Japanese Research

Analysis of Japans Energy Diplomacy in the Middle East During Abes Second Cabinet

PANG Zhong-peng

2022, 36(2): 1-10. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2022.02.001

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Abes second cabinet period was a very “significant” period for Japan to deepen and expand its energy diplomacy in the Middle East. During his second term as prime minister, Abe frequently visited the Middle East, especially focusing on strengthening energy cooperation with important energy producing countries in the Middle East and the Gulf. During Abes second cabinet, Japans energy diplomacy in the Middle East mainly covered the fields of oil and gas, renewable energy and nuclear energy. During Abes second cabinet, Japan deepened and expanded its energy diplomacy to the Middle East under the joint promotion of various factors. Japans primary goal in deepening its energy diplomacy towards the Middle East is to absolutely maintain and ensure the security of Japans energy imports in the Middle East, provide absolute support and guarantee for Japans normal economic and social development, and take the opportunity to expand and highlight Japans unique diplomatic influence in the Middle East. Japan faces many challenges and problems in deepening and expanding its energy diplomacy in the Middle East. In the future, Japans energy consumption structure will still rely on fossil energy such as oil and gas to a considerable extent. Therefore, Japan will objectively and inevitably continue to deepen and expand its energy diplomacy to the Middle East in the future. Whether it can effectively deepen energy diplomacy towards the Middle East will be the “observation window” to test Japans energy security strategy and Japans overall diplomatic wisdom.

Japans Artificial Intelligence: Strategy Development, Prospects, and Its Implications

DENG Mei-wei

2022, 36(2): 11-21. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2022.02.002

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Artificial intelligence is in a new round of development “boom”. Many countries have elevated the development of artificial intelligence to the national strategic level, and “national competition” is more fierce. The development of artificial intelligence has a profound impact on national security and economic and social development. Investigating the dynamic path and development prospect of Japans artificial intelligence strategy can provide reference and inspiration for China. This paper summarizes the dynamic changes of strategy formulation and implementation, and prospects of Japans artificial intelligence development in economic, social and military fields, as well as the challenges it faces. In recent years, Japans artificial intelligence has developed rapidly. China should learn from its useful experience, continue to improve policy systems and refine goals, promote government-industry-university collaboration, and accelerate the construction of artificial intelligence ethical governance system.

The Present Situation, Problems and Investment Strategies of Chinese Investment in Japanese Homestay Industry

LI Gen-zhong^1,2, WANG Cui-e²

2022, 36(2): 22-29. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2022.02.003

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In recent years, investment in Japan’s homestay industry has been favored by Chinese investors. It is also a leading form of tourism transformation and upgrading, providing new opportunities for Japan’s economic revitalization and Chinese outbound investment. However, due to practical factors such as the introduction of the new Japanese homestay law and the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, there have been some problems in the investment project of Japanese homestay, such as the increase of investment cost, the interruption of funds and the “cultural barrier”. Therefore, investors can avoid the risk of uncertainty through the insurance function, build diversified investment mode with innovation, break the “cultural barriers” by increasing publicity, and take advantage of China’s market position as a “big consumer country” to seize the opportunity to invest in homestays in Japan, and continuously form a risk management mechanism for foreign investment.

The Recognition and Evolution of the Concept of “Cha” in Japanese Culture

ZHANG Jian-li

2022, 36(2): 30-36. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2022.02.004

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Chinese characters are not only the main carrier of cultural exchanges between China and Japan, but also an important tool for the construction of cultural identity between China and Japan. In Chinese, “cha chi” is used as a compound word, which was first seen in Chu Ci and originally meant “live and stand with regret”. After “cha chi”was introduced to Japan, it retained the original meaning of Chinese and the form of compound words in ancient books, but it was split and reduced to a word “cha” in documents such as Manyoshu and Kokin Wakashu, and gradually given a positive meaning. Since the 16th century, “cha” has been widely known as the most representative Japanese beauty consciousness, life values, especially as the spiritual concept of Japanese tea ceremony.

A Study of Japanese Artisan Spirit as a Common Sense of Professional Ethics

PU Shu-zhen,CUI Ying-chun

2022, 36(2): 37-45. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2022.02.005

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Artisan spirit is the concentrated embodiment of an excellent culture in professional ethics. The core of Japanese artisan spirit is honesty, dedication, perfection, cooperation, friendliness, focus, imitation, and innovation, which is mainly reflected in the practice when he meets things and the professional awe when he meets others. Artisan spirit has been integrated into the marrow of the Japanese and has become the basic common sense of Japanese national professional ethics. Cultivating and carrying forward the artisan spirit in China is in line with the needs of the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era, which has important and far-reaching time value and social significance. An analysis of the influence of Japanese artisan spirit on the cultivation of national professional ethics quality has a certain reference value for accelerating the cultivation and promotion of Chinas artisan spirit.

The Western “Ego” and the Confucian “Morality”: On the Ideology of Individualism in Natsume Sosekis Novels

YANG Wen-wen^{1, 2}

2022, 36(2): 46-52. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2022.02.006

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Souseki Natsume was born in the year before the Meiji period and grew up to be a senior intellectual as the Meiji society developed. At that time, Japan was opened by the West by force, and after the Meiji Restoration, Japan studied the West comprehensively and undertook civilizational liberalization. Deeply influenced by both Chinese learning and Western studies, Souseki experienced and understood the social upheaval profoundly.During his study in England, Souseki developed the individualistic ideas that influenced him throughout his life.This article is based on his essay “My Individualism” and a series of medium-length novels written by Natsume Souseki after he became a professional writer,from the perspective of the Western “ego” and the Confucian “morality”. It analyzes and explains the characteristics of Sousekis individualistic thought under the influence of both Eastern and Western cultures, and discusses Sousekis localized reconstruction of the individualistic discourse in his novels with the idea of “moral righteousness”.

Chinese Scholars Who Studied in Japan in the 1930s and Their Research on Japan in the War

CHU Jing-tao

2022, 36(2): 53-62. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2022.02.007

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To encourage those who were afraid of invaders, under the escalating threats, a few patriots living in Shanghai stood firm to spread the faith of winning the war against Japan by furnishing a comparison between China and Japan from economy to the military through Japan During the War. Having learnt the political economics in Japan, Song Fei-ru was devoted to analyzing Japans industry crisis during the war. In the war, Japans industry was highly dependent on the overseas market for importing materials and exporting products. Rather than falling back before the fierce enemy, Pan Angqian contemplated how to resist the Japanese imperialism through writing the book Japan Diplomacy in the War, in which he figured out that the more lands Japan occupied in China, the more troubles Japan faced in the world. Under the escalating threats, Chiang Bai-li, a Kuomintangs high general, gradually spread the idea of resisting Japan by the lasting strategy in his book Japanese: Research by a Foreigner, which analyzes the Japanese character. He points out the internal contradiction in their character, which indicates the end of their eventual demise. These books on Japan during the war played a key role in the Second Sino-Japanese War for they not only maintained the faith of winning the war against Japan, but also encouraged Chinese people to take weapons to fight against Japanese invasion for independence and freedom.

Retrospect and Prospect: A Review of Research on Abenonakamaro

ZHANG Wei-wei

2022, 36(2): 63-69. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2022.02.008

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The limitation of historical data has always been a bottleneck to break through in philological research. The controversy over the falsehood and authenticity of Ama no Hara reflects the divergence between Eastern and Western scholars on the time and place of its creation. It also gives rise to contention between Chinese and Japanese scholars on the issue of marriage and family in the Tang Dynasty. The unanimous attention of the academic circles to Abenonakamaros poetry reflects the idea and methodology of “using poetry to prove history”. Furthermore, at the level of research on character behavior and activity, a trend of extension and refinement can also be seen. Regarding the study of the cases and group portraits of Kentoushi, there is still room from a historical perspective of ancient “East Asia” involving Bohai and Vitnan relationship, and from other angles and aspects of micro research.

Shrines and Nation in Medieval Japan

MA Teng

2022, 36(2): 70-80. DOI: 10.14156/j.cnki.rbwtyj.2022.02.009

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Due to the characteristics of Japan in the Middle Ages, none of the cloistered rule, the Kuge and the shogunate could act as a government with full function. Therefore, instead of discussing the internal structure of power, it is better to use national activities as a yardstick. When all parties break down barriers and jointly implement policies, medieval Japan could be treated as a nation. To establish the religious order, the Kuge and the shogunate began to adopt a cooperative response method to restrain, appease and even suppress temples and shrines. This kind of activities formed a strong concept of nation. By analyzing the national activities toward the temples and shrines, we can find two periods of upsurge in national activities, which were between the era of Hōgen to Jōkyū(1156—1221)and Kōchō to Kannō(1263—1352). The first period was represented by the new rules that restrained the behaviors of temples and shrines, and the second period was represented by the national prayer activity. During this period, the armed struggle of temples and shrines never ended, and the joint response of the Kuge and shogunate became an important national issue. The formation of Bushi, the litigation system, and the completeness of the official system were all derived from this. During the civil strife, the armed forces of temples and shrines also took the initiative to participate in the struggle for power. In short, the national activities of temples and shrines are an important criterion for examining whether medieval Japan had the concept of a nation. The two upsurge periods of national activities can be regarded as two forms of Japan as a medieval state.

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