicis, 7 - Imperia Il 9 maggio 2015, presso la biblioteca pubblica Leonardo Lagorio della città di Imperia, con il patrocinio della Fondazione Italia Giappone e della Fondazione Mario Novaro, si è tenuta l'inaugurazione della sala dedicata al maestro Giovanni Berio, detto LIGUSTRO, a seguito dell'importante donazione (legni lavorati, corrispondenza, calligrafie giapponesi, libri e opere d'arte, un archivio completo di un'intera vita dedicata all'arte) di Ligustro alla città di Imperia. La sala è a disposizione della comunità, come punto di eccellenza, per la consultazione di tutto il materiale donato per analisi approfondite e incontri di approfondimento.

This chapter analyses the documents produced by members of the Society of Jesus during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, exploring how the Ainu people were perceived and represented in European sources within the context of Iberian expansion in Asia. Through a detailed examination of Jesuit reports, letters and missionary accounts, it investigates the gradual construction of European knowledge about the Ainu, from indirect information provided by Japanese informants to the first direct observations made in Hokkaidō. Particular attention is paid to the role of cultural mediation, religious interpretation and the concept of alterity in shaping these representations. The chapter argues that Jesuit writings constitute some of the earliest and most valuable ethnographic descriptions of Ainu society and played a crucial role in introducing the Ainu to European intellectual networks during the early modern period.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Gloucester, Massachusetts, emerged as one of the most significant US fishing ports. The town's fishing industry thrived not only through its capacity to exploit diverse marine species in response to market demands and ecological availability, but also through sustained access to a vast maritime territory extending from Georges Bank to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. This article introduces ongoing research that maps the territorial and environmental footprint of Gloucester's fisheries.

ARCHIPELAGO is an archaeological and historical database of land and sea food resources utilised in the Japanese Islands. Here we present a dataset of human bone and hair carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes measurements from Japanese archaeological sites covering the time span from the Upper Palaeolithic to the midnineteenth century. Reflecting the results of over 30 years of research, the dataset contains 1476 entries and covers the entire Japanese archipelago, although the data are more highly concentrated in coastal regions.

The relevance of this topic lies in the developing relations between Japan and the countries located on the Korean Peninsula. The problematic nature of this topic is currently compounded by the fact that, while Korea was part of Japan at the beginning of the twentieth century, a century later Japan was removed from the so-called "white list" in South Korea.
There is considerable reason to believe that Japan's intervention in Korean affairs led to the disintegration of the Korean nation into two opposing camps, resulting in the emergence of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea.
A thorough analysis of the problems and prospects of relations between Japan and the states located on the Korean Peninsula will facilitate the development of algorithms for overcoming the numerous problems that exist between these states, whose cooperation could be progressively developing and clearly mutually beneficial.

The Meiji Era (1868-1912) was a crucial period in Japan's modernization, marked by profound social and political transformations under Western influence. Japanese intellectuals played a key role in reconciling traditional values with modern Western ideas. Inspired by Western science, technology, and administrative systems, the Meiji government sought to reshape Japan into a global power. Intellectuals explored concepts such as freedom, democracy, and individualism, integrating them into Japanese society while maintaining cultural identity. This study examines the impact of Meiji intellectual movements on Japan's modernization. The central questions include: How did Japanese intellectuals interpret Western thought? What proposals did they offer for modernization? How did their views on "civilization" and "enlightenment" influence state policies? What tensions arose between traditional values and Western modernization ideas? Addressing these questions, this study explores the intellectual foundation of Japan's transformation into a modern nationstate. Additionally, using Gramsci's hegemony theory and ideology analysis, it investigates how the ruling class employed ideological tools to shape modernization. Findings reveal that Meiji intellectuals sought a balance between tradition and modernization. They aimed to preserve Japan's national identity while embracing scientific and technological advancements. This dual

