Sino-Japan

[keatonatron]

I need to come up with a research project for school. I'm thinking about exploring the history of Sino-Japanese relations, and perhaps how it effects modern politics and the general feelings of both peoples. (i.e. the recent repeat of the whole textbook fiasco)

Does anyone have any experience with this subject? By "research project", I just mean I need to read some stuff and write a paper on it. What I'm really looking for are some good book recommendations. Any suggestions?

[Shibakoen]

I'm sure you've already read the book "The Rape of Nanking," but for more current stuff the Economist usually has some of the best insight I read. It's also not so thoroughly depressing. "An Introduction to China" is a pretty popular manga in Japan, though I don't think it's as popular as Kenkanryu. Now there's a KenKanRyu 2, aparently. Saw it in the Kinokuniya the other day.

I realize these are pretty one-sided and have pretty bad biases, but I just always think that to understand any conflict, point of contention, you have to look at the opinions of those on the poles first, then realize how absurd it is before you start looking at the moderate views. (I liked watching Rush Limbaugh and reading Al Frankin as a kid. Maybe that's why I'm so messed up.):D

[AJBryant]

If you read "Rape of Nanking" be sure to also read Higashinakano's "The Nanking Massacre: Fact vs. Fiction."

Tony

[keatonatron]

What about Japan's history with Korea?

I know the Japanese have had low opinions of the Koreans in the past, and many Koreans today have very bad opinions about the Japanese... It'd be interesting to explore everyone's opinions about everyone else, and exactly why those opinions came to be. (It can be summarized as being due to the Japanese acting all snobby and being cruel during war time, but there's more details than that, I'm sure)

[TrilinguisT]

This isnt about japan relations with china or korea, but

i sometimes feel inferior to the siamese (thais) - I think they have this preconcieved thought of being the best SouthEast Asians because they were never colonized by a western power.

[Shibakoen]

A Korean man on the plane next to me compared Japan/Korea to the UNC/Duke rivalry. He was a big basketball fan. By the way, I'm actually very happy to see that both teams have done so well in the World Baseball Classic. I'm also a Latin Americanist, though, so I don't know who to pull for in the Japan/Cuba final tonight. I think it would be a great win for both countries. I guess I'd really like to see Japan win so that in Pro baseball there might be a genuine world series between the top clubs from the States and Japan.

[AJBryant]

I think they have this preconcieved thought of being the best SouthEast Asians because they were never colonized by a western power.

Maybe they misunderstood -- that no one WANTED to colonize them. :p

Tony

[coco]

AJBryant wrote:
If you read "Rape of Nanking" be sure to also read Higashinakano's "The Nanking Massacre: Fact vs. Fiction."

I 120% agree with Tony.

芝公園さん。お帰りなさい:)
Do you know much about Iris Chang?

keatonatron wrote:
I'm thinking about exploring the history of Sino-Japanese relations,

近代史ですか? 日中の歴史は範囲が広いからある程度時代を区切った方がいいと思いますよ。

[AJBryant]

Do you know much about Iris Chang?

For one thing, she was a crappy "journalist"...


Tony

[hiraikotsu]

at the ground level, i've got quite a few mainland chinese colleagues, and i'm surprised to see that a number of them still bear a resentment towards the jap, even though a whole generation has passed (they r mostly in their 20s...). I think that was evident when Koizumi visited the yasukuni shrine...
Personally i'm interested in their culture, but i think my grandma wld flip if she knew i'm taking up japanese.
hving said that, i also do know a couple of mainlanders who've picked up the jap lang out of interest too....
i'm just wondering how do the japanese youth today view china?

[AJBryant]

For the record, there are still a lot of people who take offence at "Jap." You might want to consider spelling out the whole word.


Tony

[hiraikotsu]

AJBryant wrote:
For the record, there are still a lot of people who take offence at "Jap."

whoa, i must admit i'm totally ignorant abt that.... over here it's really common to hear the shortened version.. altho i dun think anyone here means it in an offensive way.

thanks papa tony

[AJBryant]

thanks papa tony

God, I can really 感じる all my 年s.

Tony

[keatonatron]

coco wrote:
近代史ですか? 日中の歴史は範囲が広いからある程度時代を区切った方がいいと思いますよ。

そうです。平安時代なんかもう知ってて、ちょっと関係がないと思います。たぶん、１９世からの歴史（皆が覚えている歴史）がいいと思います。Sino-Japanese WarとかWW2の時代が一番大切かもしれません。中国人はだいたい昔のことを気にしていませんかな。たとえば、最近の教科書のこと、それはWW2のことについてでしょう？

I have a Japanese friend who's dating a Korean girl who lives in Korea. They met abroad, and are persuing their long-distance relationship with plans to get married. Anyway, apparently the girl's parents are really unhappy about her seeing a Japanese boy. I've heard that many Koreans think the Japanese look down on them, thinking they are inferior (which I think they did many years ago).

Unfortunately all the Korean's I know can't really help much; they obviously love Japan, that's why they're living here and studying Japanese.

Unless... it's part of a massive revenge plot.... Hmmm.....

[coco]

keatonatron wrote:
そうです。平安時代なんかもう知ってて、ちょっと関係がないと思います。

これには同意できかねますが、研究であれば一次資料が重要ですから
丹念に公文書を漁るしかありません。
東京大学東洋文化研究所田中明彦研究室 に日中関係の資料集があり､Webで読めますよ。あとは国会図書館です。こちらもキーワード検索で収蔵書物が事前に分かりますから、時間の節約になります。

欠かせないのは日中国交回復に尽力された周恩来首相についての評価でしょうね。

もう少し早ければ、愛新覚羅溥儀の弟である愛新覚羅溥傑の次女、嫮生（こせい）さんのドキュメントをＮＨＫで放映していましたから、ご紹介できたのに残念です。あの方の日本語は、本当に美しい響きを持っていました。
溥傑の奥様である浩さんは、皇族、嵯峨家の出身です。

中国人はだいたい昔のことを気にしていませんかな。

これ、「気にしていないと思う」の意味でしょうか?

general feelings of both peoples.

両方併せて、難しいですね。silent majority をどう拾い上げるか--
このあたりで政治問題を分析する視点が問われることになるでしょう。

あと、ご覧になっていなければ日本/香港合作映画の
『宗家の三姉妹(1997）』[原題　The　Soong　sisters(宗家皇朝)] の
登場人物も抑えておくとよいでしょう。たぶん近所のビデオ屋さんで借りられる筈です。
三女の美齢さんがなくなったのは、2004年です。