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21st Century Area and Culture Studies Group
Activity Report
December 16-17, 2006 14:00-16:00 Subcommittee II International Forum "Current State of Asian and African Historical Documentation and Trans-culture Research" Project Co-leader Hidenori IJIRI represented the Group by reporting as a panelist on the theorization of "21st Century Area and Culture Studies." October 30, 2006 Subcommittee I A collection of reports from the previous event was published as "Afghanistan Five Years after 9.11" (Edited by the TUFS Graduate School, section of International politics and economy). Every lecture in the seminar was reported with photographs and diagrams and appended as distribution materials and reference materials. October 6, 2006 (15:00-18:00) TUFS Research and Lecture Building Room 102 Subcommittee I COE + Global Studies Section of Graduate School Expanded Seminar: "Afghanistan Five Years after 9.11" • Session 1: "International Reconstruction Support and Japan" Ryuichi TANABE (former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Afghanistan Assistance) Prof. Shuko FUJIEDA (Center for Womes's Education and Development) Masaaki MATSUSHIMA (former Resident Representative of JICA Afghanistan) Commentator： Haruki ABE (JICA, Visiting Professor for Partnership Programs) • Session 2 : "Current Status of Afghanistan" Mitsuji FUKUMOTO (Director of Public Relations, Peshawar-kai) Kenji ISESAKI (TUFS) Makoto HACHIOSHI (TUFS) It is now five years since 9.11 and the attack on Afghanistan. Due to the War in Iraq and the stalemate there, Afghanistan has been pushed back into the background. But what is it like today? Japan is the largest financial contributor to the international reconstruction support efforts, but what actually is happening in terms of support? And what is the truth about the instability in Afghanistan that is being reported in the media? We held two sessions to look into these issues. In Session 1, the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for Afghanistan Assistance, H.E. Ryuichi Tanabe, gave a report on the framework of international recovery support and the role Japan is playing in it. Prof. Fujieda reported on the status of education for children, which is said to be one of the key characteristics of the support provided by Japan. Mr. Matsushima, who as the head of the local administrative office of JICA was responsible for coordinating the actual support activities, reported on the recent situation in and around Kabul as well as the support efforts. Mr. Abe, the coordinator, made apposite comments and asked some searching questions. In Session 2, we received reports on the current state of Afghanistan from the perspective of on-site support efforts that are outside the public framework. First, from the Peshawar-kai (Tetsu Nakamura, Executive Director, Peshawar-kai Medical Services), which has been providing medical support for over 20 years, Mr. Fukumoto spoke about the group and its activities as well as the situation in the last two or three years. Next, Dr. Isezaki of TUFS, who was appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to oversee the disarmament, gave an illustrious report on the current state of social security and its challenges in Afghanistan in response to the various media reports on rising instability. Last, Mr. Yaoshi, who is in charge of the preservation of cultural assets in which TUFS is participating, reported on the progress of the project and the challenges involved. In addition to the above, in the International Session, Mr. Ryota Maki, who is a graduate student at TUFS and has a lot of experience in reporting in Afghanistan, presented a selection of photographs with commentary. Despite the bad weather, the seminar enjoyed the participation of a large group from both within and outside TUFS (120 people), indicating the high level of interest in the theme.