From the second half of the 19th century, many intellectuals of the Meiji Japan serve as a referance for us in order to understand the roadmap of Japan which has revealed an important modernization story under the name of the Meiji Restoration. One of the enlightened thinkers we come across at this point is Nakae Chōmin. Nakae Chōmin, (1847-1901) contributed to the establishment of concepts such as freedom, equality, democracy and constitutionalism in the political memory of Japan through his articles. At the same time, he created a concept memory in the Japanese political thought and brought new concepts to the Japanese language. In this study, ideology analysis was made in "Sansuijin Keirin Mondō (A Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government)" which is called Nakae Chōmin's masterpiece and conveys the ideas of the Meiji period to the reader through different characters. In this work, written with the Socratic dialogue method, the understanding of modernism, idealism, pacifism, freedom, equality, democracy etc. was examined by focusing on the "Gentleman", one of the characters described as Nakae Chōmin's alter ego. At the conclusion of the study, we have determined that a great majority of the ideas put forward by the character of "Gentleman" are also included in Nakae Chōmin's

関係が成立するという前提は、多くの理論枠組みにおいて基礎的な仮定として広く採用されており、因果関係、相互作用、対応関係といった概念は、その前提のもとで自明のものとして扱われてきた。しかし、この関係前提そのものが構造的に検討されることはほとんどない。
本研究は、この前提を再検討し、関係が単に弱い、あるいは間接的であるのではなく、そもそも成立しない構造条件を提示する。分析の対象は、意識内における規則に基づく記述過程として定義される思考活動と、そのような記述過程に依存せず成立する基盤的構造として定義される実像領域である。
本研究の中心的主張は、これら二つの領域の間においては、関係成立の条件そのものが満たされないことにより、関係概念が適用されないという点にある。さらに本研究は、実像領域が認識される場合においても、思考活動がその内部規則に従って継続し、その内部において記述の再編成が生じることを示す。以上により、本研究は、関係概念の適用範囲の限界を示し、その前提の再検討を促す理論的枠組みを提示する。

The assumption that relations obtain between any two domains is foundational to most theoretical frameworks. Concepts such as causality, interaction, and correspondence presuppose that some form of structural connection exists between the entities under consideration. However, the conditions under which such relations obtain have rarely been examined explicitly.
This paper investigates whether relations can obtain between two structurally distinct domains: thought activity, defined as a rule-governed descriptive process within consciousness; and the actual-image domain, defined as a foundational dimension of consciousness existing independently of such descriptive processes. The central claim is that relation-constituting conditions—specifically, a shared definitional basis, mediability, and the possibility of transformation or correspondence—are not met between these two domains. Consequently, relation concepts are not merely weak or indirect; they are structurally inapplicable.
This paper further examines the internal reconfiguration of thought activity that occurs when the actual-image domain is recognized. Such reconfiguration—appearing as descriptions of "resolution" or "fulfillment"—constitutes a change within thought activity and does not indicate any relation between the two domains. Through dialogue with prior philosophical frameworks—Kant's thing-in-itself, Wittgenstein's limits of language, Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka, and Husserl's intentionality—this paper clarifies the distinctive contribution of the non-relationality thesis.
This paper establishes the theoretical foundation for a companion series on well-being and cognitive structure, providing the structural proof upon which the redefinition of well-being (Paper 1) and the analysis of human suffering (Paper 3) depend.

現代におけるウェルビーイングの探究は、多くの場合、思考活動の改善、すなわち解釈、判断、認知、自己理解の精度向上を中心に構成されている。この前提において、幸福や成長は思考活動の内容や質に依存するものとして扱われてきた。しかし、この枠組みは意識と思考活動を同一のものとして捉える構造に依存している可能性がある。
本研究は、この思考活動中心モデルの前提を再検討し、思考活動とは独立して成立する意識領域（実像領域）の存在を定義する。思考活動とは、規則に基づいて展開される意識内の記述的活動であり、意識そのものではない。実像領域はこの思考活動とは異なる定義基盤において成立する意識の基盤的構造であり、新たに生成されるものではなく常在しているが、意識が思考活動に没頭している限り認識されない。本研究は、この同一視という誤認構造と、その破綻によって実像領域が認識される構造を区別して記述する。
この認識は推論や分析の結果ではなく、思考活動が意識の一部であり意識そのものではないことが直接的に把握されることを指す。この認識が成立すると、思考活動は相対化され、その内容の優劣や適否がウェルビーイングの成立において本質的な条件ではないことが明らかとなる。また、両者の関係は、関与の有無の問題ではなく、関係という概念自体が適用されない構造的非対称性として理解される。
本研究は、ウェルビーイングを思考活動の改善として捉える従来の枠組みの限界を示し、思考活動に依存しないウェルビーイングの基盤として実像領域を位置づける新たな理論枠組みを提示するものである。

Contemporary approaches to well-being predominantly focus on improving thought activity—refining interpretation, judgment, cognition, and self-understanding. This framework implicitly assumes that well-being depends on the quality of thought activity, treating consciousness and thought activity as equivalent domains. However, this assumption remains largely unexamined as a structural presupposition.
This paper reexamines the thought-activity-centered model of well-being and proposes a theoretical distinction between thought activity and the actual-image domain. Thought activity is defined as a rule-governed descriptive process within consciousness, encompassing meaning-making, interpretation, prediction, and self-definition. The actual-image domain is defined as a foundational dimension of consciousness that exists independently of such descriptive processes—not newly generated, but persistently present yet unrecognized when consciousness is absorbed in thought activity.
The central argument is that well-being cannot be fundamentally established through the improvement of thought activity, because the misidentification of thought activity with consciousness itself constitutes the structural source of human suffering. When this misidentification is recognized—not through reasoning but through direct structural recognition—thought-generated constructs are no longer adopted as absolute reality, and the actual-image domain becomes accessible.
This paper presents a new theoretical framework that redefines well-being not as the achievement of ideal conditions or thought-content improvement, but as the structural weakening of the absolutization of thought-generated constructs, through which the actual-image domain becomes naturally present.

Are there any "environmentally conscious" workers who take into account the threat their factory poses to the environment? To what extent is industrial risk prevention minimized by job blackmail, and co-opted or stifled by political interests? Through archives and interviews, this book shows how Japanese unions have confronted these questions through several case studies in the region of Tokyo and the mercury poisoning disaster in Minamata. Through their interactions with the victims of industrial pollutions, the workers transformed traditional union demands into a groundbreaking critique of productivism. This was an unprecedented phenomenon in the history of the labor movement.

This article examines South Korea's strategic communication directed at a Japanese audience during the 1973-1975 crisis in bilateral relations through an analysis of a journal established by the Korean government as a tool of public diplomacy and directed at a Japanese audience. Despite Seoul's acute dependence on Japanese economic aid and technology, and its stated goal of promoting partnership and cooperation, the narratives presented in the journal were dominated by historical grievances and references to Korea's cultural superiority. The study situates this paradox within the literature on strategic narratives, highlighting the structural constraints imposed by domestic master narratives. It demonstrates how deeply embedded master narratives constrain the agency of actors responsible for crafting strategic narratives, even in a tightly controlled political context. More broadly, the findings caution against equating state-produced narratives with policy goals, underscoring the need to account for structural discursive constraints when analysing strategic communication in international relations.

This study reports on the construction of a one million word English-Arabic Political Parallel Corpus (EAPPC), which will be a useful resource for research in translation studies, language learning and teaching, bilingual lexicography, contrastive studies, political science studies and cross-language information retrieval. It describes the phases of corpus compilation and explores the corpus, by way of illustration, to discover the translation strategies used in rendering the Arabic and Islamic culture-specific terms takfīr and takfīrī from Arabic into English and from English into Arabic. The Corpus consists of 351 English and Arabic original documents and their translations. A total of 189 speeches, 80 interviews and 68 letters, translated by anonymous translators in the Royal Hashemite Court, were selected and culled from King Abdullah II's official website, in addition to the textual material of the English and Arabic versions of His Majesty's book, Our Last Best Chance:...

