This paper discusses the foreign policy of Japan and traces the history of policymaking in this country, emphasizing U.S.-Japanese relations and the reasons behind the changing faces of international relations.
Abstract This paper discusses the key features of Japan's foreign policy and also studies the reasons that exist behind its peace-oriented strategies.
The author looks at how Japan brought significant changes to its centuries-old foreign policy at two occasions during the 20th century. The paper focuses on the importance of world events which prompted Japan to abandon its policy of isolation and passive diplomacy and urged it to adopt a more positive, active and independent foreign policy.
From the Paper "In order to understand the key features of Japan's foreign policy, it is important to take a look at the history of Japan's foreign policymaking. Since the Edo period, the country was interested more in protecting its borders from foreign attacks and threats and less in developing healthy positive relations with other countries of the world. Japanese policymakers were of the view that increase in power and might would help the country secure its borders against foreign aggression, but the problem was that, in doing so, the country completely forgot about development of healthy diplomatic relations."
Tags: asia, east, international, isolation, relations, us, policymakers, edo, 20th, century, war, world, united, nations, diplomacy, economy, commerce, china, korea
Abstract This paper investigates the ideals of superiority and inferiority and how they have factored into racism and racist behavior throughout history. The author looks at how natural order, power, influence and position factor into a person's behavior and how they look at someone of a different race. The author also examines issues surrounding African-Americans and Asian-Americans and how these two different communities continue to be plagued by racism, and prejudice.
From the Paper "Padilla also asserts that stereotypes are ever changing and a new one is developed every time a major immigration into America occurs. Italians, Germans, Chinese, Irish and Jews have all experienced stereotyping (Padilla 1998). A study conducted by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago has shown that beliefs held by many Americans about racial and ethnic minorities are based on stereotypes. The study consisted of a survey administered to a cross-section of Americans. The survey asked participants to evaluate the characteristics of whites, Jews, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics and southern whites on a scale of one to seven. The results showed that minority groups were evaluated more negatively than whites, with the exception of Jews, who were rated more favorably than whites in all characteristics except patriotism. Hispanics and African-Americans were ranked last or next to last on nearly all characteristics measured (How Do Americans View One Another? The Persistence of Racial/Ethnic Stereotypes)."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth examination of how the American government treated Japanese-Americans during World War II, after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The paper looks at the the relocation camps where the Japanese-Americans were sent, their treatment there and some of the long-term implications of this policy. Relations between Japan and the United States prior to Pearl Harbor are also examined in detail.
From the Paper "Many people criticized the U.S. government for acting the way it did toward Japanese-Americans. Some of these critics have said that the United States acted as if martial law had been called out (Inada 187). Although of course the United States remained under civilian rule for the war, in some ways its actions were like those that are taken by martial law authorities. Martial law is put into effect when civil authority alone is deemed not to be strong or severe enough to keep life functioning in a basically normal and safe way. Usually governments that declare martial law allow normal civil rights to be taken away from people. This could mean, for example, that if martial law were called out in America then Americans would no longer be able to be tried by a jury if they were accused of a crime (Inada 149). This is almost what happened to Japanese-Americans."
This paper traces Japanese trade, European influence on this trade, and the internal power struggles resulting from European influence from the early 17th century to the late 19th century.
Abstract This paper studies the European influence on Japanese trade and political power structure. It specifically reports on Japanese policies towards foreigners from the early 17th century to late 19th century, Commodore Perry and the effects of his visit, the Shimonoseki incident, the treaties Japan signed with foreign nations, and how the politics of Japan were influenced by foreign contact are all discussed. This paper outlines Japan's trade with Western civilizations from its beginning, marked by Francis Xavier's landing in Kyushu, through Nobunaga and his influence, Hideyoshi, and Ieyasu.
From the Paper "In 1551, a 19 year old lord of a small territory began his conquests in Japan, with the support of both European military technology and the missionaries. His name was Nobunaga. Nobunaga's main fear was that of the great power of the Buddhist monasteries, and, because of this, he welcomed the Jesuits to his captured territories, which included the capital, Kyoto. Nobunaga was assassinated in 1582, and his most trusted and successful general, Hideyoshi, came into power. Hideyoshi was a man who feared change, and his reforms showed this. He reinstated old laws, forcing samurai to stay with their lords, peasants to stay with their farms, and artists and artisans to stay with their villages. Hideyoshi, who, like his lord, feared the Buddhists, but unlike his lord did not trust the Jesuits, began to ban Christian missionaries, although the Christian church continued to operate underground in Japan."
Abstract This paper compares the Korean school system to the American school system. It discusses issues such as-- curriculum, foreign language studies, uniforms and learning hours. It also examines parent involvement in their children's education in both countries. It concludes that American children have a lot to learn from Korean children and it starts with their schooling.
From the Paper "It's hard to believe that just a year ago, the American economy was growing at an exponential rate with unlimited job opportunities available in almost every industry. With the stock market breaking record highs, new upstart "dot.com" companies making millions in their first year and doubling of jobs in the service sector, a bright and stable future seemed almost a guarantee for many high school students who would soon be entering the job markets. This growth, however short lived, is now in a downhill progression with the plummeting stock market, many computer companies in bankruptcy, and American companies laying people off in record numbers and downsizing nationally. Combine this recession with globalization and American high school students are now facing fierce competition nationally and internationally for jobs. The question is whether or not your average American high school graduate is scholastically prepared to compete for these sought-after jobs? Unfortunately, I don?t think so and I hope to provide valid evidence that will support my thoughts. In comparing the Korean school systems with those of the Americans, I feel that the difference is clear."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth analysis of the affects of September 11th on the Japanese economy. Several different factors contributing to the deepening recession in Japan are examined in detail, including unemployment statistics, the findings of the Bank of Japan's Tanken survey, suicide figures and corporate restructuring. The changes in people's behavior, including expense accounts, dress and spending habits as a result of this recession and the change in Japan's credit rating and its affect on how government policy is affected by this change are also discussed in detail. The author also presents some of the government's policy attempts at dealing with this problem including new economic policies, tax reform, privatization schemes and the restructuring of the banking system. The effects that this has had on Japan's relations with China, especially in its trade relations are also discussed in detail.
Extensive bibliography but no footnotes, or endnotes.
From the Paper "According to a recent article in Bloomberg News entitled "Think Japan's Economy is Bad Now" Just Wait,? the situation will only get worse.' ? ?It's here where things get ugly,? ? the article states. ? ?As unemployment rises beyond today's record 5 percent, consumers may spend less. If already frugal households buy less, corporate profits fall further and so do asset values. Banks, then, may be forced to let more companies fail, boosting unemployment and reducing corporate profits. And so on and so on.? ? This is the very cycle Japan's policy makers have been dreading for years. To date, Tokyo has held things together with ultra-low interest rates and aggressive fiscal spending. Now that borrowing costs are at zero percent and Tokyo has papered markets with more bonds than investors can use, that's no longer possible. Credit rating agencies are sniffing around Japan's finances, wondering if it's time for another downgrade."
Abstract The following paper discusses the Japanese economic trends from the era of the rising sun ? from the postwar recovery of the 1950s to the mid 1970s and finally to the 90's. The author discusses what factors caused the era of the rising sun, namely international, cultural, political, and examines how this trend was based on an economic structure that was influenced but fundamentally different from American capitalism. In addition this paper retraces Japan's fall from glory to find many of the same factors of growth that lead it to its earlier success.
From the Paper " When the Asian Crisis struck, many economists dismissed the earlier vision of the Japanese miracle as a stroke of luck, and rejected the same factors they had extolled during its growth, denouncing the Japanese economic system as fundamentally dysfunctional and declaring victory of the superior American capitalism. Studying the Japanese system provides many lessons that the American system can emulate or remember to avoid as well. Japan's group collectivism and state-assisted, relationship-based capitalism helped Japan expand rapidly, and has much to offer. However, it also made the system very inflexible, unable to adjust itself to the constantly changing economic circumstances; in the long term, after the growth stopped, the economy suffered because of the system's harmful consequences."
Abstract This paper gives an historical overview of foreign intervention in Vietnam starting with the colonial occupation of Vietnam by the French. It details the Vietnamese revolution as a result of French rule (including the rise of Ho Chi Minh). It concentrates on the causes of the Vietnamese civil war and the later American Involvement in Vietnam.
From the Paper "Vietnam, bordered by China to the north, Laos to the west and northwest, and Cambodia (now Kampuchea) to the southwest, is an S-shaped country no bigger than the state of Florida. Vietnam occupies the eastern coast of the Indochinese Peninsula. For thousands of years the people of Vietnam have lived with constant foreign intervention and colonization (by the French)."
Tags: America, Vietnam, history, United, States, vietnam, war, French, civil
Abstract The paper explores how the further opening up of the Chinese economy will better the condition of the people of China and will improve the lot of the worker. It shows how the relaxation of 1979 has lead to an improvement of the overall economy and surmises that if China adopts a truly open economy the overall economic situation of the citizens will improve.
From the Paper "In 1958, Mao Zedong promised that China would overtake the UK and the US in growth and development within 15 years. Even after tens of millions of farmers died in the Great Leap Forward, Mao still believed the false crop harvest reports. Now the falsification has broadened to include economic growth figures. Thomas Rawski, a professor of economics at the University of Pittsburgh, has presented statistical evidence from the China Statistical Yearbook implying that China's GDP grew by 24 percent between 1997 and 2000. Energy consumption declined by 12.8 percent over the same period. The job opportunities that were created during this time period, as well as rises in commodity prices, were either negative or normal."
Abstract This paper discusses various elements of Asian religions and how it is intertwined in Crane's novel "Bones of the Master". These elements include pilgrimage, master/disciple relationship and the importance of meditation. The book is a true story of a man on a spiritual quest for the truth.
From the Paper "The concept of the teacher and the student is prevalent in Bones of the Master. When beginning a religious path, it is most widely agreed that the best place to start is by finding a teacher, or a master. It is this teacher, that can guide the student towards proper meditation techniques and passing their wisdom down to the student. In his younger days, Tsung Tsai found his master in Shiuh Deng. One of the key teachings of a Buddhist master is the art of meditation. For one who is seeking a religious path, the most important aspect to learn is meditation."
Abstract The following paper discusses the exciting course of the history of one of the world's most prominent and influential countries ? Japan. It examines Japan's days through simple life in the ancient times (Yayoi, Jomon, and Heian periods) to years of civil unrest during the Feudal times, dominated by constant warfare for the position of ultimate power ? shogun. This paper also looks at Japan's culture, her people and her ideology, as time passes into the Meiji restoration. The writer discusses Japan's fierce struggle for global prominence as she tries to expand beyond her tiny island nation onto mainland Asia, only to be sucked into the global conflict of World War II. The writer reflects on the country's vital role in this war, and analyzes her sad defeat and ultimate rebirth out of one of the darkest periods in history. The paper also has a brief summary of Japanese history from the 1970's to the present day.
From the Paper "The Japanese archipelago was first inhabited more than 100,000 years ago, when it still comprised part of the continental Asian land mass. Archaeological discoveries indicate that the ancient people of this time (The Old Stone Age or Paleolithic Age) survived on a very basic diet provided through daily hunting and gathering. The New Stone, or Neolithic age, dating at 10,000 years BC, is characterized by the manufacture of refined stone implements, the development of advanced hunting techniques using bows and arrows, and the production of earthenware containers for cooking and storing food. This age ushered in the Jomon period (around 8000 to 300 BC) so named after the jomon (cord-marked) style of pottery which originated during this time. Agriculture, primarily rice planting, and metalworking techniques were introduced from mainland Asia around 300 BC, towards the end of the period. The native peoples of Japan now began incorporating farming tools, metal weapons and bronze swords, and mirrors into their daily life and culture. The new machinery helped increase agricultural production, mirrors were used in religious rituals, and the newfound weapons helped settle any domestic disputes between rival Japanese tribes."
Abstract The paper explores the life and literary pieces of Japanese writer and poet, Akutogawa Ryunosuke who was one of the first writers of the Japanese modernist movement to be translated widely into English. The paper shows that Akutagawa is probably best known for his single short story "Rashomon", which inspired director Akira Kurosawa's film of that name in 1950. In order to understand the times in which Akutogawa lived and worked, the paper defines modernism and explains the difference between Japanese and Western modernism.
From the Paper "The stories that Akutagawa wrote and that Kurosawa adapted were in fact based on stories that had probably been compiled in the 10th century. Akutagawa would over the course of his short professional life adopt many ancient Japanese stories, seeming to prefer tales that were both Gothic and based on pre-modern elements. His settings, as grotesque and bizarre as any that Edgar Allan Poe could ever have dreamed up, would have struck his readers as standing in obvious contrast the to "civilized" state of Western-influenced 20th-century Japan."
Tags: Tokyo, Meiji, William, Morris, Arts, and, Crafts, Movement
Abstract Following a tour of productions lines in Asia, the director of Huntingtons, a clothing company discovered most of the work was being performed by child labor. This paper presents some of the findings of his report. It looks at the spread of child labor in the textile industry across Asia and the dangerous precedent it is setting. It shows how the institution of global ethics could eradicate this problem.
From the Paper "Child labor is a persistent problem throughout the world, especially in developing countries. Africa and Asia together has over 90 percent of total child employment. Child labor is particularly rampant in rural areas where the capacity to enforce minimum age requirements for schooling and work is lacking. Children work for a variety of reasons, the most important being poverty and the induced pressure upon them to escape from this dilemma. Though children are not well paid, they still serve as major contributors to family income in developing countries. Schooling problems also contribute to child labor, whether it is the aloofness of schools or the lack of quality education, which spurs parents to enter their children in more profitable pursuits. Traditional factors such as rigid cultural and social roles in certain countries further limit educational realization and increase child labor."
Abstract An evaluation of the opinions of multi racial Asians living in different countries and a review of the problems they face. Articles by two authors who have addressed the issue according to their own experiences as part of a multiracial community are discussed. These are Lonnae O'Neal Parker's:" White Girl? Cousin Kim Is Passing. But Cousin Lonnae Doesn't Want to Let Her Go" and Remy Gastambide's "Living in Shame". This paper also discusses issues relating to Tiger Woods' multiracial identity.
From the Paper "While considering the experiences of Parker, who is a multiracial woman living in the United States; it has been observed that the major problem faced by the multiracial individuals is that of their identity. They are ever confused by the question as to which group they belong to? She shares her experience of how her mother was being questioned about her as to whose child was she and what difficulties she went through during her childhood. She shares the thoughts on how the multiracial families try to escape from their identity in order to get accepted by the society. In this regard, she shares her experience with her cousin who considers herself as a white person just because her skin gives an impression of a white women, eve though she is a multiracial individual like her."
Abstract This paper looks at our views of race and ethnic groups as a result of mass media stereotyping. It describes the negative images of minorities distort our views of the world, as stereotypes of the media become part of the common culture of American society. The paper argues that media stereotypes create their own problems of crime, teenage pregnancy, unemployment and despair.
From the Paper "Certain things are nearly universal. They are actions that cut across lines of class, race, and ethnicity. Every morning, virtually every American gets up, looks at himself in the mirror, fixes himself up, and gets ready to face the world. Yet the image that a person sees when he looks into the mirror each day is not necessarily that seen by others. One's personal background colors the way one views those around him. Experiences, images, things learned in school and from television, movies, and books, influence our opinions of the world, and of those who are different from ourselves. The media is a powerful factor in determining our attitudes and prejudices. Films, television programs, and newspaper articles create stereotypes that have a lasting effect not only on our own opinions but also on those who on those who are subject to those opinions. The Italian gangster, the Jewish miser, and perhaps most of all, the Latino gang member, the African-American addict and welfare mother are burned into the minds of America's white majority. But these terrible images are also seared into the hearts and souls of the often-voiceless minorities whom they purport to portray. Media stereotypes create their own problems of crime, teenage pregnancy, unemployment, and despair."
