2014, Vol., No.62

Journal of Japanese Culture 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.36

pISSN : 1226-3605 / eISSN : 2733-8908
https://journal.kci.go.kr/JJC

Contrary to what people might think, Edo people were absolutely curious about foreign culture, and that is part of the reason why imaginary travel stories, including Wasobyoe, and Huryusidokenden, Chinsetsuyumiharizuki were enormously popular. Images of foreign countries in Edo period, offered as wonderful and amusing shows, testify people’s innocent curiosity for the strange and marvelous. But the problem is, the innocent curiosity for the strange can sometimes be separated from the desire to conquer the ‘Other.’In Wakansansaizue, the foreign lands, or Ikoku, are divided into two groups: actual foreign countries and imaginary lands of Barbarians, or Gai-I, Actual foreign countries include China, Korea and Ryukyu. Lands of Barbarians are full of strange and wonderful monsters. Land where only women lives, or Nyoninkoku(Nogogasima). Women in Nyoninkoku are said to become pregnant by south wind or wind. Nyoninkoku is placed west to China, south east to Europe, or Ko-Mo Koku. There are no land or sea routes to Nyoninkoku. In this country, residents are all women. They are courageous and warlike. The country law dictates that men from foreign countries are to be invited to Nyoninkoku in spring.

Kojiro Serizawa has been receiving a very meager appraisal in spite of the fact that he was a contemporary writer with high literary value and mass popularity as the first Japanese candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Although not many studies are being conducted in Japan, he is virtually unknown in Korea and without any studies about his literature. Accordingly, the purpose was to newly cast light upon Serizawa and his literature.『Human Destiny』is a saga consisting of 14 volumes, depicting the turbulent modern Japanese history along with numerous figures centering on the process of growth and self-realization through the hardships and adversities experienced by the main character Jiro Mori. Considering the aspects other than the text such as the writer's motive of writing and period of release, healing and restoration can be seen as the biggest theme of the text. Japan that was reaching towards imperialism upon achieving modernization from premodern society was defeated in the Pacific War, but Jiro Mori accepted it rather as the restoration of Japan. And this can be seen as the message that the author intends to convey through『Human Destiny』.

Title: The Flaws and Limits of Japan's Claims over Dokdo; In Terms of Indigenous Territory Theory, Terra Nullius Theory, and International Law This paper analyzes Japan's claim over Dokdo in three terms; first, indigenous territory argument, second, terra nullius argument, and third, international law argument. First, the indigenous territory argument claims that Japan recognized Dokdo earlier than Korea. An example is that Japanese fishers fished in Dokdo since the 17th century, and thus they occupied Dokdo. Second, according to the terra nullius theory, Japan first claimed the terra nullius and intimated it as Japanese territory on Shimane Prefecture's gazette, Feb.22, 1905. Third, according to international law, the Japanese government criticizes Korea for illegally occupying Japanese territory, which is legally Japanese based on the first two arguments. Regarding each of these three arguments, this paper points out the flaws and limits.