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Absolute Erotic, Absolute Grotesque: The Living, Dead, and Undead in Japan's Imperialism, 1895-1945
In this major reassessment of Japanese imperialism in Asia, Mark Driscoll foregrounds the role of human life and labor. Drawing on subaltern postcolonial studies and Marxism, he directs critical attention to the peripheries, where figures including Chinese coolies, Japanese pimps, trafficked Japanese women, and Korean tenant farmers supplied the vital energy that drove Japan's empire. He identifies three phases of Japan's capitalist expansion, each powered by distinct modes of capturing and expropriating life and labor: biopolitics (1895–1914), neuropolitics (1920–32), and necropolitics (1935-45). During the first phase, Japanese elites harnessed the labor of marginalized subjects as Japan colonized Taiwan, Korea, and south Manchuria, and sent hustlers and sex workers into China to expand its market hegemony. Linking the deformed bodies laboring in the peripheries with the "erotic-grotesque" media in the metropole, Driscoll centers the second phase on commercial sexology, pornography, and detective stories in Tokyo to argue that by 1930, capitalism had colonized all aspects of human life: not just labor practices but also consumers’ attention and leisure time. Focusing on Japan's Manchukuo colony in the third phase, he shows what happens to the central figures of biopolitics as they are subsumed under necropolitical capitalism: coolies become forced laborers, pimps turn into state officials and authorized narcotraffickers, and sex workers become "comfort women". Driscoll concludes by discussing Chinese fiction written inside Manchukuo, describing the everyday violence unleashed by necropolitics.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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Mark Driscoll
7 booksLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 5, 2014
Drawing from Marx, Foucault, and Mbembe, Driscoll puts forth an interesting interpretation of capitalist development in Imperial Japan that offers insights into the violent forms that capital accumulation can achieve under colonialism and its exploitation of the subaltern. Overall, I did find a number of flaws in Driscoll's analysis and theoretical framework. Yet, supplemented by more focused monographs, I do think there are some insights.
To briefly summarize the theoretical framework, the first section looks back at Chinese coolies in the Guangdong lease, the emergence of Japanese pimps as a capitalist force, the "hysterics" of colonist women, and Korean tennant farmers in the early stages of Japanese imperialism. Focusing on Gotō Shinpei as he moved from Taiwan to Manchuria to form the South Manchurian Railway, we see the establishment of biopolitics as formal subsumption. The subaltern was biologically managed and exploited through their health, living arrangements, or income. Formal subsumption entails agreement to labor, thus, psychiatric wards designed for female "hysterics" (often prostitutes kidnapped by Japanese pimps competing in the same business), the promise of remittance to Northern China, or the guarantee of arable land for Korean tennant farmers ensured that labor would be reproduced and exploited for the lowest wages possible. This initial step helped fuel Japan's entry into the imperial realm.
The second section delves into neuropolitics, wherein formal subsumption transforms into real subsumption and laborers become commodified products. Here, Driscoll points towards modern sexology, erotic-grotesque modernism, and Japanese ero-guro literature to illustrate how humans have been grotesqued into spectacle and eroticized commodities. We can observe Kon Wajirō's "modernologist" observations of urban consumption habits, Nakamura Kokyo and Tanaka Kōgai's anti-European embrace of sexual desire, or Edogawa Rampo's grotesque literary descriptions of murder as commodification, among a variety of others. Wildly popular in the Taishō Era, these new (modern?) conceptualization of sex and death (images appearing alongside each other in popular magazines) helped shape human as a disposable product.
The final section details when biopolitical formal subsumption transforms into Mbembe's "necropolitical deformal subsumption" through the mediation of of neuropolitical reformulation of humans as consumable things that do not need to be replicated. Here, with a renewed focus on Manchurio we witness the synergetic trifecta of Amakasu Masahiko's opium empire, designed to create as many adicts and profits as possible, Kishi Nobusuke's money laundering schemes, and Ayukawa Yoshisuke's use of forced labor for his Nissan factories. This trinity of drug money, new bureaucracy, and zaibatsu corporate war financing ensured that, as Driscoll often repeats, "war is a continuation of business by any means." It's easy to see when these three elements collaborate, how such an utter disregard for human life can be attained for the sake of profits.
Overall, I found this narrative of capitalist development fascinating, deriving from a strong theoretical background. I have read and appreciated a large number of the secondary sources cited im the bibliography and was pleasantly surprised to see some old professors from my undergrad mentioned in the acknowledgements, so the intellectual pedigree was perfectly acceptable an the promise of a reinterpretation of subaltern studies was an exciting proposal. Yet, we have to accept that Driscoll is proposing a meta-narrative that he seems to be desperately trying to make fit at times. At times it feels clear that he's devised a deductive methodology and is trying to squeeze in as much evidence as he can.
The first section seems to cover an all too broad spectrum of the subaltern that has already been covered in other monographs. Kawashima did well with tenant farmers, the chapter on coolies is too brief, and Muraoka's accounts as a pimp are historically sketchy as a source. This lack of focus runs the risk of lumping the subaltern into one category, creating an easy dichotomy between colonizer and colonized. Ironically, while Driscoll rightfully wishes to to move away from the "feel good" historiography of Jansen, etc., portraying Japanese modernization in a positive light, he neglects his own sources, such as Soh or Uchida, who have been working to portray a more nuanced picture of colonial relations.
The second section moves away from the subaltern almost entirely and starts moving towards grounds already covered by Harootunian. I did enjoy this section, as it revealed quite a bit of the Taishō Era crisis of modernity and total incorporation of consumer desire. However, losing focus on the subject at hand demonstrates in some ways a weak link in this narrative; we are unsure about what's happening to the subaltern and if they're being subsumed by this commodified lifestyle as well. Furthermore, in this section there is a heavy reliance on contemporary Japanese theoreticians and authors. While I'm skeptical of an overreliance on empirical evidence, there is a dearth in this section. It reads nicely as literary theory, but Harootunian provides a much more eloquent argument backed up by data.
The final section was by far the strongest. By maintaining a focus on Manchuria and providing a bevy of resources, Driscoll is able to convincingly argue for necropolitics as the final (fatal) stage of Japanese imperialism. This argument helped connect the first two sections and I could finally make sense of this theoretical arc and the constellation. Yet, the weaknesses of the first two sections still stick, which prevents this from being a better book.This isn't delving into the ridiculousness of the language, as I literally rolled my eyes at many sub-chapter titles and every mention of Kishi's semen (as my thesis was on Anpo, I'm very anti-Kishi, but we sometimes tread on libel).
As I said earlier, this book has a series of interesting events and details. Unfortunately, they can stray too far from the mark and weaken the overall thesis. I'd still recommend reading, as the theoretical insights are thought provoking and the historical details are very interesting (no matter how familiar you are with Japanese colonialism, you'll find something new). However, I still think this is a book that needs to be supplemented by its own sources for a better understanding and only marks a theoretical beginning that needs to be further developed.
To briefly summarize the theoretical framework, the first section looks back at Chinese coolies in the Guangdong lease, the emergence of Japanese pimps as a capitalist force, the "hysterics" of colonist women, and Korean tennant farmers in the early stages of Japanese imperialism. Focusing on Gotō Shinpei as he moved from Taiwan to Manchuria to form the South Manchurian Railway, we see the establishment of biopolitics as formal subsumption. The subaltern was biologically managed and exploited through their health, living arrangements, or income. Formal subsumption entails agreement to labor, thus, psychiatric wards designed for female "hysterics" (often prostitutes kidnapped by Japanese pimps competing in the same business), the promise of remittance to Northern China, or the guarantee of arable land for Korean tennant farmers ensured that labor would be reproduced and exploited for the lowest wages possible. This initial step helped fuel Japan's entry into the imperial realm.
The second section delves into neuropolitics, wherein formal subsumption transforms into real subsumption and laborers become commodified products. Here, Driscoll points towards modern sexology, erotic-grotesque modernism, and Japanese ero-guro literature to illustrate how humans have been grotesqued into spectacle and eroticized commodities. We can observe Kon Wajirō's "modernologist" observations of urban consumption habits, Nakamura Kokyo and Tanaka Kōgai's anti-European embrace of sexual desire, or Edogawa Rampo's grotesque literary descriptions of murder as commodification, among a variety of others. Wildly popular in the Taishō Era, these new (modern?) conceptualization of sex and death (images appearing alongside each other in popular magazines) helped shape human as a disposable product.
The final section details when biopolitical formal subsumption transforms into Mbembe's "necropolitical deformal subsumption" through the mediation of of neuropolitical reformulation of humans as consumable things that do not need to be replicated. Here, with a renewed focus on Manchurio we witness the synergetic trifecta of Amakasu Masahiko's opium empire, designed to create as many adicts and profits as possible, Kishi Nobusuke's money laundering schemes, and Ayukawa Yoshisuke's use of forced labor for his Nissan factories. This trinity of drug money, new bureaucracy, and zaibatsu corporate war financing ensured that, as Driscoll often repeats, "war is a continuation of business by any means." It's easy to see when these three elements collaborate, how such an utter disregard for human life can be attained for the sake of profits.
Overall, I found this narrative of capitalist development fascinating, deriving from a strong theoretical background. I have read and appreciated a large number of the secondary sources cited im the bibliography and was pleasantly surprised to see some old professors from my undergrad mentioned in the acknowledgements, so the intellectual pedigree was perfectly acceptable an the promise of a reinterpretation of subaltern studies was an exciting proposal. Yet, we have to accept that Driscoll is proposing a meta-narrative that he seems to be desperately trying to make fit at times. At times it feels clear that he's devised a deductive methodology and is trying to squeeze in as much evidence as he can.
The first section seems to cover an all too broad spectrum of the subaltern that has already been covered in other monographs. Kawashima did well with tenant farmers, the chapter on coolies is too brief, and Muraoka's accounts as a pimp are historically sketchy as a source. This lack of focus runs the risk of lumping the subaltern into one category, creating an easy dichotomy between colonizer and colonized. Ironically, while Driscoll rightfully wishes to to move away from the "feel good" historiography of Jansen, etc., portraying Japanese modernization in a positive light, he neglects his own sources, such as Soh or Uchida, who have been working to portray a more nuanced picture of colonial relations.
The second section moves away from the subaltern almost entirely and starts moving towards grounds already covered by Harootunian. I did enjoy this section, as it revealed quite a bit of the Taishō Era crisis of modernity and total incorporation of consumer desire. However, losing focus on the subject at hand demonstrates in some ways a weak link in this narrative; we are unsure about what's happening to the subaltern and if they're being subsumed by this commodified lifestyle as well. Furthermore, in this section there is a heavy reliance on contemporary Japanese theoreticians and authors. While I'm skeptical of an overreliance on empirical evidence, there is a dearth in this section. It reads nicely as literary theory, but Harootunian provides a much more eloquent argument backed up by data.
The final section was by far the strongest. By maintaining a focus on Manchuria and providing a bevy of resources, Driscoll is able to convincingly argue for necropolitics as the final (fatal) stage of Japanese imperialism. This argument helped connect the first two sections and I could finally make sense of this theoretical arc and the constellation. Yet, the weaknesses of the first two sections still stick, which prevents this from being a better book.This isn't delving into the ridiculousness of the language, as I literally rolled my eyes at many sub-chapter titles and every mention of Kishi's semen (as my thesis was on Anpo, I'm very anti-Kishi, but we sometimes tread on libel).
As I said earlier, this book has a series of interesting events and details. Unfortunately, they can stray too far from the mark and weaken the overall thesis. I'd still recommend reading, as the theoretical insights are thought provoking and the historical details are very interesting (no matter how familiar you are with Japanese colonialism, you'll find something new). However, I still think this is a book that needs to be supplemented by its own sources for a better understanding and only marks a theoretical beginning that needs to be further developed.
February 9, 2012
He deals with many sexy topics -- yakuza pimps in Southeast Asia, Japanese prostitutes, narcotics in Manchuria, pornography, Rampo -- who doesn't like these topics?! I liked the fact he presents us various issues under a very strong theme (Cultural Marxist? Haratoonianian?). I also felt his passion, which is what matters in my view anyway.
But I didn't like the way he projects his point of view so densely throughout the book, and every time I get into each topic and I want to know more about surprising facts, he pulls me back to his Marxist-Foucauldian argument. This is a book that tells you a perspective, not a good constellation of facts (and imagine how frustrated I was when I reached the chapter on Korean peasants). Which is fine -- still works as a book. Something about these Marxist writers bothers me, though. Marx himself was a powerfully inductive empiricism-based theory-maker. Then how come all of his followers are so deductive and let theories over-determine histories? Driscoll describes the empire or imperial institutions as a "monster" and "machine" (he literally uses these words). Who benefits from this major lack of subtleties? They write almost refreshingly black-and-white histories!
I also don't understand how come they worship the Marxist writers in the period they study. We are supposed to analyze what they were writing, not take it as the bestest observation of the time ever. Especially because I study fascist youth, I cannot imagine myself quoting them as a matter of fact or a great observation.
Oh, another note is that there are quite a few mistakes in his transliteration and translation. Too bad Japanese-speaking proofreaders did not catch them.
But I didn't like the way he projects his point of view so densely throughout the book, and every time I get into each topic and I want to know more about surprising facts, he pulls me back to his Marxist-Foucauldian argument. This is a book that tells you a perspective, not a good constellation of facts (and imagine how frustrated I was when I reached the chapter on Korean peasants). Which is fine -- still works as a book. Something about these Marxist writers bothers me, though. Marx himself was a powerfully inductive empiricism-based theory-maker. Then how come all of his followers are so deductive and let theories over-determine histories? Driscoll describes the empire or imperial institutions as a "monster" and "machine" (he literally uses these words). Who benefits from this major lack of subtleties? They write almost refreshingly black-and-white histories!
I also don't understand how come they worship the Marxist writers in the period they study. We are supposed to analyze what they were writing, not take it as the bestest observation of the time ever. Especially because I study fascist youth, I cannot imagine myself quoting them as a matter of fact or a great observation.
Oh, another note is that there are quite a few mistakes in his transliteration and translation. Too bad Japanese-speaking proofreaders did not catch them.
January 20, 2013
Recommended to me by an academician friend/commie who knows the author. The content seemed really interesting but right when I'd start getting into a story or a vignette, the author would go so Karl Marxie on me that I felt like I was reading from one of those post-modernist auto-generating websites (apologies to any pomos offended by that statement). I'd sometimes take pictures of pages and post em up on the Facebooks to be mocked by my ignoramus friends and me. How we would howl! The only thing we hate more than communists are ones that can't express their views to the uninitiated! Maybe if your doctrine were more accessible to we proletariat things would have gone better for your little social project. :(
If sentences like "living biopower provides systemic dynamism, while universality grants identity and logothetic rationality to dynamic life" fills you with an overwhelming urge to pick up a spade and smash a cultural artifact, then you MUST buy this book. But for me, if anyone can produce a version of this book that isn't the equivalent of a kimono-clad hipster doing a shred guitar version of Gosudarstvenny Gimn SSSR, I'd really like to read it.
If sentences like "living biopower provides systemic dynamism, while universality grants identity and logothetic rationality to dynamic life" fills you with an overwhelming urge to pick up a spade and smash a cultural artifact, then you MUST buy this book. But for me, if anyone can produce a version of this book that isn't the equivalent of a kimono-clad hipster doing a shred guitar version of Gosudarstvenny Gimn SSSR, I'd really like to read it.
September 12, 2023
As others allude to, Absolute Erotic, Absolute Grotesque is an absolutely incredible history of the Japanese Taisho era and Japanese Imperialism in the early 1900s through 1940s that yeah, absolutely does get bogged down with Marxist and Foucault theory. This is a shame, because Driscoll's core thesis about necropolitics--which essentially seems to boil down to the the idea that the bodies of those in colonial empires are seen as exploitable resources of imperial power, up to and including causing or preventing their deaths as extensions of that empire--is actually really interesting (and tragic) in the context of the period. The irony is that a lot of Driscoll's theorizing tends to detract from his point, when, at the 11th hour, he will quote a Japanese imperialist that does 90% of the heavy lifting of his arguments several times better than his belabored prose.
That said, gosh, there's so much fascinating information here--about early ero guro nansensu writers and leftist ideals (or lack thereof) in their work, about moga and mobo, about the raw, terrifying horror of Japanese imperialism and the monsters who perpetuated it. It's hard not to recommend this book, it's so exhaustive and fascinating when it comes to the production of Japanese capitalism post-Meiji.
That said, gosh, there's so much fascinating information here--about early ero guro nansensu writers and leftist ideals (or lack thereof) in their work, about moga and mobo, about the raw, terrifying horror of Japanese imperialism and the monsters who perpetuated it. It's hard not to recommend this book, it's so exhaustive and fascinating when it comes to the production of Japanese capitalism post-Meiji.
February 27, 2024
RAHHHHH 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️WTF IS A NON-TRAUMATIC BOOK
November 20, 2023
An imperial history of hentai. Adapted from the author's dissertation finished in 2000, the book is inundated with the somewhat self-indulgent postcolonial & poststructuralist gigs of the 1990s. Sure, analyzing Japanese imperialism & capitalism through ero-guro fantasy is (perhaps guiltily) fun, and the writing style oscillating between muck-cracking journalism and Marxist gestures is mostly enjoyable. Can benefit from better chapter organization and reduced repetition though.
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April 28, 2024im only writing a review because the top reviews on this page are kusomiso. This is a Marxist history, that’s literally the point, it is Good when an academic text actually makes an argument, also this was a fun read so fuck off. makes me wish I could read jpn cause I wanna see the primary sources 😭
August 3, 2010
Mark Driscoll, an associate professor of Japanese and International Studies at the University of North Carolina, here presents a very thorough reassessment of Japanese imperialism of Asia in the first half of the twentieth century. Driscoll focuses his attention on the fringes of the colonized Asian peoples, writing about the Chinese coolies, Korean farmers, Japanese pimps and trafficked women of various Asian nationalities that moved Japan's empire along and provided the behind-the-scenes energy that created such an empire. Japan's rise to a capitalist power—and its expansion of its empire—is identified by Driscoll as happening in three distinct phases, each marked by exploitation of people, land, life, and labor: biopolitics, neuropolitics, and necropolitics.
Read the rest at Elevate Difference.
Read the rest at Elevate Difference.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews