Rethinking Peace-Building in East Asia: The Case of Japan’s Struggle over History in Postwar Era
What is the relationship between the museum and the state? More precisely, in what way does the publicly sponsored museum reflect efforts by the state to expand its power at large? And how do its efforts contribute to the transformation of a nation's identity? These questions have recently begu...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
National Sun Yat-sen University
2017-05-01
|
| Series: | Contemporary Chinese Political Economy and Strategic Relations: An International Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://icaps.nsysu.edu.tw/var/file/131/1131/img/2374/CCPS3(1)-Ma.pdf |
| Summary: | What is the relationship between the museum and the state? More precisely, in what way does the publicly sponsored museum reflect efforts by the state to expand its power at large? And how do its efforts contribute to the transformation of a nation's identity? These questions have recently begun to be raised not only in the Western context, but also among Asian countries. In Japan, as in most countries, the museum is not just a neutral public space where visitors come to view paintings, sculptures, or valuable cultural and historical heritages. As with other aspects of Japanese cultural life, the museum has become highly politicized in recent years. Both in their conceptual foundations and contents, Japanese museums established in the postwar era reflect very specific political ends. This paper focuses on one peace museum, which is an important tool for peace-building, Peace Osaka, established in Japan’s second largest city, to examine how Japan’s national identity has transformed politically and socially in the postwar era. By comparing different memories of war created in different periods in this public museum, we understand how a nation attempts to reconstruct its national identity through the process of selecting historical facts to exhibit in the museum. Furthermore, through the examination of historical controversy in East Asia, we will understand how a nation deals with its conflicting national narratives in the global era. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2410-9681 2410-9681 |