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Interdisciplinary Japanese Studies On Site
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DIJ Newsletter 66
Winter 2021/22
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Welcome to the Winter 2021/22 issue!
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An eventful year 2021 is drawing to a close. Hopes that the pandemic could be defeated this year have unfortunately not come true. Instead, we are shaken by news of a new variant, lockdowns, travel restrictions, and new record levels of infections. In Japan, after peaks during the Tokyo Olympics, the situation has calmed down for the time being, but the new governments in both Japan and Germany will have to continue to look for solutions to restrain the pandemic in 2022.
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The 160th anniversary year of German-Japanese relations, which is now coming to an end, was also overshadowed by the pandemic. One of the few on-site events that took place was at the German House in Naruto, where parts of the DIJ's Bandō Collection on prisoner-of-war camps were on display. You will find a report on this and two other exhibitions in this newsletter. As always, this newsletter features a selection of recent activities of the institute and its researchers, including new publications, introducing a new member of staff, and a chance to win books from the DIJ Monographs Series in our Advent Book Gift Campaign.
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We hope you will enjoy exploring this edition of the DIJ Newsletter. If you haven't done so yet, you can subscribe to receive it directly to your inbox here. We also welcome your feedback and updates to your email address via email to newsletter@dijtokyo.org
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We still have a few weeks left this year, but we already wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year of the Tiger 2022!
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Forthcoming Publication – Erscheint in Kürze – 近刊
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Cover © Springer
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Edited Volume studies Financial Systems
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The increasing capacity of digital networks and computing power, together with the resulting connectivity and availability of big data, are impacting financial systems worldwide. This open access edited volume, forthcoming from Springer Singapore in 2022, brings together scholars, policymakers, and regulators with professional backgrounds in finance, both from Japan and Europe, to analyse the digital transformation of the financial system. The book is co-edited by DIJ director Franz Waldenberger and principal researcher Markus Heckel. It is an outcome of their research project 'The Future of the Financial System in the Digital Age'.
Mehr More 詳細
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New Publications – Gerade erschienen – 新刊
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Cover © Iudicium
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New Miscellanea Comparing Comparisons
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Comparisons form a core process in knowledge creation. We cannot not compare when reflecting about or studying what concerns or interests us. Meaning derives from comparing. The short essays collected in this volume reflect on aspects, methods, benefits, and possible pitfalls of comparisons in the social sciences and humanities. They were originally published as blog entries on the open edition platform Hypotheses between May 2020 and May 2021. As a set they are now accessible open access as volume 23 of our Miscellanea Series, co-edited by Franz Waldenberger and James D. Sidaway.
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Cover © Iudicium
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New Book on Children in War Propaganda
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Spiegel-Bilder by Lukas Frank is the latest addition to our DIJ Monographs Series. His book compares patterns of representations of children and youth in German and Japanese press photography of the late 1930s and early 1940s. It is based on an analysis of two important magazines of the time: Illustrierter Beobachter and Shashin shūhō (写真週報). The study shows similarities and differences between pictorial propaganda in both countries, explains general trends in the design of propaganda, and analyses functions of propaganda in radical nationalist states.
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Recent articles and book chapters by DIJ researchers include:
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- Barbara Holthus (with Wolfram Manzenreiter), "A board game approach to studying the multi-dimensionality of life satisfaction", Researching Happiness: Qualitative, Biographical and Critical Perspectives, ed. Mark Cieslik, Bristol: Bristol University Press 2021, 199–218.
- Nora Kottmann (with Laura Dales), "Surveying singles in Japan: qualitative reflections on quantitative social research during COVID time", International Journal of Social Research Methodology, November 2021 (online first).
- Franz Waldenberger, "Demographie, Deflation und die 'Neue Normalität': Lehren aus der japanischen Wirtschaftsentwicklung", Japan 2021. Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, eds. David Chiavacci/Iris Wieczorek, Munich: Iudicium 2021, 145–161.
- Torsten Weber (with Anke Scherer), "Geschichte und Geschichtsbewusstsein im Jahr der Jahrestage 2020", Japan 2021. Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, eds. David Chiavacci/Iris Wieczorek, Munich: Iudicium 2021, 213–233.
- Torsten Weber, "Olympic Dreams and Traumata. Looking back at Tokyo 2020", IIAS Newsletter, 90, Autumn 2021, 14–15.
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DIJ News – Aus dem DIJ – 研究所ニュース
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Photo © DIJ / T. Weber
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Germany's New Ambassador visits DIJ
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On October 20, Germany’s new Ambassador to Japan, Clemens von Goetze, visited the DIJ, accompanied by Lothar Mennicken, the Embassy’s Counsellor for Science and Technology. DIJ director Franz Waldenberger, deputy director Barbara Holthus, and administrative director Joachim Röhr informed the Ambassador about the institute’s research activities. The Ambassador expressed great interest in the DIJ’s expertise in different aspects of contemporary Japan, in particular society and politics. We were honoured that Ambassador Goetze took the time to visit us on the day before presenting his credentials to the Emperor at the Imperial Palace.
