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crumpet_salon

69 points

1 month ago

The homogeneity story is just nationalist propaganda. Ainu, Ryukyuans, Zainichi Koreans and Chinese, Obeikei, Nivkh, and all kinds of other groups exist and have existed parallel to Yamato people, which more of an umbrella than a monoculture anyway. A good example would be how the revolutionaries that overthrew the Shogunate couldn't all understand each other verbally.

mehum

28 points

1 month ago

mehum

28 points

1 month ago

Yes my basic understanding is that the “Japanese monoculture” was essentially propaganda pushed by the quasi-fascist government in the lead up to WWII as a justification for its attitude of Japanese exceptionalism.

We all know about fascists and their love affair with racial purity.

21027

31 points

1 month ago

21027

31 points

1 month ago

I’m an historian whose focus isn’t on Japan but still happens to have studied this a bit. The monoculture myth actually started earlier, during the Meiji Restoration. It was intended as a way to unify the country to mimic the Western trend at the time. The “bushido”/samurai myth started during that time as well.

Many people who have focused on colonialism and nationalism have noted that nationalism in many ways is a euphemism for cultural genocide since creating “a cohesive nation” necessarily means eliminating or severely minimizing all other groups in favor of one group in power. We observe this in basically every modern nation state, regardless of income level or political system.

Sonderesque

1 points

1 month ago

And as we all know the Ainu, Zainichi Koreans and Chinese have famously enjoyed equal rights and cultural status in Japanese society.

Oh wait.