October 4, 2006 18:30-20:30 (Research and Lecture Building Room 541) Subcommittee II "Global Partnership in the Area of Security" Professor Hirotaka WATANABE (Foreign Languages Department, TUFS) "Self-Rule and Autonomy of Minority Groups" Professor Sonoko NISHITATENO (Foreign Languages Department, TUFS) July 14, 2006 Subcommittee I "The Nightmare of Globalization" (Edited by Professor Osamu Nishitani and Chikako Nakayama) was published as a research publication by collating the discussion contents from the two projects of the previous year-"From a Battlefield for Human Dignity" and "The Nightmare of Globalization"-and adding some commentary papers and reference materials.  As both projects involved inviting the main guests from overseas and had the current state of the modern media as one of the discussion pillars, we wanted to publish the research reports in a format readily accessible outside Japan. As such, we have published the sections on the Symposium and Workshops as a bilingual English and Japanese publication. July 6, 2006 18:30-20:30 (Research and Lecture Building Room 541) Subcommittee II "Shanghai Research and the Direction of the 21st Century Area and Culture Studies" Professor Yukari SAWADA (Foreign Language Department, TUFS) October 14-15, 2005
As at previous events, those attending included many students and teachers from both in and outside TUFS as well as members of the general public who had heard about the movie and residents of the community. The audience was so large that the 300 sets of reference materials ran out!
June 13-17, 2005 Subcommittee I Photo Exhibition + Symposium "From a Battlefield for Human Dignity II" Photo Exhibition Date and Time: June 13 (Monday) 13:00-June 17 (Friday) 18:00 Venue: TUFS Research and Lecture Building 1st Floor, Galleria Symposium Date and Time: June 17, 2005 (Friday) 15:00-18:00 Venue: TUFS Research and Lecture Building Room 226 Symposium Reporters: Evelyn HOCKSTEIN (Polaris) Yoshiko KURITA (Chiba University) Mari OKA (Kyoto University) Planning & direction: Osamu NISHITANI, Chikako NAKAYAMA (TUFS) We invited Ms. Evelyn Hockstein, who lives in Kenya and received an award for her excellent work on Africa at the 1st "DAYS Japan International Photojournalism Awards" to exhibit her work and participate in a debate on "Africa, Wars, Poverty, Refugees, Women / Battlefield for Human Dignity / Looking at the Current Status of the World Beyond the Walls of the Media" along with reports from two specialists. All the invited speakers were women. They spoke from different perspectives and angles, enriching the event with their multifaceted views and capturing the attention of the more than 200 people in the audience who filled the venue. The debate covered a wide spectrum of topics, from a report on the refugee camps in Africa, the message from those camps delivered through photographs, the impact of globalization, the geo-politics hidden behind the very interest that is aroused in us, the challenges to "human dignity", and how all this is not just an African problem, but should resonate with our own realities of today as well as our past... The powerful session received a very strong response, as reflected in the questionnaires completed by the audience. Though the event overlapped with university lectures, we received a large number of people from outside of the university, and, in particular, those residing in Chofu City, proving that there is a high level of interest in such events in the local community.
November 22, 2004 15:00-17:00 Subcommittee I Special Research Conference "Post-War International Agriculture Negotiation-Reflection and Outlook" Lecturer: Yasuo ENDO (Director, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations Liaison Office in Japan ) Venue: TUFS Fuchu Campus, Research and Lecture Building 4F International Communication Laboratory November 19, 2004 10:30-19:40 Subcommittee I
