Collaborative Research
Historical Research on Exchange and Cultural Change
| Type of Research | Scientific Research |
|---|---|
| Project Title | Historical Research on Exchange and Cultural Change |
| Research Period | 2005–2007 |
2007
Purpose
Various Eurasian countries and ethnic societies have had, historically, a close relationship with Japan. These exchanges included not only movement of goods through trading, but also movement of people along with these goods, and further transmission of information, such as with the mutual interaction of technologies and cultures. A look at the various aspects of contact on various levels of exchanges shows that there had been not only cooperative relations but also conflicting relations, such as with confrontations and wars. Though there are more than a few research projects focusing on various problems and positive aspects of these mutual exchanges, looking only at the relationship between Eurasia and Japan means that we are not free from the comparative view, putting the civilized zone (China and Europe) and the noncivilized zone (Japan and the peripheral areas) in opposition with each other. Though there are research trends such as new work on sea areas as intermediaries of exchanges and a method of recapturing the relations of the past from the viewpoint of an interactive and correlative relationship, the methods, viewpoints, and objects of research themselves still hold scope for further study. For a review of Japanese history, it is necessary to bring into view a broad area of Eurasia and to undertake comprehensive discussions and comparative studies on the interaction between Eurasia and Japan, with close attention to traffic of goods, persons, and information.
Further, how one party has viewed the other in the relationship between Eurasia and Japan, and conversely, how it has been viewed by the other in turn have been the focus of attention in any recent comparative cultural study and as the essence of other-representation and self-recognition, with regard to which several points of contention are to be elucidated. "Other-representation" is what is generated not "naturally" through contact with another group of people, but only under the condition that the relationship between the ruler and the ruled exists. In the East Asian world, it has often been part of the systems of power or nation. For example, terms or concepts generated in China to represent other tribes inhabiting its peripheral areas, such as "Tong yi" (Eastern Barbarians), "Xi jie" (Western Barbarians), "Nan man" (Southern Barbarians), and "Bei di" (Northern Barbarians)" have been closely associated with images of the Chinese state or nation. However, in Japan and Korea, the inhabitants of peripheral areas of China have represented themselves as "Sojunghwa" (Small China), a double structured name. To further understand this, the historical relationship between these two Small Chinas need to be considered. Research on the relationship between other-representation and the power system, considering inter-group interactions and peculiarities, seems to be of great importance in clarifying the structural differences and similarities between Eurasia and Japan.
Therefore, in this principal research project, this group aims at studying the history of the relationship between Eurasia and Japan on the general theme of "Exchanges and Representations" by employing comparison as the research method. To be more precise, under the established common themes of "Exchange," "Power System," and "Representation," the group hopes to initiate work related to any one of the following items for further comparative research. "Reviewing of the matter of cultural acceptance and transformation and cultural representation from the viewpoint of transportation of people and goods," "Comparison of the processes of formation of nation states with popular migration as well as the power system brought into view," and "Redefinition of material culture from the viewpoint of cultural representation."
Additionally, last year, this group linked its research with other individual cooperative researches. These were A: "Ancient North-eastern Asia and Shanguo-zhi, Wei-shu" [Head of the Research Team: AZUMA Ushio] and B: "Comparative Research on International Exchange and Cultural Acceptance of Wo based on the 6th-Century Burial System" [Head of the Research Team: SUGIYAMA Shinsaku]) in the Principal Research of "Historical Research on Exchange and Cultural Change" (Supervising Head of the Research Team: NISHIMOTO Toyohiro). This year, C: "Comparative Historical Research on Nation States" (Head of the Research Team: CHO Kyeungdal); D: "Comparative Study of History of Emigration" (Head of the Research Team: IMAIZUMI Yumiko); and E: "Comparative Study of Proselytizing Cultures" (Head of the Research Team: HAYASHI Masahiko) have been newly positioned in this Principal Research. Although it is difficult to arrive at the results of this research, individual cooperative research activities at the National Museum of Japanese History have been the causes of enhanced cooperation in research for the basic organization inside NIHU.
2005
Purpose
This Principal Research project has been initiated in response to discussions and reflections at the National Museum of Japanese History; these discussions and considerations brought up the point that research activities so far implemented by the Museum is limited to domestic phenomena and research viewpoints and its themes lack international relevance. The Museum's research also has an aspect of cooperative research, with the National Institutes for the Humanities' (NIHU) project on "Eurasia and Japan (Relationship between Eurasia and Japan: Mutual Interaction and Representation)" by. At least for the present, this group will focus on two assignments, "Shanguo-zhi" and foreign exchanges by the 6th-century Wo (ancient Japan), and in the near future, we are scheduled to set up themes for research on foreign exchanges in medieval, early modern, and modern Japan.