The fascination with samurai swords has endured for centuries, capturing the imagination of collectors, martial artists, and history enthusiasts across the world. These legendary weapons symbolize honor, discipline, precision, and craftsmanship. Today, modern sword lovers are not only interested in owning a traditional blade but also in customizing it to match their personal style and preferences. Customizable samurai sword designs have become increasingly popular because they combine ancient artistry with modern creativity and functionality. Modern sword enthusiasts seek more than decorative items. They want blades that reflect individuality while maintaining authenticity and quality. Whether used for display, martial arts training, or collection purposes, customizable samurai swords offer a unique experience that standard factory-made swords cannot provide. The Growing Popularity of Custom Samurai Swords In recent years, there has been a significant rise in demand for personalized swords. Collectors and martial artists appreciate the ability to choose specific features, such as blade material, handle wrapping, guard designs, and scabbard finishes. This customization process allows buyers to create a sword that truly represents their personality and taste. Unlike mass-produced replicas, custom samurai swords are often handcrafted by skilled artisans who pay close attention to every detail. The result is a weapon that carries both aesthetic beauty and practical value. Many sword lovers are now investing in functional

This article examines the All-Japan Students' Photo Association's (AJSPA) 1970 "Pollution campaign" as a pivotal intervention in photographic practice and public activism. Responding to industrial pollution across Japan, student photographers traveled to Minamata, Yokkaichi, and Ashio, documenting local communities' lived experiences. Their photobook On This Land We Have No Country (1970) constructed a visual "pollution map" of the archipelago through photographs, historical documents, and data. Examining this work, I argue that students' photographs framed pollution as a systemic, national crisis tied to Japan's high-growth economic policies, rooted in historical patterns of treating humans as expendable under industrial capitalism.

Con el objetivo de abordar la influencia del eurocentrismo en el relato historiográfico educativo chileno sobre Asia Oriental, este trabajo realizó una caracterización preliminar de las representaciones sobre aquella región que se encuentran en los textos escolares de Chile. Basado en el análisis de los textos desde 1° Básico a 4° Medio de las asignaturas de “Historia, Geografía y Ciencias Sociales” y “Educación Ciudadana”, se elaboró un diagnóstico del conocimiento entregado sobre China, Japón y Corea del Sur. A partir de este análisis se obtuvieron dos resultados principales: 1) Asia Oriental es un contenido historiográfico que se estudia como un complemento de la Historia Universal y 2) Asia Oriental se presenta como una historia local fragmentada. Se concluyó que la enseñanza de Asia Oriental es dependiente de un discurso eurocéntrico, lo que nos invita a estudiar alternativas a la representación subordinada de la región.

Paolo Aranha, "The Keichō Embassy and the Holy See: Interventions by the Nuncio in Madrid, the Roman Inquisition and Cardinal Borghese", in "Archivum Franciscanum Historicum" 118/3-4 (2025): 313-356.
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This essay analyses the interactions of the Keichō Embassy with the Holy See before, during and after the stay of the delegates of Date Masamune, daimyō of Ōshū, in Rome between the end of October 1615 and the beginning of January 1616. Particular attention is devoted to the specific requests submitted by Luis Sotelo, Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga and a group of Japanese Christians to the Holy See, following an unsatisfactory prior deliberation by the Spanish court. Their petitions concerned the creation of new dioceses in Japan, the dispatch of Franciscan missionaries and the opening of commercial relations between the kingdom of Ōshū and New Spain, in addition to other matters.
The essay examines the communications between the Papal Nuncio in Madrid, Antonio Caetani, and the Cardinal Nephew, Scipione Caffarelli Borghese, relating to the first and second stays of the Keichō Embassy in Spain. Furthermore, it analyses the reasons why the petitions of the Japanese delegates were referred to the Roman Inquisition rather than to other congregations of the papal Curia. It also demonstrates that, contrary to a well established historiographical tradition, Luis Sotelo was never appointed bishop of a new Japanese diocese, highlighting the loss of credibility he experienced immediately after his stay in Rome. In conclusion, the essay shows that the Keichō Embassy ultimately proved ineffective in achieving its pastoral and diplomatic objectives, while nevertheless contributing to a greater European understanding of Japan.

This paper analyzes the "Ishimaru phenomenon" and "Saito phenomenon" in Japanese local elections in 2024, which captured significant attention from the mass media and Japanese society at large, examining factors influencing candidate selection through a 2024 web survey. The study reveals a significant critical attitude towards mass media and vested interests and a decline in their trust as key drivers. Moreover, this criticism is strongly motivated by moral psychological factors and "non-minority politics," a pervasive resentment toward minorities which the author has found as a distinctive feature of Japanese online public opinion discourse.

Las rebeliones de los Ikko-Ikki son notables por ser la única ocasión en la historia premoderna de Japón en la que un levantamiento campesino no solo triunfó, sino que logró crear una región de Japón gobernada por las masas, y no por los samuráis militares ni por la antigua aristocracia de Kioto. El factor determinante del levantamiento fue una fuerte afinidad con cierta secta buddhista, la Jodo Shinshu( 浄 土 真 宗 , “Verdadera Secta de la Tierra Pura”), pero los Ikko-Ikki eran más que un “culto rebelde”, como algunos los etiquetaron….

This chapter explores the pervasive problem of gender-based violence (GBV) within the Japanese popular music industry, a sector that is at once deeply culturally vibrant and informed by patriarchy. Indeed, with Japan ranking very low on global indexes of gender equality, the hyper-gendered norms and power imbalances entrench the male dominance in this industry, especially within genres such as rock and hip-hop. Using Liz Kelly’s “continuum of violence,” this paper analyses how GBV works in subtle, yet pervasive forms, starting from sexist comments to systemic objectification, thereby normalizing the unequal power relation. Despite global momentum, spearheaded by #MeToo in several other cultural contexts, scholarship and policy work on GBV in the music world remains scant within Japan, leaving many issues invisible. Drawing on qualitative interviewing with musicians-industry professionals, this chapter explores enabling discursive and normative structures/cultural conditions linked to GBV in the industry, such as hierarchical mentor-mentorship relationships engendered between men, and commodifying women within male idol systems. The following sections focus on the voices of women who survive in this patriarchal industry by both confronting, resisting and adapting to these constraints. This contribution attempts to bridge the silence in academia on GBV in Japan’s music industry while offering a much-needed nuanced understanding of its causes from a social perspective and locating this within broader debates on gender inequalities in creative industries.

INDICE 1 Dal bel canto al bel corpo. Metamorfosi callasiane dal melodramma alla scena mass-mediale L # A%&'( )* 7 La "voce multipla" della Callas. Ascendenze storiche M '#* B& ,&--. 15 «La fresca età sen fugge». Voce, tecnica, stile ed arte di Maria Callas M.#, &-A(/.) --23 Tradizione e innovazione nell'insegnamento del canto lirico nel secondo Novecento. L'eredità di Maria Callas come interprete e insegnante M '#* P*--#. 41 Genealogia callasiana. La vocalità del soprano drammatico di agilità tra mito, storia e scienza G. )-# B*##,.)* 63 Il corpo di Maria. Il mito oltre la voce E0 ) &-G'.0 ##.

The focus of this contribution has been on reconstructing the history and larger significance of selected maps from Japan, which emerge as a variety of textual heritage that actively participated in the “spatial vernacular” of the culture of the period. While topological maps are present in all cultures, their prominence in early modern Japan means that their study can yield richer insights into the relationship between geographical knowledge, visual representation, and human experience.
Social, political, scribal, and economic factors converge in early modern as well as contemporary maps. By placing maps at the center of discussions of textual heritage, this chapter thus responds to the call for “positioning heritage as an inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary nodal point of research.”

Background and Study Aim: Spirituality in this study is based on the understanding of Michel Foucault and his discussions on the aesthetics of existence, which relate to a way of life consisting of a set of practices of self-care, asceticism, enlightenment and training of the moral subject. Our study aimed to discuss the socio-historical basis of the Budo as a way of living and educating the body in movement through martial arts. Material and Methods: through a systematic review of academic studies from different databases, based on Foucault's discourse analysis. Results: we analyzed 44 studies from 8 different databases, including articles, master's dissertations and doctoral theses, and identified a significant number of keywords to budo's understanding, such as: Body cult, Bugei and Kakugi (martial arts and educational sports fights), Bujutsu, Bushido (way of the warrior), Character Formation, Culture, Educational system, Ethics, Modernity, Spirituality, Religion, Way of life. Conclusions: we highlight the character of the Budo as part of Japanese tradition from the perspective of life path, self-knowledge, self-improvement and body cult, spirituality and education, and also as a cultural phenomenon that has undergone reconfigurations due to the influence of religion and cultural exchanges with other countries.

"Desde luego, como punto inicial, conviene tener en cuenta que el Pez de Oro está labrado con materiales puneños, radicalmente fruto de las reacciones anímicas telúricas de nuestra tierra y su lago, entendido, que si el Titikaka se refracta en el cielo, hay que convenir que el cielo de nuestra tierra es sólo el Titikaka proyectado a las esferas. Los personajes de El Pez de Oro no son personas humanas; son símbolos zoóticos del corazón del hombre. Esto es, son animaciones simbólicas de la humana naturaleza, y como representan entidades biológicas, de entrada entenderemos que el Pez de Oro es la imagen del genes del hombre, del hombre de nuestra tierra, esto es el Khori-Challwa, es la semilla del hombre del Tawantinsuyu, nuestra patria histórica; y el Khori-Puma, El Puma de Oro, símbolo del hombre matriarcal, de la edad lunar, del ciclo de la Mama-Khilla, que los hombres del Kollasuyu conocemos por la Paksi-Mama."
bY: Gamaliel Churata

“In Australia, just as in Canada,” explained Karl James, head of military history at the Australian War Memorial, “there has been much political and popular discussion surrounding the stability and reliability of our great and powerful allies. Many of the assumptions and defence assurances that the western Allies have taken for granted in the years since the Second World War are being tested.”
The author and editor cited the works of his Canadian colleagues, Marc Milner’sSecond Front (2025) and the late Tim Cook’s The Good Allies (2024), as prime examples of recent discourse on such topics, notably within the context of Canada’s relationship with the U.S. and U.K.
“The emphasis on our shared traditional allies, Great Britain and the United States,” he continued, “is understandable. It has meant that other bonds, such as those far across the Pacific Ocean, have been neglected.”
Australians and Canadians served and sacrificed on many of the same battlefields of the 20th and 21st centuries’ greatest conflicts, from the trenches of Gallipoli to the quagmire of Passchendaele to the hills of Kapyong. These are just some of the names that resonate in countries half a world away from each other.
https://legionmagazine.com/historian-karl-james-on-the-australian-canadian-wartime-bond

This article examines the prevalence of aesthetics within the political and social reorganization of the late nineteenth century and its central role in shaping the concept of national literature in the Ottoman Empire and Japan. It contextualizes the emergence of literary modernity within the simultaneous rise of nationalism and radical modernization in two cultures that did not experience direct colonial rule—one in the West and the other in East Asia. Drawing primarily on existing research, it compares how intellectuals in these two contexts understood the relationship between aesthetics and cultural transformation. The article argues that literary aesthetics is not a dependent variable of political and economic processes, but possesses an autonomy that allowed writers of the reorganization period to explore and negotiate new possibilities within a not-yet-solidified national consciousness. It pays particular attention to the complexities surrounding the transition to nation- states in Japan and the Ottoman Empire and traces this process across three domains: the use of literature to articulate civic ideals under censorship; the contested institutionalization of literature as a national and disciplinary category grounded in classical traditions; and the rise of print culture and criticism, which enabled new forms of public engagement. The article thus offers a comparative overview of the aesthetic and literary scene, opening further avenues for comparison across other non-Western contexts not shaped by direct colonial intervention.

Abstract
This article analyses the traditional Japanese house as a semiotic space that reflects social codes. It examines how architectural features such as the
genkan vestibule, the engawa, zashiki, shoji and fusuma sliding panels – mediate relationships between private and public zones. The study introduces
key Japanese concepts (honne/tatemae, uchi/soto, omote/ura, hare/ke, and kafuchō-sei) to explain how dichotomies of inner/outer, public/private,
and gender roles shape domestic spaces. Transitional, flexible elements allow inhabitants to negotiate boundaries, maintain social harmony, and ad-
apt space to ritual or everyday occasions. Ultimately, the Japanese house is argued to embody not merely climate adaptation or practical rationalism
but to perpetuate codified cultural values and social codes through its spatial organization.

Vocational and industrial training loomed large in Japanese colonial educa-tion in Korea. Between 1910 and 1945, Japanese authorities implemented an education system that concentrated on industrial education for Koreans, who were generally portrayed as possessing a low level of civilization. Geared toward assimilating Koreans as Japanese subjects, this system was at the same time characterized by pervasive segregation and discrimination with severely restricted access to higher education for Koreans. After annexation in 1910, the colonial education system was superimposed upon a fragmented, yet evolving structure consisting of traditional and modern schools as well as foreign missionary schools that continued to operate throughout most of the colonial period. Promoting manual labor, industrial education constituted a salient feature of the proclaimed Japanese civilizing mission as it was deemed befitting to “lazy” Koreans by Westerners and Japanese alike. For the Japanese colonial power, civilizing Koreans through labor education furthermore fulfilled the empire’s economic needs while developing a sufficiently educated, yet subordinate colonial population.

This book explores how Japan came to be racialized in Western and Japanese thought between 1735 and 1854—a formative era in the global development of racial ideology. Framed by Linnaeus’s Systema Naturae and the forced opening of Japan’s ports, this period saw the rapid expansion of Western empires, industrial power, and racial hierarchies—all while Japan remained largely isolated yet deeply intriguing to outside observers.
Rotem Kowner uncovers how Western racial theories, often constructed with scant ethnographic knowledge, clashed with emerging Japanese self-perceptions that positioned the nation as superior within its own proto-racial discourse. This profound disconnect created a charged ideological space, laying the groundwork for twentieth-century racial conflicts across East Asia.
Through a compelling analysis of visual and textual materials, A Hardening Hierarchy reveals how race was seen, drawn, and debated on both sides of the Eurasian divide. This volume provides a crucial historical link between early modern depictions of the Japanese and the virulent racial ideologies that followed—offering essential insight into the roots of global racial thought.

Prince Shōtoku veneration in medieval art, literature, and religious practice has been well-examined in English academic literature; however, the role of music and dance in his devotional cult has received little to no attention. While missing in his earliest biographies, from the tenth century onward, Prince Shōtoku was inserted into histories and narratives of specific performances transmitted from the Asian mainland, and foreign musical entertainment became the centerpiece at his annual death memorial. Through examining the narratives of three categories of music and dance in written and painted biographies, musical encyclopedias, and the performances themselves, this article demonstrates how crucial musical performance was in the worship and spread of the Prince Shōtoku cult, especially during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Moreover, these narratives relied upon his authority and legacy to localize and legitimate foreign music in Buddhist settings and authenticate instruments said to have been used or made by him.