Research for What? Development and Diversification of Latin American Area Studies in Japan

• In Event: The Evolution of Latin American Studies in Asia: New Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

This presentation describes the development of Latin American area studies in Japan since the end of World War II with special attention to social scientists. Following the criticism of Edward Said, who pointed out inherently politicized character of area studies in general, it argues that Latin Americanists of social science in Japan and their works should be understood in the context of domestic and international politics. At the outset of the post-war period, Japanese research community of Latin American studies had two features. First, technocrats and businesspersons, who were core members, shared strong interest in strengthening economic ties with Latin America for the sake of rebuilding the war-stricken nation. Second, because of fewer Latin American specialists, there was a relatively strong presence of scholars whose main interest was not to deepen understanding of Latin America but rather to apply theories and knowledge obtained from other areas. These two characteristics, however, have gradually receded in the drastic transformation of Japanese and international society since the second half of the 20th century. A range of interrelated factors, from economic cycle, education reforms, knowledge specialization and fragmentation, to the Cold War and its demise, have influenced the diversity of interest among the researchers.

Author

• Takahiro Miyachi, Graduate School of Global Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies