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Out of Empire: The Japanese Right and the Making of the Postwar Order

Research Project

Project/Area Number 22K00864
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
Research InstitutionWaseda University

Principal Investigator

HOFMANN RETO  早稲田大学, 高等研究所, その他(招聘研究員) (40822268)

Project Period (FY) 2022-04-01 – 2026-03-31
Project Status Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
Budget Amount *help
¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 2025: ¥390,000 (Direct Cost: ¥300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥90,000)
Fiscal Year 2024: ¥520,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥120,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
KeywordsModern Japanese history / conservatism / history / Japanese history / Conservatism
Outline of Research at the Start

This project aims to revisit the nature of Japanese politics by investigating the role played by right-wing forces in the country’s reconstruction after World War II. Focusing on a paradigmatic group of intellectuals and activists, it will examine how they transitioned from prewar empire and fascism to postwar liberal democracy and assess their impact on political, cultural, and state milieus. It will generate a new understanding of the inner workings of the postwar Japanese ruling class.

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

This research project examines the long history of the Japanese Right after World War II. I have conducted the basic research in archives and libraries and have moved toward the writing of the book monograph. This means that over the last year I have been focusing on the manuscript, which left little time to devote to writing journal articles. As a result, I have made good progress in writing chapters for the book. Moreover, during this fiscal year, I have presented my work in progress at several conferences and workshops in South Korea, Italy, Switzerland and the United States. Doing so has allowed me to receive invaluable feedback for the chapters that I am currently working on.

Current Status of Research Progress
Current Status of Research Progress

2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.

Reason

Over the period of the last fiscal year, my research has progressed rather smoothly. As according to my research plan, I have entered a phase in this project that requires me to focus on writing book chapters. I have achieved this and I am currently writing the sixth chapter of the book. While I am satisfied with the progress I have made, I originally expected to make quicker progress. Difficulties I have encountered include the following. I am exploring how networks between political, social, and bureaucratic actors developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Little or no previous research exists on the individuals that I am analyzing. For this reason, I have to conduct very fine-grained analysis of the networks they developed by combing through a vast array of primary sources. This process took more time than anticipated, but did not constitute an insurmountable obstacle.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

Over the next 1-2 years, I will have to keep focusing on writing the book manuscript. I plan to write one more chapter in 2024, and two or three in 2025 (the chapters are rather long, about 15-20,000 words each). This means taht I will have a complete monography by the end of 2025, which I will then send to a reputable academic publisher. Also, it is likely that in 2024-25 I will need to conduct follow-up research in the archives of the Foreign Ministry of Japan (Gaimu Shiryokan) and National Diet Library (Kokkai Toshokan). This also means that during this period I will not be able to devote much time to publishing journal articles. I will keep presenting my work-in-progress at conferences and workshops in Japan and elsewhere. In 2025-26 I plan to organize a conference on the history of conservatism from a global perspective.

Report

(2 results)
  • 2023 Research-status Report
  • 2022 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (8 results)

All 2023 2022

All Presentation (8 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 3 results,  Invited: 5 results)

  • [Presentation] Right-Wing Activists between Japan and South Korea2023

    • Author(s)
      Reto Hofmann
    • Organizer
      The Cold War Liberal Order, Seoul National University
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Shimoi Harukichi e il Fascino del Fascismo in Giappone2023

    • Author(s)
      Reto Hofmann
    • Organizer
      University of Venice, Ca’ Foscari
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] The Remnants of Fascism in the Twentieth Century2023

    • Author(s)
      Reto Hofmann
    • Organizer
      Historical Seminar, University of Zurich
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] The Japanese Right and the Reformulation of Nationalism after World War II2023

    • Author(s)
      Reto Hofmann
    • Organizer
      Association for Asian Studies
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] The Japanese Right and the Aftermath of Empire2023

    • Author(s)
      Reto Hofmann
    • Organizer
      European Association for Japanese Studies, Ghent,
    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Book talk for “Market Prophets: Neoliberals East and South”2023

    • Author(s)
      Reto Hofmann
    • Organizer
      ANU History Seminar Series, Canberra
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Invited
  • [Presentation] Neoliberalism with Japanese Characteristics2023

    • Author(s)
      Reto Hofmann
    • Organizer
      Association for Asian Studies, Boston,
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] The Fascist Gray Area,” talk at “Irresistible History: A Symposium in Honor of Victoria de Grazia2022

    • Author(s)
      Reto Hofmann
    • Organizer
      Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America, Columbia University, New York, May 2022
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Invited

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Published: 2022-04-19   Modified: 2024-12-25  

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