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In his chapter “Korea and the League of Nations: from Versailles to the Manchurian Crisis, 1919–1933” Dolf-Alexander Neuhaus examines the relationship between the Korean independence movement and the League of Nations. The chapter elucidates the complex interactions between non-sovereign entities like Korea under Japanese rule and the international organization, offering insights into how Koreans and anti-Japanese nationalists perceived and engaged with the League of Nations during the interwar period. In 1919, when the League was established, Koreans were denied the right to self-govern. However, individuals and factions within the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea still sought to utilize the League for their ends in the 1920s and early 1930s. By exploring these diplomatic and political dynamics, the chapter presents a nuanced picture of Korea’s struggle for recognition and national self-determination within the broader context of international politics. The chapter is published in The League of Nations Experience: Overlapping Readings  (De Gruyter 2025).

In her book chapter “Thomas Mann bei Mishima Yukio, Kita Morio und Tsuji Kunio: Verehrungspathos und Neuverortung als Vorbedingungen einer produktiven kulturüberschreitenden Rezeption” (in German), DIJ researcher Nicole M. Mueller sheds new light on the reception of Thomas Mann’s literary works by the Japanese authors Mishima Yukio, Kita Morio, and Tsuji Kunio. The idealization of Mann had been an essential element of Japan’s cultural modernization and westernization in the first decades of the 20th century, making him one of the larger-than-life figureheads of Japan’s prewar academic elite. Mishima and his contemporaries developed novel modes of reception based on a critical analysis of Mann’s work. Nicole’s chapter examines the extent to which Mishima’s, Kita’s, and Tsuji’s reception of Mann was conditioned by historical context and what characteristics make cross-cultural literary reception “productive”. The chapter is published in the edited volume Thomas Mann produktiv rezipiert. Zum Fortleben von Werk und Autor (Brill/Fink 2025).

A new open access research article by Antonia Miserka (University of Vienna) and DIJ social scientist Sebastian Polak-Rottmann analyses the relationship between female civic engagement and subjective well-being. Their article “Happiness as a by-product – the impact of civic engagement on women’s well-being in rural Japan”, published in Japan Forum (online first), is based on qualitative interviews and participant observation in a rural area in southern Japan. The analysis shows that (a) making others happy, (b) acting for oneself, and (c) the process of acting with others all have a beneficial impact on subjective well-being. In this regard, the findings support relational approaches to subjective well-being. More specifically, the reciprocity of well-being within social relationships helps to explain how civic engagement leads to higher well-being in rural Japan. The article is an outcome of Sebastian’s research project Supplementing activities of resilience: The impact of demographic change on local activities and civic engagement.