November 1-4, 2004 Subcommittee I International Symposium/ Seminar/ Photo Exhibition (click on image to view larger photographs) I: James Nachtwey & Ryuichi Hirokawa Photo Exhibition November 1-4 (10:00-18:00) Venue: TUFS Research and Lecture Building Galleria II: Symposium: "The Geopolitics of the Visual" November 3 (Wednesday, Public Holiday) 10:00-18:00 Venue: TUFS Research and Lecture Building Room 101 • Session 1: Broadcasting (10:00-12:30) Hassam IBRAHIM (Al Jazeera) Keiichi NAGASHIMA (NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute) Hidetaka ISHIDA (Information Semiotics,TUFS)  • Session 2: Photo Journalism (14:00-16:30) James NACHTWEY (VII) Ryuichi HIROKAWA (DAYS Japan)   • General Discussion: "War and Media-The Geopolitics of the Visual" (17:00-18:00) MC, Commentor: Osamu NISHITANI, Chikako NAKAYAMA (TUFS) III: Seminar with James Nachtwey November 4 (13:00-17:00) Venue: TUFS Administration Building 2F Medium Meeting Room Session 1 PCS Seminar (13:00-14:30) Session 2 Free Discussion (15:00-17:00) In advance of the report, Session 1 is scheduled to be published in the February 2005 issue of the magazine 'World' (Iwanami Shoten) and an overview of Session 2 is scheduled to be published in the January issue of the magazine, 'DAYS JAPAN'. October 28, 2004 15:00-17:00 Research and Lecture Building 4F International Communication Laboratory Subcommittee I "Economic Development and Educational Reform" Lecturer: Youichi SUZUKI (JICA, Visiting Professor at TUFS) Venue: TUFS Fuchu Campus September 29, 2004 17:00-19:00 Subcommittee I Special Research Group "The State and Issues of Decentralization of Authority in Indonesia" Lecturer: Hiroyo SASAKI (JICA) Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus June 30, 2004 17:00-19:00 Subcommittee I Special Research Group "Exploitation of the Hayek Theory-The Phase of Post-New-Deal Period 'Liberalism' " Lecturer: Chikako Nakayama (Associate Professor, Chair of International politics and economy , TUFS Graduate School) Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus June 3rd, 2004 (13:00-18:00) /June 4th, 2004 (10:00-18:00) /June 4th (16:30-18:10) Subcommittee I Photo Exhibition and Panel Discussion "The Post-9.11 World and Photojournalism-Breaking through the Media Wall" Panelist: Ryuichi HIROKAWA (Chief Editor, DAYS JAPAN) Junpei Yasuda (free-lance journalist) Commentator: Osamu NAKATANI Moderator: Chikako NAKAYAMA Venue: Classroom #115, 1st Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus This project was launched as part of the "Research on 'Perspectives in Geopolitics' in the Global World". It is an endeavour to challenge ways to overcome the "media wall" that has been created by the global world order and has become more prominent since 9.11. It takes a direct look at the reality of areas to be the focal point of the establishment of order, not from a bird's-eye view, but from a more localized, on-the-ground perspective in the context of the realities of the world today and the situation of the Japanese media within it.  In particular, with the advent of the launch in April this year of DAYS JAPAN, a Japanese photojournalism monthly publication, the attempt to fill the gaps created by the mass media through the works of free-lance war journalists has commenced.  Ryuichi Hirokawa, world-renowned photojournalist and founder of DAYS JAPAN was invited as a panelist for the panel discussion, along with Junpei Yasuda, who has recently returned from Iraq. More than 20 of their works were on display in the photo exhibition on the first floor of the Research Building at the back of the Galleria. Although the exhibition was small, it still attracted the interest of many students. Over 300 people attended the panel discussion held in Classroom #115. They filled not just the aisles and the stage, but overflowed into the corridors as well. Despite such unfavorable conditions, the audience was drawn to the raw, first-hand experiences of the renowned photojournalists and their reflections on the difficult situation photojournalism finds itself in today and the role it plays in today's world.  The short but lively question-and-answer session included many exchanges between the panelists and the audience. The session closed with a remark by Mr. Hirokawa commenting on the "cruel" photographs of the victims of bombings. He said that as Japan is supporting the war, "we have no right to turn our eyes away from the results of our actions". May 13, 2004 17:00-19:00 Subcommittee I Special Research Group "The Supplier System of the Motorcycle Industry in China-Evolution of the Organization in a Competitive Environment and Accumulated Competence" Lecturer: Yosiki OHARA (Institute of Developing Economies, JETRO) Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus January 22, 2004 17:00-19:00 Subcommittee I Special Research Group "Economic Prospects in East Asia 2004" Lecturer: Mitsuru Toida (Institute of Developing Economies, JETRO) Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus December 18, 2003 17:00-19:00 Subcommittee I Special Research Group "Financial Affairs Issues in Developing Countries-The Situation and Issues in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia" Lecturer: Hisatsugu FURUKAWA (Chief Consultant, International Division, UFJ Institute) Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus November 27, 2003 17:00-19:00 Subcommittee I Special Research Group "The Transition of Theories on the Great Financial Panic" Lecturer: Mariko HATASE (Bank of Japan) Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus November 27, 2003 10:40-12:10 Subcommittee I Special Research Group Open Lecture "Monetary Diplomacy and Japan's Role" Lecturer: Shijuro OGATA Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus October 26, 2003 (13:30-18:00) / November 2, 2003 (14:00-18:00) / November 6, 2003 (16:00-18:00) Subcommittee I October 26, 2003 (Sunday) 13:30-18:00 Symposium <Reconsideration of Globalization-with Pierre Legendre> Venue: Classroom #115, 1st Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus • Part 1 Lecture by Pierre Legendre (with simultaneous interpreting)  13:30 Introduction: Osamu NAKANISHI (TUFS)13:45 Lecture by Pierre Legendre "What the West Doesn't See in the West" 15:00 Comments and Discussion: Masachi OHSAWA (Sociology, Kyoto University); Kozo WATANABE (Cultural Anthropology, Ritsumeikan University) • Part 2 Video Presentation 16:00 "Production of Western Being" (produced by Pierre Legendre, 1996) November 2, 2003 (Sunday) 14:00-18:00 Venue: TUFS Hongo Satellite Campus Workshop <The Potential of Dogma Anthropology I> Presenter: kazumasa Kado (History of Law assistant at Kyoto University); Ataru SASAKI (The Science of Religion, Tokyo University Graduate School); Kazumichi HASHIMOTO (Studies of Culture and Representation, Nantes University Graduate School) Commentator: Pierre Legendre November 6 (Thursday) 16:00-18:00 Venue: Maison Franco-Japonaise Workshop <The Potential of Dogma Anthropology II> Keynote Address: Pierre Legendre Debate among participants These three projects were centred around French psychoanalyst and legal historian Pierre Legendre (former professor of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Edtudes (section of religious science), University of Paris), who has been a strong advocate of a new and unique perspective on the concept of modernization of the world as equalling Westernization from a legal system and subconscious object establishment perspective.  The works of Legendre challenge the fundamental structure of Western systems from the perspective of systemization and present an extremely challenging perspective on the impact they have had on the world, as well as on such issues as the transition of systems as a problem occurring as a result of globalization today, cultural frictions, and religious issues. Legendre is relatively unknown in Japan, but at the symposium held on October 26, the audience that filled Classroom #115 was captivated by his unique and fundamental "dogma anthropology" as it was unraveled in his presentation. Furthermore, in response to his theory, Watanabe and Osawa offered very intense dialogue. It was obvious from the questionnaire responses of the attendees that the video created by Legendre not only visually supported his presentation, but also had a powerful impact. At the workshop held at the Hongo Satellite Campus, to which young researchers were invited, the presentations reflected the influence of Legendre's work in the areas of law, religion and science history as perceptions of logic and indicated the potential in utilizing his work. Although the location was too small for the event, there was great excitement in the air. The final workshop, held at Maison Franco-Japonaise, opened with comments from Legendre on his impressions of Japan and developed into a session leading to the possibility of future collaboration. Another lecture was held at Maison Franco-Japonaise (October 28) and a workshop was held at The National Museum of Ethnology-The Japan Center for Area Studies (November 2). They were both outside the activities sponsored by the TUFS COE Programme, but we enjoyed positive feedback, leading us to look forward to seeing the impact of Legendre's works and their application in various research areas in the future. In this sense, the programme was extremely successful and influential. October 23, 2003 17:00-19:00 Subcommittee I Special Research Group "Financial Reformation in Japan" Lecturer: Tsutomu OHTA (Bank of Japan) Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus October 17-18, 2003 (12:00-20:00) / October 19, 2003 (13:00-18:00) Subcommittee I Film Presentation and Panel Discussion <Okinawa, a Documentary on the Future> Okinawa is a unique part of Japan. While today it forms a border of the sovereign territory of Japan, it was