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Photo © private
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Luise Kahlow joins DIJ as Secretary
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In November 2021, Luise Kahlow has joined the DIJ's administration as a secretary, supporting the institute and its researchers. Luise received her doctoral degree in Japanese Studies from Hosei University in Tokyo. Previously, she worked for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Natur- und Völkerkunde Ostasiens (OAG) as an office assistant and as a member of its event committee. At the DIJ, Luise will be involved in organising events, maintaining the databases, and day-to-day operations.
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Past Events – Vergangene Veranstaltungen – 最近のイベント
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Poster © GIGA
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DIJ Researchers discuss Olympic Legacy
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Image © Gert Altmann
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Web Forum Series 'Digital Transformation'
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The MWS Web Forum Series ‘The Digital Transformation’ finished on November 4 with a session introducing six Digital Humanities projects from different institutes within the Max Weber Foundation. DIJ researcher Harald Kümmerle gave a talk on "Datafication as observed in speeches in the Japanese Diet – an analysis using topic modelling". Previous sessions in this series focused on governance, open science, knowledge production, the future of society, and digital history. Videos of all sessions can be viewed on the DIJ's YouTube channel.
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Screenshot © GoN
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Group of Nations Digital Currencies Panel
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Photo © private
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Special Film Screening of Ushiku
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In cooperation with the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation and the OAG Tokyo, the DIJ organized a special preview screening of the film Ushiku on November 19. The screening at the OAG House in Tokyo was followed by a discussion with director Thomas Ash, several protagonists, and human rights expert Ai Kihara-Hunt (University of Tokyo). The film bypasses the media blackout the government has imposed on its immigration centres, bringing viewers into immediate contact with the detainees, many of whom are refugees seeking asylum. The event was moderated by DIJ principal researcher Nora Kottmann.
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DIJ in the Media – In den Medien – メディアで知るDIJ
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Screenshot © rbb
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Franz Waldenberger on Working in Old Age
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One out of four people over the age of 65 in Japan is still working. In a radio interview with Radio Berlin-Brandenburg's 'Unser Leben' programme, DIJ director Franz Waldenberger commented on plans by the Japanese Government to make working in old age even more attractive by introducing flexible working conditions and raising the limits for additional income. The radio programme (in German) is available online here.
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Library News – Aus der Bibliothek – 図書室ニュース
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Photo © DIJ / T. Weber
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DIJ Bandō Collection on the Move
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In October and November, exhibits from the DIJ's Bandō Collection were on display at the exhibitions 'Ōita 100 years ago through the eyes of German prisoners of war' at Ōita Prefectural Art Museum and at Beppu University. They included photos taken by the POWs of their activities in the camp and their trips in the region. The Bandō Collection also featured in the exhibition '160 Years of German-Japanese Friendship' at the German House in Naruto (Tokushima). In the meantime, the DIJ has handed over the originals of its Bandō Collection to the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin on permanent loan. The aim is to ensure that the historical sources can be preserved in a sustainable and appropriate way.
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Alumni News – Unsere Ehemaligen – アルムナイニュース
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Screenshot © JFIT
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Axel Klein analyses Election Results
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Analysing the results of Japan's General Election on October 31, former DIJ senior research fellow Axel Klein (2007–11, Duisburg-Essen University) appeared in a number of online events. Upon invitation by UC San Diego economist and former DIJ board member Ulrike Schaede, he discussed the 'New Constellations' with Kenneth Mori McElwain (University of Tokyo) and Schaede. Klein was also hosted by AREA Ruhr’s lecture series and Tokyo’s OAG. His documentary 'Pictures at an Election' is available on the DIJ's YouTube channel.
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Flyer © Iudicium
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New Book Publication by Gerhard Krebs
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Historian and former DIJ senior research fellow Gerhard Krebs (1990–95) has written a new book on Japan's Imperial Family. Spannungen im Japanischen Kaiserhaus (Tensions in the Imperial House of Japan), published by Iudicium in the OAG book series, focuses on members of Japan's Imperial Family who engaged in anti-government activities or were critical of government policies from 1930 to the end of the occupation period. Case studies include plans to assassinate Tōjō Hideki and demands for Hirohito to renounce the throne in favour of the Crown Prince by his own family members.
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If you are part of the growing group of DIJ alumni and have recently published a book or have any other news to share with us, please contact us via newsletter@dijtokyo.org
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Social Media – Soziale Medien – ソーシャルメディア
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Screenshot © DIJ
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Advent Book Gift Campaign on Twitter
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In celebration of the pre-Christmas Advent season, the DIJ offers select volumes of our DIJ Monographs Series as Advent book gifts to our followers on Twitter. Simply access our Twitter account and retweet and/or like our Advent Book Gift Campaign tweet for a chance to win a volume of your choice from the selection featured in the tweet. Next chances: third and fourth Sundays of Advent (December 12th & 19th). Good luck!
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Screenshot © DIJ
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New on YouTube: DT and Tokyo Olympics
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