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Minshushi As Critique of Orientalist Knowledges

Minshushi As Critique of Orientalist Knowledges T h e minshiishi, or “people’s history” project, was part of a larger intellectual movement of the 1960sand 1970sthat sought to construct new representations of the minshii, or nonelite “people,” as political and historical agents and to overcome the view that they had been inert and passive objects of rule throughout history.’ Sharing some of ethnologist Yanagita Kunio’s hopes of shifting the location of the common people from simply background material, or mise-en-sche for history’s unfolding, to its foreground, proponents chose to re-present, that is, to render visible and vital, the energy, everyday life, consciousness, and, perhaps most distinctive, the historical agency of Japan’s commoners, including those positioned in what they called the “lowest” (teihen)reaches of the social formation. In this essay, I wish to argue that the people’s history movement ought to be considered a about Japan and the Japanese that cen 0 1998 by Duke University Press. tered on this recuperation of the people as the subject-agent of history. Moreover, it took place in the aftermath of mass opposition to U.S. Cold War policy in East Asia over the issue of the United States-Japan Security Treaty’s ratification in 1960 and needs to be considered in this http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png positions asia critique Duke University Press

Minshushi As Critique of Orientalist Knowledges

positions asia critique , Volume 6 (2) – Sep 1, 1998

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Publisher
Duke University Press
Copyright
Copyright 1998 by Duke University Press
ISSN
1067-9847
eISSN
1527-8271
DOI
10.1215/10679847-6-2-303
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

T h e minshiishi, or “people’s history” project, was part of a larger intellectual movement of the 1960sand 1970sthat sought to construct new representations of the minshii, or nonelite “people,” as political and historical agents and to overcome the view that they had been inert and passive objects of rule throughout history.’ Sharing some of ethnologist Yanagita Kunio’s hopes of shifting the location of the common people from simply background material, or mise-en-sche for history’s unfolding, to its foreground, proponents chose to re-present, that is, to render visible and vital, the energy, everyday life, consciousness, and, perhaps most distinctive, the historical agency of Japan’s commoners, including those positioned in what they called the “lowest” (teihen)reaches of the social formation. In this essay, I wish to argue that the people’s history movement ought to be considered a about Japan and the Japanese that cen 0 1998 by Duke University Press. tered on this recuperation of the people as the subject-agent of history. Moreover, it took place in the aftermath of mass opposition to U.S. Cold War policy in East Asia over the issue of the United States-Japan Security Treaty’s ratification in 1960 and needs to be considered in this

Journal

positions asia critiqueDuke University Press

Published: Sep 1, 1998

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