International Cultural Exchange in the Post-Covid-19 World and the New Trends in Japanese Studies
HARA Hideki / Director, Americas Section, Department of Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange, The Japan Foundation
December 1, 2020
The COVID-19 crisis has placed Japan’s international cultural exchange at a critical crossroads. Cultural exchange, which presupposes people’s cross-border movement, has come to a virtually halt. ‘Alone Together - Reimagining International Exchange in post-COVID Japan’, Japan Foundation’s new online video series, has been put together as part of our ad hoc response to this difficult situation, but turned out to be a successful initiative in terms not only of its popularity, but also of the insights it has presented on international cultural exchange.
In this video series, several Japan Foundation Fellows (early- or mid-career researchers on Japan invited by the Foundation on a scale of 150 individuals each year), who stayed in Japan in the middle of the crisis, either by choice or force of circumstances, share their personal experience and thoughts on the impact of this crisis on their own research and, more generally, on the Japanese society. One of the first things we realized was that almost all of the Fellows we interviewed happened to be cultural anthropologists. This was not necessarily a big surprise as we all know anthropologists have a natural propensity to remain in the “field” no matter what, but it was still impressive as it certainly outlines a general trend of the study on Japan lately - shifting focus from politics and economy to social norms and lifestyle. It would be short-sighted, however, to interpret this shift as another sign of ‘Japan passing’, or the diminution of Japan’s presence in the world. It would be fair to say that the politics and economy of Japan are already so closely intertwined in the international community that analysis and understanding in the global context have become prerequisite. Rather, it should be understood as an increased desire on the part of the researchers to delve deeper into what goes on underneath–the ways people think, behave, and relate to each other.
Our first featured Fellow in the series, an American researcher, has been tracking the ever-changing ethnographic fabrics of Kabukicho, an entertainment district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, based on his extensive interviews with the ‘locals’ with a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. （https://youtu.be/JzJpQ63BsVA）As fascinating as his discoveries are, he admits behind the camera that his research topic was initially received with puzzlement from his Japanese colleagues as the district may not be the most ‘authentically Japanese’ location. It is noteworthy, however, that multicultural coexistence has become a topic of international academic discourse on Japan after a long history of its being mislabeled as a homogeneous nation. Unlike decades ago, it may be that overseas researchers can address with less bias the question of what being Japanese means. Moreover, these efforts to comprehend Tokyo as it stands could unlock the future potential of Japanese studies as a cross-disciplinary research field that engages a wide variety of specialists on, say, immigration, human rights, and urban studies on a global scale.
Reinterpretation of Japan as a ‘normal,’ rather than special, nation can yield a practical merit for the country’s diplomacy as well. Many people still remember the long lines of the tsunami survivors patiently waiting for their share of shelter food after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The globally televised episode was received with a sense of awe and deep admiration from other nations, as it was reported within Japan. In some countries, however, there were skeptical reports that described the scene of people queuing up with smiles on their face even in time of crisis as a sign of their robotic, blind obedience, devoid of emotions, to authorities. It was the Japan specialists in those countries then who, through their Op-Ed columns and TV appearances, refuted the stereotyping by arguing that people were just as devastated and panicked as anybody in a similar situation, but were trying to maintain their composure and not cry out loud, out of empathy for those who found themselves in much more tragic situations.
These days some pundits in Japan are visibly seen to be appealing to popular feelings by touting Japanese exceptionalism on a host of issues. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that there are Japan experts overseas who focus on the universal traits that Japan shares with other countries and conduct researches that would help dispel the misunderstandings and prejudices that exist in the international community about Japan and the Japanese society.
Hideki Hara is Director of Americas Section in the Department of Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange of The Japan Foundation.
In this video series, several Japan Foundation Fellows (early- or mid-career researchers on Japan invited by the Foundation on a scale of 150 individuals each year), who stayed in Japan in the middle of the crisis, either by choice or force of circumstances, share their personal experience and thoughts on the impact of this crisis on their own research and, more generally, on the Japanese society. One of the first things we realized was that almost all of the Fellows we interviewed happened to be cultural anthropologists. This was not necessarily a big surprise as we all know anthropologists have a natural propensity to remain in the “field” no matter what, but it was still impressive as it certainly outlines a general trend of the study on Japan lately - shifting focus from politics and economy to social norms and lifestyle. It would be short-sighted, however, to interpret this shift as another sign of ‘Japan passing’, or the diminution of Japan’s presence in the world. It would be fair to say that the politics and economy of Japan are already so closely intertwined in the international community that analysis and understanding in the global context have become prerequisite. Rather, it should be understood as an increased desire on the part of the researchers to delve deeper into what goes on underneath–the ways people think, behave, and relate to each other.
