The Nationalist Discourse in Contemporary Japan: The Role of China and Korea in the Last Decade*

Abstract

This brief paper will critically examine the contentions of Japanese nationalist intellectuals whose stated goal is to restore the Japanese people's pride in their nation through the rehabilitation of patriotism at home, consolidation of a state‐centric view of Japan, and pursuit of a more assertive foreign policy. In particular, what roles do China and Korea play in the nationalists’ arguments? The paper demonstrates that the nationalists engage in a selective use of ideas, events, and institutions of historical significance and that they reconstruct a past Japan in their ideal image and use that image to frame their discourse on the major political and foreign policy challenges facing Japan today. It concludes that the more critical the Chinese and Korean criticisms of Japan are, the more determined the nationalists will be in their rejection of those criticisms and appeals to the general public.

The Visual Representation of Border Tourism: Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and Dokdo in South Korea

“…However, the release of the ‘New History Textbook’ draft in 2000 (claiming the islets as Japanese territory) and the pronouncement of ‘Takeshima Day’ in Japan on 22 February 2005 have rekindled the controversy. South Korea and China are particularly sensitive to these acts as signs of postcolonial aggression, given Japan's imperialist past (Akaha, ). In response, South Korea has used tourism to develop and shape the Ulleungdo () symbolic landscape and tie it operationally to Dokdo (120 km east) as a staging point for cruise tours.…”

Diversifying Narratives: Perceptions of a Weak Japan Facing a Rising China

“…Via the selective use of events and ideas such as the idealization of the Japanese past versus its allegedly weak international position now, the nationalists frame their discourse with a prominent, negative role for China. 51 Further adding to the image of an increasingly assertive Japan is the policy speech Abe intended to give in Jakarta in January 2013, shortly after his re-election in December 2012. The speech, entitled 'The Bounty of the Open Seas: Five New Principles for Japanese Diplomacy', was never given due to itinerary changes, but the text was widely distributed through diplomatic channels overseas.…”

The Dokdo/Takeshima Dispute between Korea and Japan: Understanding the Whole Picture*

“…; Shimojo Masao, Who is the owner of Takeshima? Japan or Korea ( Takeshima wa Nikkan dochira no mono ka ) (Tokyo: Bungei Shunju, 2005); Tsuneo Akaha, “The Nationalist Discourse in Contemporary Japan: The Role of China and Korea in the Last Decade,” Pacific Focus , 23‐2 (2008), pp. 156–188.…”