The next meeting of the Japanese History Group (JHG) at the Institute of Social Science (ISS), University of Tokyo, will be held on Thursday, March 29, at 3:00 PM in Conference Room 1 (Dai-ichi kaigishitsu) of the Institute of Social Science Building.

Please note the altered time - 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM - for this meeting.

Presenter: Julian PLENEFISCH (Ph.D. Candidate, Freie Universität Berlin)

Title: Placing Modern Japan in Glocal History: The Meiji-Restoration as a Global Moment

Abstract:

The social processes following the Meiji-Restoration are commonly described as an impact of European and American ideas, norms, and institutions. In this point of view the social transformation of Meiji-Japan is solely seen as an one-way diffusion from a Western centre to an Asian periphery.

Newer approaches of historical research question these eurocentric point of views. These approaches analyse history from a more global point of view and understand social processes as a result of trans-national transfers. These transfers proceed on inverse entanglements among networks of social actors.
Therefore these
approaches stress the role of entanglements between global and local levels for social processes; that is to say, they embrace the impact of social change in the peripheral societies on the center of global power.

Regarding Meiji-Japan, this understanding of history as Glocal History means, to see the social processes following the Meiji-Restoration as inverse impacts on the Japanese but also other societies. To question the eurocentric view, the talk presents the Meiji-Restoration as event of global entanglements and analyses its effects on European and American societies. The talks advocates a more multi-perspective understanding of history.

3:00 P.M., Thursday, 29 March 2012
University of Tokyo (Hongo Campus)
1st floor, Institute of Social Science Bldg.
Conference Room 1 (Dai-ichi kaigishitsu) For directions, please see:
http://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/campusmap/cam01_12_03_e.html

The JHG is a a forum for scholars to present their research on topics related to Japanese history and culture in a bilingual English/Japanese environment. In the interest of promoting dialogue, the forum will provide a discussant chosen for his/her familiarity with the theme or approach of the presenter's research.
The JHG is open to the public. For more information, please contact Michael Burtscher at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (mburtscher[at]ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp) or Naofumi Nakamura (naofumin[at]iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp).