International Law and Japanese Sovereignty: The Emerging Global Order in the

19th Century DouglasHowland palgrave,2016

This book is a magnificent enterprise to discuss international law and Japanese
sovereignty in the 19th century. During the 19th century, international legal scholars
turned to legal positivism as an attempt to separate law from politics, in order to produce
a systematic legal explanation for international relations. Rather than narrating such a
growing legal coherence to the international order, the author explores legal–political
confusion in the century. In this book, Japan is a lens through which to view the
emergence of a global order in the 19th century and to examine the assertion of
sovereignty in it. Where scholars belonging to the English School have studied the case
of Japan in terms of ‘the expansion of international society’, the author argues that Japan
helps…
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Asian Designs: Governance in the Contemporary World Order Saadia M. Pekkanen

(ed.)Asian Designs: Governance in the Contemporary World OrderSaadi Pekkanen
Cornell University Pres,2016

In the past, many International Relations (IR) scholars argued that regionalism in Asia
was incipient. However, over the last two decades, regional institutions in various fields
have been established, increasing territorial cooperation. In addition, Asian countries
have signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) as well as joined various global institutions
such as the World Trade Organization (WTO). While neorealists tend to overlook the
power and function of institutions in world politics, the text contends that Asian countries
have attempted to promote regional governance through bilateral arrangements and
global, regional, and multilateral institutions. This book addresses ‘Asia’s struggle to make
and shape institutions in the contemporary world’ (p. 1), and attempts to capture Asia’s
institutional realities and trajectories in international affairs; or in other words, ‘Asian...

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Explaining India’s Foreign Policy: From Dream to Realization of Major Power

Takenori Horimoto

Abstract

A power transformation appears to be taking place in Asia, brought about by the rapid
emergence of China and the relative decline of US influence. India has sought a way to
cope with this new situation. India itself has been rising to prominence since the 1990s,
particularly its nuclear weapon tests in 1998 onward. Since the start of the twenty-first
century, India has been perceived as the next country to follow China in seeking a major
power status. Although India has previously tended to conceal its power aspirations, in
2015 it declared its intention to be a leading power. This article elucidates this
transformation through India's policy orientation on a local, regional, and global level and
its key partnerships with Russia and Japan. India’s metamorphosis holds great
implications for the transformation of power in Asia.

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The League of Nations as an actor in East Asia: empires and technical cooperation
with ChinaHarumi Goto-Shibata

Abstract

This article examines the technical cooperation between the League of Nations and China
from its origin in 1928 to 1934. By consulting Japanese documents, it analyses why even
Japanese diplomats who were usually regarded as internationalists came to be strongly
opposed to this. The founding fathers of the League did not envisage cooperation
between the League and China, so there were no well-considered rules nor structures for
such works. Technical cooperation developed through personal initiatives; moreover, Dr
Ludwik Rajchman on the League side did not limit his activities to his expertise and came
to be involved in power politics. On the other hand, East Asia was the region where the
old imperial order firmly remained and Japan wanted to maintain it. Britain, the mainstay
of the League of Nations, was also an empire that still had large interests in the region,
so that it clearly understood the causes of Japan’s reaction.

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Introduction: Japan’s International Relations at 60, Part 1Keisuke Iida

In October 2016, the Japan Association of International Relations (JAIR) celebrated the
60th anniversary of its establishment. In order to commemorate this anniversary, the
Association invited a number of outstanding international guests to present their work at
its annual Convention. In particular, there were six commemorative panels as part of the
celebration, the titles of which were as follows:

Panel A: ‘The Future of Warfare: Global Aspects of Hybrid Warfare’; Panel B: ‘How Does
Migration Become an Issue in International Relations? Institutionalization in Immigration
Control and the Reappraisal of Liberal Democracy’; Panel C: ‘The End of Globalization:
Lessons from East Asian International Relations in the Interwar Period’; Panel D:
‘Imperial, Post-Imperial, or Pre-Imperial? Global Power Shifts in Historical Perspective’;
Panel E: ‘Asia after the...

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Call for Abstracts: Aspirations of Young Adults in Urban Asia

By Zulkifli Musa in Announcement on October 4 2017.

Call for Abstracts: Aspirations of Young Adults in Urban Asia.