Our first featured Fellow in the series, an American researcher, has been tracking the ever-changing ethnographic fabrics of Kabukicho, an entertainment district in Shinjuku, Tokyo, based on his extensive interviews with the ‘locals’ with a variety of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. （https://youtu.be/JzJpQ63BsVA）As fascinating as his discoveries are, he admits behind the camera that his research topic was initially received with puzzlement from his Japanese colleagues as the district may not be the most ‘authentically Japanese’ location. It is noteworthy, however, that multicultural coexistence has become a topic of international academic discourse on Japan after a long history of its being mislabeled as a homogeneous nation. Unlike decades ago, it may be that overseas researchers can address with less bias the question of what being Japanese means. Moreover, these efforts to comprehend Tokyo as it stands could unlock the future potential of Japanese studies as a cross-disciplinary research field that engages a wide variety of specialists on, say, immigration, human rights, and urban studies on a global scale.
Reinterpretation of Japan as a ‘normal,’ rather than special, nation can yield a practical merit for the country’s diplomacy as well. Many people still remember the long lines of the tsunami survivors patiently waiting for their share of shelter food after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The globally televised episode was received with a sense of awe and deep admiration from other nations, as it was reported within Japan. In some countries, however, there were skeptical reports that described the scene of people queuing up with smiles on their face even in time of crisis as a sign of their robotic, blind obedience, devoid of emotions, to authorities. It was the Japan specialists in those countries then who, through their Op-Ed columns and TV appearances, refuted the stereotyping by arguing that people were just as devastated and panicked as anybody in a similar situation, but were trying to maintain their composure and not cry out loud, out of empathy for those who found themselves in much more tragic situations.
These days some pundits in Japan are visibly seen to be appealing to popular feelings by touting Japanese exceptionalism on a host of issues. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that there are Japan experts overseas who focus on the universal traits that Japan shares with other countries and conduct researches that would help dispel the misunderstandings and prejudices that exist in the international community about Japan and the Japanese society.
Hideki Hara is Director of Americas Section in the Department of Japanese Studies and Intellectual Exchange of The Japan Foundation.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
ポストコロナの国際文化交流と日本研究の新しい潮流
原 秀樹 / 国際交流基金日本研究知的交流部米州チーム長
2020年 12月 1日
新型コロナウィルスの蔓延により、日本の国際文化交流は大きな岐路に立たされている。そもそも国際文化交流は人々が国境を越えて交流してこそ成り立つものであるのに、それがほぼ全面的にストップしてしまったからだ。この状況下で国際交流基金（The Japan Foundation）が始めたオンライン配信シリーズ【ポストコロナ日本における「分断」と「交流」】は半ば苦肉の策として生まれた企画ではあったが、予想以上の反響を得たばかりか、今後の国際文化交流を考える上で重要な気付きを与えてくれた。
本シリーズではコロナ禍により母国への帰国が困難となり日本に残ることを決断した日本研究フェロー（国際交流基金が毎年150名程度全世界から招へいしている若手～中堅の日本専門家）から、「コロナ禍の日本」体験を共有してもらうと同時に、今回の危機が自らの研究のみならず、今後の日本社会にどういう影響を与えると考えるか語ってもらっている。主催者である我々があらためて気付いたのは、対象となったフェローに文化人類学者が多かったことだ。これには単なる偶然を超えたいくつかの理由がある。総じて文化人類学者はこういう危機的な状況を絶好のフィールド・リサーチの機会と捉えがちということもあろうが、そもそも近年日本研究者の主たる関心が、政治・経済といった領域よりも、日本人の生活様式や社会規範の方に向けられているということが挙げられる。この現象には様々な解釈の仕方があろうが、短絡的に国際社会における日本のプレゼンス低下と結論づけてしまうのは早計だ。寧ろ日本の政治・経済は既に国際社会に深く組み込まれ、グローバルな文脈での理解を前提としており、日本研究者の興味は社会のもっと深い部分ーそこに住む人々の生き様や考え方を理解することへと移っていると捉えるべきであろう。
例えば第1回配信「歌舞伎町と新型コロナ」で紹介した米国人研究者は、新宿歌舞伎町に集まる多種多様な人々に丁寧にインタビューしながら、変化する首都東京の姿を追っている。（https://youtu.be/JzJpQ63BsVA）そんな彼は研究開始当初、同僚の日本人研究者から「歌舞伎町を研究しても日本は理解出来ないよ、だってあそこは外国人ばかりだから」と忠告を受けたそうだ。しかし長きに渡り海外から「モノ・カルチュラル（単一文化的）」との誤解を甘受してきた日本が、「多文化が共存する社会」として興味を持たれることの意義は大きい。一昔前と違い、今や海外の研究者の方が「何をもって日本的と言うか」という問いに対するバイアス（偏見）が小さいのかもしれない。さらに言えばこういった新しい研究の切り口が、今後他の様々な学問分野（例えば移民、人権、都市学など）と結びつくことで、日本研究そのものが、よりグローバルかつ普遍的なフィールドとして発展していくことも期待できる。
日本社会への「普遍的な」理解が進むことのメリットとして一つの事例を紹介したい。東日本大震災の直後、避難所で争うことなく並んで炊き出しの食料を待つ日本人の姿は海外でも報道され、「他の国には真似出来ない」などと称賛されたと伝えられることが多いが、実は一部の国では災害時であっても笑顔さえ浮かべて従順に列に並ぶ日本人を「盲目的にルールに従う感情のないロボットか」と不思議がる報道もあった。それをマスコミへの投稿やテレビ出演などを通じて否定し、「彼らは自分よりも不幸な人がいることを慮って、自分だけ泣き喚いたりパニックにならないよう堪えているのだ」と主張し続けてくれたのは、他ならぬ当該国の日本研究者達であった。
近年日本国内では何かにつけて「日本は特別な国」という主張が目立つが、寧ろそこにある普遍性に着目し、日本人や日本社会に対する国際社会での誤解や偏見を解くような研究が海外で行われていることを、我々は忘れてはならない。
筆者は国際交流基金日本研究知的交流部米州チーム長
本シリーズではコロナ禍により母国への帰国が困難となり日本に残ることを決断した日本研究フェロー（国際交流基金が毎年150名程度全世界から招へいしている若手～中堅の日本専門家）から、「コロナ禍の日本」体験を共有してもらうと同時に、今回の危機が自らの研究のみならず、今後の日本社会にどういう影響を与えると考えるか語ってもらっている。主催者である我々があらためて気付いたのは、対象となったフェローに文化人類学者が多かったことだ。これには単なる偶然を超えたいくつかの理由がある。総じて文化人類学者はこういう危機的な状況を絶好のフィールド・リサーチの機会と捉えがちということもあろうが、そもそも近年日本研究者の主たる関心が、政治・経済といった領域よりも、日本人の生活様式や社会規範の方に向けられているということが挙げられる。この現象には様々な解釈の仕方があろうが、短絡的に国際社会における日本のプレゼンス低下と結論づけてしまうのは早計だ。寧ろ日本の政治・経済は既に国際社会に深く組み込まれ、グローバルな文脈での理解を前提としており、日本研究者の興味は社会のもっと深い部分ーそこに住む人々の生き様や考え方を理解することへと移っていると捉えるべきであろう。
例えば第1回配信「歌舞伎町と新型コロナ」で紹介した米国人研究者は、新宿歌舞伎町に集まる多種多様な人々に丁寧にインタビューしながら、変化する首都東京の姿を追っている。（https://youtu.be/JzJpQ63BsVA）そんな彼は研究開始当初、同僚の日本人研究者から「歌舞伎町を研究しても日本は理解出来ないよ、だってあそこは外国人ばかりだから」と忠告を受けたそうだ。しかし長きに渡り海外から「モノ・カルチュラル（単一文化的）」との誤解を甘受してきた日本が、「多文化が共存する社会」として興味を持たれることの意義は大きい。一昔前と違い、今や海外の研究者の方が「何をもって日本的と言うか」という問いに対するバイアス（偏見）が小さいのかもしれない。さらに言えばこういった新しい研究の切り口が、今後他の様々な学問分野（例えば移民、人権、都市学など）と結びつくことで、日本研究そのものが、よりグローバルかつ普遍的なフィールドとして発展していくことも期待できる。
日本社会への「普遍的な」理解が進むことのメリットとして一つの事例を紹介したい。東日本大震災の直後、避難所で争うことなく並んで炊き出しの食料を待つ日本人の姿は海外でも報道され、「他の国には真似出来ない」などと称賛されたと伝えられることが多いが、実は一部の国では災害時であっても笑顔さえ浮かべて従順に列に並ぶ日本人を「盲目的にルールに従う感情のないロボットか」と不思議がる報道もあった。それをマスコミへの投稿やテレビ出演などを通じて否定し、「彼らは自分よりも不幸な人がいることを慮って、自分だけ泣き喚いたりパニックにならないよう堪えているのだ」と主張し続けてくれたのは、他ならぬ当該国の日本研究者達であった。
近年日本国内では何かにつけて「日本は特別な国」という主張が目立つが、寧ろそこにある普遍性に着目し、日本人や日本社会に対する国際社会での誤解や偏見を解くような研究が海外で行われていることを、我々は忘れてはならない。
筆者は国際交流基金日本研究知的交流部米州チーム長
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