This thesis is an examination of the evolution of blood ideology, which is to say the use of blood as an organizing metaphor, in Japanese society. I begin with the development of blood as a substance of significant in the eighth century and trace its development into a metaphor for lineage in the Tokugawa period. I discuss in detail blood's conceptual and rhetorical utility throughout the post-Restoration period, first examining its role in establishing a national subjectivity in reference to both the native intellectual tradition of the National Learning and the foreign hegemony of race. I then discuss the rationalization of popular and national bloodlines under the auspices of the popular eugenics movement, and the National Eugenics Bill. Then, I discuss the racialization this conception of blood inflicted on the Tokugawa era Outcastes, and its persistent consequences. Through the incongruity of the Outcastes ability to "pass" despite popular expectations that their blood pollution was visibly demonstrative, I introduce the notion of blood anxiety. Next, I address the conceptual and rhetorical role blood played in articulating Japan's empire and imperial ambitions, focusing on the Theory of Common Descent and the Investigation of Global Policy with the Yamato Race as Nucleus report. I follow this discussion with a detailed examination of the postwar reconceptualization of national subjectivity, which demands native bloodlines and orthodox cultural expressions, and which effectively de-legitimized minority populations. As illustration of this point, I describe the impact of this new subjectivity on both the Zainichi and the Nikkeijin in lengthy case studies. Finally, I conclude this examination with a consideration of blood ideology's representation in popular culture. I argue that the subgenre of vampire media allegorizes many of the assumptions and anxieties surrounding blood that have developed since the Restoration, and demonstrates the imprint of blood ideology on contemporary society. / text

This study investigates the travel behavioral characteristics of Hong Kong residents through checking their comfort level on their past independent travel experiences to Japan. In-depth personal interviews were conducted with 46 respondents. The design of the questionnaires is based on the culture shock component model suggested by Pearce (Pearce 2005a). Due to a lack of information on independent travel, another separate interview was conducted with a travel agency manager who is specializing in selling independent travel packages. Two main types of travel behavioral characteristics of Hong Kong travelers who had visited to Japan on an individual basis were identified in this study. Namely: safety and familiarity seeking behaviors. Safety seeking behavior is mainly due to cultural factors that the Hong Kong independent travelers are risk adverse, prudent on safety issues, being collectivistic and trying every possible ways to reduce risks such as looking for authoritative guidance for advice. On the other hand, the behavior of familiarity seeking is due to both psychological and cultural reasons. All these behaviors fit Plog’s (Plog 1974) result in categorizing Hong Kong travelers as ‘near-psychocentric’ because they have a dependable personality that they are cautious in making decisions, preferring something popular and familiar to them. By identifying Hong Kong independent travelers’ behavioral characteristics, the extent of incentives provided by Japan was also discovered. A demand-supply relationship was used to describe the interactions between Hong Kong independent travelers (the demand generator) and Japan (the incentive supplier).It is found that to a large extent, Japan provided incentives to Hong Kong independent travelers. Nevertheless, there are areas that the Hong Kong travelers were relatively uncomfortable with, including communication with the locals, adaptation to street forms and transport systems. As a result, recommendations for the betterment of future independent travel industry are presented. / published_or_final_version / China Development Studies / Master / Master of Arts in China Development Studies

The Best PhD Thesis in the Faculties of Architexture, Arts, Business & Economics, Education, Law and Social Sciences (University of Hong Kong), Li Ka Shing Prize, 2007-2008. / published_or_final_version / Humanities / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Often regarded as one of the eminent humanist directors working today, Japanese filmmaker Kore-eda Hirokazu has demonstrated consistent authorial intentions and thematic orientations throughout his filmography despite the variety of styles – from social documentary to period comedy – involved. Through in-depth textual analysis of his narrative strategies and exhaustive research on the English-language literature about the director, this study seeks to shed light on the first seven feature films in his career. Commentaries by Kore-eda on his creative impulse and filmmaking method, collected from both diverse sources of media interviews and insightful analyses published in academic journals, are meticulously examined. By taking a formalistic perspective, this thesis sets out to consolidate existing research in the field, while providing a systematic study that builds upon authoritative investigation. The study begins with an analysis of the filmmaking techniques utilised in Maborosi and Distance, both contemplative narratives that seek to capture the fragmented consciousness of the characters in mourning. With its seemingly naturalistic composition, Maborosi nonetheless presents a partially abstract narrative that is directly reflective of the grieving protagonist’s inner state. Distance, on the contrary, offers hints to the possible cause of the family members’ plans to join a religious cult and commit mass suicides – such as the emotional isolation in an urban society – while providing a final plot twist that confirms the slippery quality of any assumption. Both films imply that full comprehension of one’s family members is impossible. In the following chapter, the coherent authorial concerns in Kore-eda’s fourth to sixth feature – Nobody Knows, Hana and Still Walking – are illustrated along with his fascination with the process of forgetting. Kore-eda, who started out as a socio-documentarist, borrowed a real-life tragedy as the framework for Nobody Knows to construct a subversive take on the traditional perception of the Japanese family, extending a decidedly non-judgemental view on the irresponsible parents and celebrating the autonomy of the new generation. The solace of memory is highlighted in the anti-bushido comedy Hana, which is interpreted as Kore-eda’s protest against tradition and, by extension, the older generation. The director’s recurrent themes of broken promises, failed expectations and forgotten family legacies are highlighted with the slice-of-life domestic drama, Still Walking. The thesis then concludes with an analysis of the fantastic representations of the human condition in After Life and Air Doll, Kore-eda’s only two fantasy films to date. His use of quasi-realist documentary style in After Life facilitates a largely non-religious meditation on the importance of human co-dependence and recollection. The film’s metaphysical setting is compared to the absurd existence pondered in Albert Camus’s “The Myth of Sisyphus”, and its central premise – that the affirmation of one single memory can validate a person’s entire existence – is compared to Friedrich Nietzsche’s thesis of the eternal return. Also adopting the perspective of a non-human protagonist, Air Doll extends Kore-eda’s perception of the depressing prospects of modern life – substantiating the city dwellers’ pervasive sense of emptiness, while constantly looking for the beauty of living. / published_or_final_version / Comparative Literature / Master / Master of Philosophy

As a response to globalization, internationalisation of higher education could be accomplished by the forms of a series of national policies and institutional strategies to strengthen the global competitiveness of universities. The history of Japanese higher education spans approximately over 130 years, experiencing both flourishing time and stagnant period. Driven by the increasing pace of internationalisation and great pressure originated from global competition, Japanese government has already taken concrete measures to get its higher education better merged into internationalization. However, higher education in Japan is now at a crossroads maintaining its sustainable and steady development. As Japan’s neighboring country, China came much more slowly of breaking the ice for the internationalisation in dimension of higher education if compared with Japan. As gradually playing an important role internationally, China has invested massively into internationalisation of higher education as well. However the direction of development in Chinese higher education seems to be blur or too early to tell. The current status of higher education in China and Japan are both characterized by profoundly historical roots. Better understanding on the ‘historical internationalisation’ in both countries sheds light on the understanding of higher education in contemporary China and Japan and their developmental progress. Therefore the present dissertation examines the originally authentic sense of internationalisation which could be traced back to the middle to late 19th century. During the middle of nineteenth century China and Japan were both undergoing the threat from invasive West with countries’ independence and traditional culture in danger. In response to expansion of the West, Chinese and Japanese’s reactions varied enormously in polity subversion, economic construction, attitudes towards foreign culture and educational reform. The Meiji Restoration of 1868 in Japan rapidly foster its modernization by successfully ‘using the barbarian to control the barbarian’ to achieve the equal standards with the West eventually which opened a brand-new page for the beginning of Japanese modern history. Unlike Japan, Chinese failure in Self-Strengthening Movement which was supposed to be the preparation of modernization in China, stroke China back to the abyss of bureaucratic governance, leading Chinese modernization and first step accepting western culture and technology almost half a century later than Japan. In this sense, historical roots of internationalisation in China and Japan would be taken into serious consideration in this dissertation because it shaped countries’ status quo and would probably insert a far-reaching influence on the prospective development. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Community-driven approach to Heritage Conservation has been increasingly discussed internationally. One of the principles in the Charter for the Conservation of Historic Towns and Urban Areas drawn up by International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) stated “the participation and the involvement of the residents are essential for the success of the conservation programme and should be encouraged.” (ICOMOS 1987) One of the more well-known bottom-up approaches is Machizukuri from Japan. 　　The origin of Machizukuri in Japan largely stems from the desire of local residents to maintain and develop aspects of their living environment that can otherwise be threatened by external forces. The need to voice out on behalf of their own community is often a relatable trait for various communities all around the world. 　　In the case of Machizukuri, its origin was cast in the backdrop of a post-war Japan, where at first glance the entire country seemed to homogeneously focus solely on modernisation and economic development regardless of costs (Siegenthaler 2004, 3). But as the truth revealed, many local communities—far away from the Japan National Government in Tokyo and its consideration when shaping the country’s urban planning scheme of the time—often differ from the opinions of top-down decision makers on how their own neighbourhood should be developed. 　　When this Japanese concept of bottom-up approach first started, the leaders of these organisations were mainly made up of local non-professional residents, contrasting greatly to the conventional decision makers comprised of scholars and bureaucrats—the “traditional elite”. And yet, despite its modest beginning, after decades of development, Machizukuri is seen as a proven method to effectively solve a wide-range of issues in areas such as planning, heritage conservation, and disaster relief. 　　Over time, the Japan National Government gradually accepted the merits of Machizukuri, eventually incorporating it into national planning law. It was evident that local inputs often improved upon planning decisions made by top-down approach, and thereby increased the chance of successful implementation. 　　After several decades, Machizukuri is recognised as a proven bottom-up, community-driven concept that aimed for the improvement of quality of living through the participation of local citizens of Japan. It represents an important development in local politics and urban management in Japan. The recent citizen movement of Hong Kong, since the 1997 Handover, shared similarities to the situation that led to the creation of the Machizukuri movement in Japan at that time. 　　 　　As Machizukuri gradually matures over the past decades, it became fully recognised in Japan and internationally as an effective method to conduct community-driven citizen participation activities. It can be a viable option for Hong Kong to consider as the citizens are exploring bottom-up conservation solutions. / published_or_final_version / Conservation / Master / Master of Science in Conservation

The Best MPhil Thesis in the Faculties of Architecture, Arts, Business & Economics, Education, Law and Social Sciences (University of Hong Kong), Li Ka Shing Prize, 2003-2005. / published_or_final_version / abstract / Music / Master / Master of Philosophy

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Hoichi is an original musical composition for orchestra. It is approximately 42 minutes in length. The piece is inspired by a Japanese folk tale entitled Hoichi, the Earless. This story about a blind lute player takes place in Shimonoseki, the city in which I was born. The contrast between chamber sonority and orchestral forces symbolizes Hoichi's battle against evil spirits. Although he eventually loses his ears and dies the music turns into a strong life assertion toward the end. I relate this to a Zen Buddhist notion: when you lose (transcend) everything, you gain everything. The piece ends with a placid ascending line, which represents spiritual purification of the evil spirits. On a more personal level, this work will be my attempt to console and encourage the victims and their families of the earthquake which struck Japan three years ago.

Abstract A beautiful death – Manliness in four Japanese samurai movies This thesis deals with the samurai and his portrayal in Japanese historic movies and what kind of messages he conveys in form of masculinity to theater audiences. Four movies were chosen, two from the 1960s and two from the 2010s. The reasoning behind this was to look at two eras of samurai movies and if possible try to see differences between them. The history of the samurai, being a man and woman in modern Japan, R.W Connell and famous Japanese authors from different time eras acted as tools to try to answer the questions in hand. The tragic hero is still a dominant figure in Japanese storytelling and duty and loyalty are his companions. In a Japanese society were the role of the man and woman have long been locked in definite roles, counter culture start to become a factor in form of for example the “herbivore man”, but the man in the samurai movie, no matter from what decade still stand with his feet firmly set in the past. / <p>Ändrade den engelska undertiteln från "Manliness in four Japanese samurai movies" till "Manliness in four Japanese samurai films"</p>