Recent disputes between Japan and her regional neighbours, especially China and Korea, have been met with resentful incomprehension by many Japanese – contributing to the election, in December 2012, of perhaps the most nationalist Japanese Diet since 1945. These developments highlight the persistent gulf between the images most Japanese harbour of their country, and the ways it (and they) are perceived and portrayed by their neighbours.

In the hope of bridging this gulf, this conference aims to promote a more informed debate on Japan’s relationships with other East Asian societies. It will bring together researchers, educators, journalists and others with an interest in Japan’s role in the shifting politics of East Asian identities. It will also provide an excellent opportunity for discussions of further collaborative research in this area.

The conference is organised by the ‘Japan and East Asia National Identities Education Network’ (JEANIEN) – supported by the UK’s Leverhulme Trust. It will feature papers examining images of Japan in education and popular culture in the societies of postwar East and Southeast Asia, and analysing how changing portrayals of Japan relate to changing conceptions of national identity within these societies. The network involves scholars from the UK, Japan and East Asia, drawn from a variety of disciplines, including History, Education, International Relations, Cultural Studies.

The conference will both involve presentations by members of the network, and a number of invited keynote and other speakers, including Professor Takehiko Kariya (University of Oxford). Papers will include country studies focusing on China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Members of the JEANIN Network who will be presenting at the symposium include:
Prof Naoko Shimazu (Birkbeck, University of London), Prof Paul Morris (Institute of Education, University of London), Dr Edward Vickers (Kyushu University), Dr Christine Han (Institute of Education, University of London), Prof Caroline Rose (University of Leeds), Prof Yang Biao (East China Normal University), Dr Chang Lung-Chih (Academia Sinica, Taiwan), Dr Simon Avenell (Australia National University), Dr Jung-sun Nina Han (Korea University), Dr Helen Ting (National University of Malaysia), Dr Lee Iyun (National Chengche University), Dr Kinnia Yau Shuk-ting (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Dr Lisa Leung (Lingnan University), Dr Karl Ian Uy Cheng Chua (Ateneo de Manila University), Ms Khatera Khamsi (Institute of Education, University of London), Mr Mark Maca (University of the Philippines), and Mr Guopeng Shi (Beijing No. 4 High School).

Organiser
Japan and East Asia National Identities Education Network (JEANIEN) Funded by the UK’s Leverhulme Trust.

Paul Morris (Prof)
Network Co-ordinator
Institute of Education
University of London

Edward Vickers (Dr)
Kyushu University
Fukuoka

Registration is free. Those who wish to attend and/or obtain more information should contact the network administrator: You Yun
Email: jeanien2013@yahoo.co.uk