first integrated into Japan, then occupied by United States military forces, and later returned to Japan-in other words, it has traveled from one side of the sovereign territory to the other and back. And now, in response to the tide of globalization, it is once again shining with its unique characteristics as a near neighbour of East Asia. Focusing on the fact that in the second half of the 20th century it came to enjoy a special place in visual imaging, this project endeavors to explore the current situation in Japan and the world through the various image records of Okinawa, and study them from a multitude of angles, such as "The Modern State," "Return to Japan," "History," "War," "Memories" and "Media". This plan is based on the project that was ongoing by the Studies Group members prior to the launch of the COE programme, under the title "Okinawa, Memories and Images". By combining the original project with work undertaken by other COE projects, we were able to add further dimension and depth to the project. This year, we secured the cooperation of such external institutions as the internationally recognized Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival and the Athénée Francais Cultural Centre, which enjoy a strong reputation in cultural activities through the introduction of visual imagery. We also continue our collaboration with Art Produce Okinawa (APO). As a result, we are realizing strong connections in our activities with other social activities, providing us with a platform through which we are able to widely publicize and share our activities and results with the general public. October 17-18 Athénée Francais Cultural Centre October 19 TUFS Multimedia Classroom October 13, 2003 14:00-16:00 Subcommittee II "Wars and International Morals in the 21st Century" Yoshihiko NAKAMOTO (Associate Professor of Human Studies, Shizuoka University) Foreign Affairs Research Laboratory October 4-5, 2003 13:00-18:00 Subcommittee I Symposium <Changes in "the World System" and Redefining "Area Studies"> It is now over 30 years since the Area-Transcultural Research Faculty was established in the TUFS Graduate School. The field of Area-Transcultural Studies was established in response to a request by the United States in its efforts to work out its military and political global strategy. But as "the modern world system" is facing an overall crisis and is challenged to face changes today, there is a need for a fundamental re-definition of its foundation. Its conventional, cultural fundamentalistic approach to compare areas from an "inter"-perspective is changing to each area having its own criteria of itself-not only from an internal perspective but also applying such criteria beyond its borders-which transcend it to create a "trans"-perspective. This symposium focused on exploring the academic logic and realities of area studies through critiques. This symposium aimed to establish the fundamental issues of this Research Group. On the first day, many issues were raised, not only on "globalization" but also on fundamental issues pertaining to what form "area studies" should take in this early 21st century world, where "empires" are being discussed once again. This resulted in active debate among the participants. On the second day, the "area studies" defined in the context of the United States' global strategy in the second half of the 20th century was reviewed and active discussions were held on how studies should be conducted in relation to the idiosyncrasies of each area, and whether "culture" could be the framework of such research. A report on the presentations and discussions is being prepared. TUFS Office Building Conference Room July 8, 2003 18:00-20:00 Subcommittee II The 4th Regular Study Session "Racial Issues in China-from the Viewpoint of International Laws" Foreign Affairs Research Laboratory (Research and Lecture Building, Classroom #427) July 1, 2003 13:00-15:00 Subcommittee II 21st Century Social Security Study Group, 1st Study Session "Distribution System of the Power Structure in a Welfare State-based on Chapter 5 of 'The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism' by Esping-Andersen" June 26, 2003 17:00-19:00 Subcommittee I "Vote Liquidity in Turkey: Society Breakdown and the Economic Situation" Lecturer: Yasushi AIDA (Institute of Developing Economies, JETRO) Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus Focusing on voting in Turkey and utilizing vast data to slowly reveal the realities of Turkish party politics was a method that was unique and refreshing for those participants