Feigning Ignorance as a Way of Tolerating the Intolerable: Stage Scene in Japan 2017
The year 2017 saw the nomination of Shinzo Abe into the fourth term of his premiership, which emboldened right wingers in Japan to engage in even more divisive demagoguery and feeble evasiveness. Consequently, liberal camps lost the momentum they believed they had gained after repeated political sca...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IATC
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Critical Stages |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.critical-stages.org/20/feigning-ignorance-as-a-way-of-tolerating-the-intolerable-stage-scene-in-japan-2017/ |
| _version_ | 1798016448639008768 |
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| author | Manabu Noda |
| author_facet | Manabu Noda |
| author_sort | Manabu Noda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The year 2017 saw the nomination of Shinzo Abe into the fourth term of his premiership, which emboldened right wingers in Japan to engage in even more divisive demagoguery and feeble evasiveness. Consequently, liberal camps lost the momentum they believed they had gained after repeated political scandals involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), mostly Abe himself. As for the general public, apart from staunch nationalists, the majority of those between 20 and 40 years of age was caught with indifference and apathy, which was most evident from their low election turnout. When dishonesty, demagoguery and dictator appeasement are fast becoming the traits of political cynicism, some Japanese theatre makers—mostly liberal and in their 40s—went soul-searching to contemplate on a few important questions. Is this the result of our own moral indifference—or even cowardice? What is it within us that has permitted this degradation of our democracy? Why have “fake news,” “alternative facts” and “post-truth” become a part of our everyday parlance? My paper will try to show how these artists staged their anxiety about the current, unnerving political scene, in which populist intolerance is combined with indifference, negligence—and even forgetfulness on the part of the younger generations. Their plays may not provide clear resolutions, but they theatricalize the way inhibition is being formed in their psyche. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:50:50Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-efd9365bf1804565b815a17000a96129 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2409-7411 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:50:50Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | IATC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Critical Stages |
| spelling | doaj.art-efd9365bf1804565b815a17000a961292022-12-22T04:15:19ZengIATCCritical Stages2409-74112019-12-0120Feigning Ignorance as a Way of Tolerating the Intolerable: Stage Scene in Japan 2017Manabu NodaThe year 2017 saw the nomination of Shinzo Abe into the fourth term of his premiership, which emboldened right wingers in Japan to engage in even more divisive demagoguery and feeble evasiveness. Consequently, liberal camps lost the momentum they believed they had gained after repeated political scandals involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), mostly Abe himself. As for the general public, apart from staunch nationalists, the majority of those between 20 and 40 years of age was caught with indifference and apathy, which was most evident from their low election turnout. When dishonesty, demagoguery and dictator appeasement are fast becoming the traits of political cynicism, some Japanese theatre makers—mostly liberal and in their 40s—went soul-searching to contemplate on a few important questions. Is this the result of our own moral indifference—or even cowardice? What is it within us that has permitted this degradation of our democracy? Why have “fake news,” “alternative facts” and “post-truth” become a part of our everyday parlance? My paper will try to show how these artists staged their anxiety about the current, unnerving political scene, in which populist intolerance is combined with indifference, negligence—and even forgetfulness on the part of the younger generations. Their plays may not provide clear resolutions, but they theatricalize the way inhibition is being formed in their psyche.https://www.critical-stages.org/20/feigning-ignorance-as-a-way-of-tolerating-the-intolerable-stage-scene-in-japan-2017/political indifferencepopulist intoleranceforgetfulnessai nagaimotoi miuratheatricalization of inhibitionjapan 2017 |
| spellingShingle | Manabu Noda Feigning Ignorance as a Way of Tolerating the Intolerable: Stage Scene in Japan 2017 Critical Stages political indifference populist intolerance forgetfulness ai nagai motoi miura theatricalization of inhibition japan 2017 |
| title | Feigning Ignorance as a Way of Tolerating the Intolerable: Stage Scene in Japan 2017 |
| title_full | Feigning Ignorance as a Way of Tolerating the Intolerable: Stage Scene in Japan 2017 |
| title_fullStr | Feigning Ignorance as a Way of Tolerating the Intolerable: Stage Scene in Japan 2017 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Feigning Ignorance as a Way of Tolerating the Intolerable: Stage Scene in Japan 2017 |
| title_short | Feigning Ignorance as a Way of Tolerating the Intolerable: Stage Scene in Japan 2017 |
| title_sort | feigning ignorance as a way of tolerating the intolerable stage scene in japan 2017 |
| topic | political indifference populist intolerance forgetfulness ai nagai motoi miura theatricalization of inhibition japan 2017 |
| url | https://www.critical-stages.org/20/feigning-ignorance-as-a-way-of-tolerating-the-intolerable-stage-scene-in-japan-2017/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT manabunoda feigningignoranceasawayoftoleratingtheintolerablestagesceneinjapan2017 |