University of Tokyo Studies on Asia – serie

This open access book is a readable and thought-provoking exploration of the significance of the Meiji Restoration within a global historical context of other modern revolutions. It argues that the events of Meiji were not a mere “restoration” of the emperor, but indeed a revolution, by situating this story in the context of nineteenth century Euro-American and East Asian revolutionary history. It also addresses why the death toll in Japan was so comparatively low despite this revolution, which resulted in the abolition of the ruling class. It simultaneously highlights the important flourishing of “public discussion and public debate” in Japan of the 1860s and 1870s. Where traditional interpretations of the early Meiji period have tended to focus almost exclusively on the series of radical reforms modeled on the contemporary West, this book, in contrast, stresses the threat from the local armies that had contributed to the establishment of the new government. The author also situates the Meiji Revolution within a broader context, unpacking how Japan utilised the rapidly growing Western technologies of globalisation, reorganised its international relationships with China and Korea, introduced the principle of sovereignty instead of the Sinocentric tribute system, and gave birth to the regional concept of ‘East Asia.’ Broadly relevant to East Asia historians, sociologists and political scientists, it is of interest to scholars of revolutions in the nineteenth century world, and to scholars of nineteenth century Japan in particular. It is an important work in global studies, de-centering the Western-centric narratives of East Asian history.

This open access book explores how China had already established political and economic dualisms—political by the Common Era and economic by the 10th century—long before the West developed its dualism of state and society in the 17th and 18th centuries. In traditional China, social relations were shaped through market-like contractual means, with land freely traded and disputes resolved in state courts. Yet, the nature of ownership, contracts, and trials differed profoundly from modern Western practices. This book tackles two key themes. First, it provides a detailed analysis of rights, laws, and trials in Qing China, covering family law, land law, court systems, and statutory law. Second, it reinterprets traditional Chinese legal concepts independently of modern Western frameworks, offering a fresh perspective on legal history. By situating Traditional Chinese Law within the broader context of Traditional Western Law and Modern Law, the book presents a groundbreaking model for comparative legal history.  Written by a renowned legal historian, this well-grounded and profound work ingeniously integrates legal historical research with theoretical analysis. Through insightful interpretations utilizing Qing legal documents, it represents a significant contribution to the study of legal history in recent years. This book is of interest to historians, legal scholars, sociologists, and sinologists, offering valuable insights into the unique characteristics of the traditional Chinese legal order.

This open access book explores Japanese involvement in Asian development through selected development ideas and lexemes that are widely regarded in Japan as 'untranslatable' into other languages. Each chapter traces the genealogy of locally nuanced development ideas and lexemes in Japan and the process by which they have spread across Asia and beyond through Japan's development cooperation. The Semantics of Development in Asia critically examines the diverse (Western and non-Western) roots of Japanese development ideas and lexemes and their shifting semantics, shaped by the ever-changing national/international political economies and dominant development thinking of different eras. The volume contributes to a more pluriversal approach to knowledge production in development studies through its in-depth examination of vernacular Japanese ideas. This book is useful to researchers, students and teachers in the fields of Asian studies, development studies and international relations. It is also of value to policymakers and practitioners whose professional interests include development cooperation by, and with, Asian countries.

This open access book explores Japanese involvement in Asian development through selected development ideas and lexemes that are widely regarded in Japan as 'untranslatable' into other languages. Each chapter traces the genealogy of locally nuanced development ideas and lexemes in Japan and the process by which they have spread across Asia and beyond through Japan's development cooperation. The Semantics of Development in Asia critically examines the diverse (Western and non-Western) roots of Japanese development ideas and lexemes and their shifting semantics, shaped by the ever-changing national/international political economies and dominant development thinking of different eras. The volume contributes to a more pluriversal approach to knowledge production in development studies through its in-depth examination of vernacular Japanese ideas. This book is useful to researchers, students and teachers in the fields of Asian studies, development studies and international relations. It is also of value to policymakers and practitioners whose professional interests include development cooperation by, and with, Asian countries.

This open-access book offers a clear and thorough exploration of Asia's history from an international relations perspective. The book investigates key political, economic, and cultural forces defining Asia. It highlights the historical and current significance of the Indo-Pacific region, particularly shedding light on its strategic role in global geopolitics. Through detailed historical analyses, the authors guide readers toward a comprehensive understanding of Asia's complex international relations, from colonization and imperialism, through the Cold War, into decolonization and the wave of democratization in the region, to the rise of China, unpacking the various dimensions of regionalism in Asia. This book serves as a practical scholarly resource for advanced students, researchers, and lecturers interested in understanding the region's past and its implications for future geopolitical dynamics. It is relevant to historians focused on Asia and to international relations and political science scholars interested in the shift to an Asian world order, from past to present.

This open access book aims to review the history, achievements, and challenges of trilateral cooperation among China, Japan, and South Korea in a systematic way. It offers numerous perspectives to explain the emergence of trilateral institution-building processes and the fluctuations of trilateral cooperation, and underscores three countries’ respective policy stances towards the building of the triangle. The evolvement of political and economic ties among China, Japan, and South Korea has vital importance to the peace and prosperity of East Asia. Recent years have witnessed the ups and downs of the trilateral cooperation among the three countries. The development of trilateral institution building emerged as a joint gesture in response to the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s. The three countries jointly established multilayered cooperative mechanisms in a wide range of fields. Nonetheless, trilateral cooperation among the three major powers has been proceeding in hardship in the shadow of longstanding geopolitical complexity and the deepening Sino-US confrontations. This book argues that, despite growing economic and social linkages, political animosities have constantly impeded the trilateral cooperation. Relevant to scholars and advanced students in international relations and political economy, this is a vital read in East Asian studies.

This open access book aims to review the history, achievements, and challenges of trilateral cooperation among China, Japan, and South Korea in a systematic way. It offers numerous perspectives to explain the emergence of trilateral institution-building processes and the fluctuations of trilateral cooperation, and underscores three countries’ respective policy stances towards the building of the triangle. The evolvement of political and economic ties among China, Japan, and South Korea has vital importance to the peace and prosperity of East Asia. Recent years have witnessed the ups and downs of the trilateral cooperation among the three countries. The development of trilateral institution building emerged as a joint gesture in response to the Asian Financial Crisis in the late 1990s. The three countries jointly established multilayered cooperative mechanisms in a wide range of fields. Nonetheless, trilateral cooperation among the three major powers has been proceeding in hardship in the shadow of longstanding geopolitical complexity and the deepening Sino-US confrontations. This book argues that, despite growing economic and social linkages, political animosities have constantly impeded the trilateral cooperation. Relevant to scholars and advanced students in international relations and political economy, this is a vital read in East Asian studies.

This open access book examines food security in China with a specific focus on rice harvesting. As the most populous agricultural developing country, China’s food security is closely related to the world’s food security. An urgent issue internationally, data show that every year, about one-third of food is lost and wasted before it even reaches the market, mainly in less developed countries. To this end, halving the amount of food loss and waste is one of the Sustainable Development Goals. In 2021, the Chinese government issued the Anti-Food Waste Law of the People’s Republic of China, placing a high priority on food loss reduction. Rice, one of the major staple foods, has also received a higher priority in government policy, as it has been deemed required to be “absolutely safe”. In China, rice farmers rely heavily on outsourcing services to complete harvesting, which has led to the rapid development of mechanical harvesting. This book shows that the essence of outsourcing services is a principal–agent relationship in which there is a potential moral hazard, which is considered detrimental to harvest losses. The book analyses the effect of the moral hazard in harvest outsourcing services on rice harvest losses from this principal–agent theoretical perspective. Using the latest nationwide farmer survey, it empirically demonstrates the moral hazard in agricultural outsourcing services and its negative impact on harvest losses, providing suggestions for food loss reduction in China and similar developing countries where agricultural outsourcing services are developing rapidly. Relevant to social science researchers working in areas of food security in connection with the SDGs, and to scholars studying development in China more generally, this is a timely contribution confronting possible means of food loss reduction, in the developing world particularly, in the East, and globally.