whose specialty is not economics. The impact of the IMF and interference by the Turkish military were all very interesting reports that left the audience curious for more, and the question-and-answer session was very lively. There were some comments that it would have been easier to appreciate the uniqueness of Turkish party politics if there been a brief introduction of the various political parties at the beginning and a brief history of how party politics was established in Turkey. June 19, 2003 18:30-20:30 Subcommittee II The 3rd Regular Study Session "Time and European Politics- Essay on Historical Politics" Lecturer: Ariyosi OGAWA (Professor of the Law Department, Rikkyo University) Foreign Affairs Research Laboratory (Research and Lecture Building, Classroom #427) June 19, 2003 COE Special Lecture "Questions to the Author of Senso Koukoku Dairiten (War Agency)" Classroom #226, 2nd Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Toru Takagi, director of the NHK programme "Ethnic Cleansing-Insights into the Yugoslav Information War", lectured on how an American PR agency not only handled how the Bosnia and Herzegovina Government should handle its foreign policy but also responded to the media and wrote the Presidential speeches. Coming from a mass media director, the story of how the information war is now a mandatory item on today's agenda, while being uncontrollable, led us to think how we as recipients of such information should react and respond. After the lecture, such questions as "How should Japan overcome its lack of understanding of PR strategies?" and "Is it a good thing that as governments become better at such PR activities, public opinion is steered to accept its views?" were asked and various points of view were voiced, leading to a very dynamic discussion. May 27, 2003 18:00-20:00 Subcommittee II The 2nd Regular Study Session "Economics in 21st Century China-Metamorphosis Amidst Globalization" Lecturer: Kenichi IMAI (Institute of Developing Economies, JETRO) Research and Lecture Building, Classroom #542 May 1, 2003 Subcommittee I "Egyptian Economic Reform-the Fall of a Success Story" Lecture: Shunichi YAMADA (Institute of Developing Economies, JETRO) Venue: International Communication Seminar Room, 4th Floor of the Research and Lecture Building, TUFS Fuchu Campus On the first day of the COE Special Research Group's presentations, Shunichi Yamada presented the IMF reforms in Egypt based on detailed references. While there were many people in the audience who had little or no knowledge of the Egyptian economy, Mr. Yamada held the audience's attention through sharing his own experiences and touching upon a wide array of topics, including the cultural friction between IMF and Egypt. Participants offered such positive feedback as "It was good to see the vast data in their raw form rather than processed. I would like to hear more about the redistribution policy in Egypt". April 15, 2003 18:00-19:30 Subcommittee II The 1st Regular Study Session - Activity Plans for the First Semester - Reports on Research Plans by Each Member Research and Lecture Building, Classroom #542 January 23, 2003 Subcommittee II 21st Century Area and Culture Studies, Special Research Group, Plenary Meeting December 8, 2002 Subcommittee I COE Pre-Event / Symposium "30 Years after the 'Reversion' of Okinawa"-Photography Exhibition, Video Presentation & Discussion Panel Members: Shinichi Kawamitsu (poet, critic, former reporter for Okinawa Times) Isao NAKAZATO (APO representative, editor of EDGE) Kimiko MIYAGI (Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, International Department, Meio University) Tadao UEMURA (Professor of Theory of Humanities and Sciences, Intellectual History, TUFS) Osamu NISHITANI (Professor of Philosophy, Division of Transcultural Studies, TUFS) Masafumi YONETANI (Associate Professor of Intellectual History of Japan, Foreign Language Department, TUFS) |
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As an extension of the previous year's project-"Okinawa, a Documentary of the Future"-we showed the entire 6-hour documentary of the collection of testimonies by survivors of the Battle of Okinawa, as spoken in their own dialects, titled "War Stories Told in Shima Kutuba" (produced by 'Ryukyu wo Kiroku-suru Kai', 2003). A panel discussion was held on the objective and impact of this documentary with Mr. Toyomitsu Higa, as a representative of the producers, and Mr. Isao Nakazato, who organized the Okinawa feature at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival last year, invited as panelists.