Eds. Kenneth Finis (Macquarie University Sydney), Désirée Remmert European

Research Center on Contemporary Taiwan), and Mariske Westendorp (Radboud
University Nijmegen).

This is a Call for Abstracts to contribute to an ethnographically-informed edited volume

on the aspirations of youth and young adults in urban Asia (target publication: 2019). We
are particularly interested in contributions from early career scholars. As our aim is to
make this edited volume to go beyond Western-centric appraisals and present a truly
global portrait, we particularly encourage local scholars from Asian communities to
contribute.

Note: IJAPS provides the news platform for this Call for Abstracts but does not organise
the event/publication. Any inquiries pertaining this Call for Abstracts should be directed
to the the contact as provided in the brochure.
Coordinators Bridge Residents and Artists in Regional Japan: A Case Study of the
Art Project Hanarart

ABSTRACT

In the age of globalisation, the transiency of individuals has been increasing.

Consequently, some regional communities face the risk of collapse and disappearance.
Particularly in Japan, centralisation in and around global cities such as Tokyo has
accelerated the decline of regional communities. Given this current clime, residents of
regional areas would benefit from building ties with outsiders in order to keep their
communities strong. Certain individuals could take on the role of coordinator, who can
work to bridge the gap between the residents and outsiders. The role of the coordinator,
however, is not yet clear. This study introduces a case study of the art project Hanarart (
はならぁと) which involves residents and outside artists in regional areas of Nara, Japan.
Part of the art project intends to renovate and reuse the machiya buildings in Japanese
traditional style, with the help of site-specific contemporary art that will fit well with
the machiya style. In the art project, outside artists prepare their artworks in the
abandoned buildings, which are managed by the residents. During the first stage of the
project, residents and artists did not communicate well due to either their indifference or
ignorance toward each other’s interests. In the next stage, however, assigned
coordinators promoted communication between the residents and artists for the sake of
contemporary art. Through the process of trial and error, the project resulted in
contributing to the community in a number of ways. The renovated and repurposed
machiya buildings helped to develop communication among the various individuals, which
led to the building of culturally creative areas. These areas have proved inspiring for
regional community members with the involvement of various outsiders in community
activities.

Constructs of Development from Inside the Development Communication Syllabi

ABSTRACT

Discourses of development in academic institutions must be thoroughly investigated.

Using a set of Development Communication (DevCom) syllabi and the theories of Xu
Xiaoge (2009) and Arturo Escobar (1995), this paper qualitatively investigated on the
nature and process of the constructed discourse of development in an academic setting
from sample course syllabi content, topics and activities. Results have shown that the
syllabi’s content and discourse are either pro-process or pro-participation development.
Moreover, the set of studied syllabi have not actively articulated the post-development
paradigm. The research suggests that faculty members who teach the course revisit the
constructs of DevCom by constantly including development in the content, putting the
discourse of alternatives to development, and theorising on the paradigm of development
communication to further establish the field.
Arabs and “Indo-Arabs” in Indonesia: Historical Dynamics, Social Relations and
Contemporary Changes

ABSTRACT

This article outlines the origins, development and historical dynamics of Arabs in
Indonesia and discusses responses of Indonesians, particularly Muslims, towards this
group. It sketches a variety of Indonesia’s Arabs—sadah and non-sadah alike—and their
contributions to the shape of Indonesian Islam, Islamic cultures and Muslim politics. It
also traces the roots of—and depicts the historical dynamics and changes—social
relations and interactions between Arabs and local populations. The relations between
Arabs and non-Arabs in the country have always been marked with conflict and tensions
on the one hand, and peace and cooperation on the other. Some Muslims in the country
“have admired” and built a strong relationship with the Arabs and “Indo-Arabs” while
others have denounced them as the destroyers of Indonesia’s local traditions, civic
pluralism, social stability and interreligious tolerance. This article tries to portray this
paradox, discuss factors contributing to the damaging image of Arabs in contemporary
Indonesia, and explain the rationales behind it. Lastly, it discusses prospects and the
possibilities of the constructive relationships between Arabs, Indo-Arabs, and other
nationals, social groupings, and ethnicities in the country.

Street-based Corruption in the Philippines: Exploring Kotong Frame Alignments

Between Enforcers and Motorists in a City in Metro Manila

ABSTRACT

Corruption is a pervasive problem in the Philippines. Previous studies have focused on

institutions and culture as factors behind the persistence of corruption in the country.
Moreover, the emphasis has been on corruption that occurs within the bureaucracy. In
this qualitative, exploratory study, we explored the possibility of the shared understanding,
the frame alignments between the local state authorities and drivers as a possible
explanation behind the persistence of street-based form of corruption known as kotongan
or kotong. Based on the interviews conducted, results showed that there is a shared
understanding between state authorities and drivers as to what kotong is, the benefits
they derive from the transaction, and the factors behind the acceptance of kotong.
Building a New Academic Field: The Institutionalisation of Taiwan Studies in
Europe

ABSTRACT

The emergence of Taiwan Studies as a new area study in Europe is an intriguing

phenomenon. It started more or less “from scratch” at a time when the area studies model
was seriously challenged in academic debates. Since then the field has rapidly expanded
in Europe. This paper seeks to analyse the factors that have facilitated the successful
institutionalisation of academic Taiwan Studies in a region that otherwise does not have
close relations with Taiwan. It argues that financial overtures from Taiwan have found
fertile ground in Europe, which has to do with the distinct Asian Studies tradition on the
continent, a major restructuring of the university field since the 1990s, and the specific
historical circumstances of Taiwan’s political and social transformation in the late 20th
and early 21st century. While these wider developments have provided advantageous
circumstances, the successful construction and institutionalisation of a new thriving
academic field can only be explained by the strong personal commitment of key Taiwan
scholars in Europe and the skilful integration of individual efforts through the creation of
a Europe wide network.

Peter Nicholas Tarling: A Tribute

EXCERPT

Nicholas Tarling is one of the foremost historians of the role of the British in Southeast
Asia during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Well established in his field of
expertise specifically focusing on British policy in and towards Malaya / Malaysia,
Indonesia, Siam / Thailand and Myanmar (Burma), he has authored and edited close to
40 books including the two volume The Cambridge History of Southeast
Asia (Cambridge, 1992), and more than 90 scholarly journal articles in an academic
career spanning more than half a century.
“We Are the World Itself”: The Construction of “Good” Citizenship and Deviations
from It in Ergo Proxy

ABSTRACT

Anime is the dominant medium of pop-culture expression in modern Japan, lending itself
readily to genres such as romance and comedy, as well as advanced concepts of social
and political discourse. At the same time, the rise of modern anime, especially science
fiction anime coincided with the coming to the forefront of the issue of immigration. This
article attempts to understand how the two phenomena may be intertwined in the
dialectical process of analysing and re-analysing national identity and belonging, through
a critical interpretation of the anime series Ergo Proxy, released in 2006. The ideas
outlined below are relevant both to critical discourse studies and for prospective solutions
in the field of immigration policy. With Japan’s economy going into a tailspin due to the
explosion of the housing bubble in the 1990s, coupled with the detrimental effects of
negative population growth, more and more industries found themselves reliant on
immigrant labour for their survival, even as national political winds blew decisively against
opening the country to immigrants, due to unforeseen effects on “the Japanese way of
life.” As Japan entered the second decade of its persistent recessionary state, and the
government remained impassive to calls issued from several quarters of society to
liberalise immigration policy, even though many of these workers were urgently required
in such important sectors as construction and healthcare, clinging instead to outdated
racist notions of “pure Japaneseness,” a trickle of foreign workers continued to enter
Japan, becoming subject to abuse and human rights violations as their existence
continues to be systematically erased. The cultural intelligentsia of Japan did not long
remain unaware of this fact, however, and has remained active in depicting the plight of
immigrants in various genres of creative production.

Keynote Address – Southeast Asia: Imperial Themes

EXCERPT

A celebratory conference of this kind should allow the keynote lecture to be somewhat
more personal than normal. It is with that in mind that I have linked the theme, ‘Southeast
Asia: Past, Present and Future’, to the person whose birthday we are celebrating. I do not
know if I can do that successfully but will try by pursuing some of Nick’s [Nicholas Tarling]
and my own life and professional experiences with imperial themes in Southeast Asian
history. Why ‘imperial themes’? Would not that be too much of a bias towards the past?