Review essay. Oguma Eiji and the construction of the modern Japanese national identity

Abstract

A review essay on books by Eiji Oguma, (1) Tan'itsu Minzoku Shinwa no Kigen -- 'Nihonjin' no Jigazo no Keifu ([The Origin of the Myth of Ethnic Homogeneity: The Genealogy of 'Japanese' Self-Images] Tokyo: Shin'yosha, 1995); & (2) 'Nihonjin' no Kyokai -- Okinawa-Ainu-Taiwan -- Chosen Shokuminchi Shihai kara Fukki Undo made ([The Boundaries of the 'Japanese': Okinawa, the Ainu, Taiwan and Korea. From Colonial Domination to the Return Movement] Tokyo: Shin'yosha, 1998). These two texts explore the history of the construction of Japanese identity & of theories behind the notion of nihonjinron ("Japaneseness"). The principal conclusion of Oguma's (1995) study of Japanese self-identity -- that the perception of Japan as an ethnically homogeneous nation actually emerged after the Pacific War, not during the Meiji period -- is reviewed. Additional attention is dedicated toward discussing the conflict between theories that perceive Japanese ethnicity as pure & those suggesting that modern Japanese ethnicity involves a mixture of Asian ethnicities. Oguma's (1998) extension of his argument to include residents of Okinawa, Korea, & Taiwan is then discussed. An analysis of the political importance of Japanese history, linguistics, & archaeology is performed to demonstrate how the Japanese state has modified conceptualizations of Japaneseness in order to satisfy national interests. Despite the implications of Oguma's contentions, his texts are critiqued for criticizing both dominant perspectives regarding Japanese ethnic identity & for concentrating only on changes in Japaneseness that resulted from modifications to national borders. 4 References. J. W. Parker