Anti-Japan: The Politics of Sentiment in Postcolonial East Asia

by Leo T. S. Ching

Although the Japanese empire rapidly dissolved following the end of World War II, the memories, mourning, and trauma of the nation's imperial exploits continue to haunt Korea, China, and Taiwan. In Anti-Japan Leo T. S. Ching traces the complex dynamics that shape persisting negative attitudes toward Japan throughout East Asia. Drawing on a mix of literature, film, testimonies, and popular culture, Ching shows how anti-Japanism stems from the failed efforts at decolonization and reconciliation, the Cold War and the ongoing U.S. military presence, and shifting geopolitical and economic conditions in the region. At the same time, pro-Japan sentiments in Taiwan reveal a Taiwanese desire to recoup that which was lost after the Japanese empire fell. Anti-Japanism, Ching contends, is less about Japan itself than it is about the real and imagined relationships between it and China, Korea, and Taiwan. Advocating for forms of healing that do not depend on state-based diplomacy, Ching suggests that reconciliation requires that Japan acknowledge and take responsibility for its imperial history.

Genres: Japan, Asia, Politics, School, History, China, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

Published June 28, 2019

Reviews

[Jeffrey Ma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Raises interesting questions; disappointing method and execution.

[s · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book attempts to contextualize the rise of anti- (and pro-) japanese sentiment across east asian nations, specifically china, korea, and taiwan, arguing that their emergence is due to the lack of decolonization in the region (in favor of democratization facilitated by the US). he clarifies that anti-japan movements/moments are a reflection of each nation's unresolved feelings towards the legacies of war that have gone unredressed, and he argues for something a lot do, which is basically that japan needs to take meaningful steps to address past violences. he details how the nation as a form is implicated, both as a necessary conduit through which redress must begin and as an impediment to meaningful discussion because of economic interest. what forms of relations outside of the nation-state need to be cultivated to facilitate actual forgiveness?

this book is fine. i felt like i learned a lot reading it, but at the same time, i was not moved by any close readings, and i did find myself questioning what this book is offering that is new--some chapters are heavily indebted to existing scholarship and imo rerehearses what has already been said.

something that stood out to me that i wanted him to talk more about was the "de-asianization" of japan, how japan has historically and now not regarded itself in the company of its east/northeast asian neighbors. crucial to this is the global export of japanese pop culture and how youth across china, taiwan, korea, and other places are fluent in japanese pop culture, and so he argues that for the wartime generation, japan was an external threat and presence imposed upon them whereas for younger generations, japan is something deeply intimate to them and defined by an interiority. the intro and conclusion touch upon this tension, and a contradiction that a lot of youth expressing anti-japan sentiment based on colonial residue are big fans of japanese pop culture. i wanted more pressing into that tension but it is not explored in this book.

i also wanted the book to go further with the politics of reconciliation and the place of love. that chapter felt like the area most ripe for intervention but for me it did not rise to the occasion, i felt like it only expressed pessimism and was very vague about the shape of this; which, of course, i understand given that no one person can say what this will look like. but he does mention briefly that private intimacy is the only possibility for reconciliation (not public diplomacy). i wanted more on that point.

related to this point of intimacy, an interesting point he makes is that taiwan is often excluded from discussions of redress as it relates to japan's war crimes, precisely because it is perceived to be as "pro-japan" and nostalgic for japanese rule (which the author argues only speaks to the sheer severity of KMT rule in taiwan). but the author argues that whatever intimacy taiwan feels for japan is not a non-starter, but rather that intimacy can and should be an entry point into a hard conversation about violence and injustice. the strongest parts of this book for me were about taiwan, and that is not surprising given the author's expertise.

anyway, a book that leaves with a lot to think about. very resonant with naoki sakai's work, down to the same questions and the same answers to those questions. but very different methodologically. obviously i am invested in cultures of imperialism and for all the reasons ching argues, pop culture is an incredibly important piece of the puzzle of reconciliation. but i also found myself feeling that there was something lacking to a cultural studies approach to these questions, and i say that as a cultural studies scholar. that is not a reflection of ching's specific work necessarily though it gave me a chance to reflect on what conversations and tools might be best to address the ongoing legacies of war.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well written and important theoretical contribution, valuable for anyone working in East Asia studies, historical memory, international relations, or other related fields. The theory-heavy nature of the book makes it at least somewhat valuable for scholars of other regions.

One of the biggest advantages of this book is the length. At a slim 144 pages of text, this can be read in an afternoon or two, increasing the number of readers who would benefit from picking it up. Some of the theory may be a bit difficult for most undergrads though, unless accompanied with relevant lessons/background.

A gem of a book, strong recommend.

[哲伦 周 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit underwhelming back then… also—— my rant on 垃圾豆瓣