Creolization of Modern Japan

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Globalization and creolization may well be the two distinctive aspects that characterize the postcolonial world of today. The aim of this project was to discuss the process- of Japan's modernization from a new point of view: creolization.The approach was made by mainly analyzing the works of Lafcadio Haarn, focusing on his discovery of 'creole' values, and his revaluation of the relationship between the West and non- West cultures. His thoughts were also compared with other relevant writers such as Segalen. Furthermore, parallel cases of Japanese writers who were involved with South east Asia, such as Hayashi Fumiko, were also discussed.Members of this group participated in several international symposiums and read papers on the subject; starting from the Foreign Ministry of Japan (Sep. 2001), Goteborg University (Sweden Sep. 2001), Dublin Sundai School (Sep. 2001) , to Taipei University (Taiwan, April 2002: Symposium on Post-Colonialism-Taiwan and Japan), and the city of Martinique (May 2002, Symposium-L'Itinaire d'un Exote). The last two of these symposiums were featured in local newspapers, attracted much attention and the papers are to be compiled and published, the former in Chinese and Japanese, and the latter in French..In these papers, the different phases and interpretations of ' creolization ' are discussed. The most interesting part of this research project was that, by comparing the cases of modernization in Martinique, Taiwan and Japan with each other, it has became clear that the issues and values of being 'Creole' are not to be limited to the Caribbean countries. The dynamics of globalization and creolization can be seen inevitably in the universal process of modernization and the postcolonial world. Thus we should be able to show the problems of modern. Japan in a different and enlightening way.