Discussion
On September 19, 2024, the 5th "Future of Japan in the Era of Post-Regional Studies, Future of Japan's Studies" X Japan Specialist Seminar was held online.
Approximately 35 participants attended online, and Professor Katsuya Hirano from the Department of History, UCLA gave a presentation on the theme of "Imperial Sovereignty, Terra Nullius, and the Birth of 'Region' — Towards the Decolonization of Knowledge."
The presenter began by discussing the terms "Indian-ness" and "Indigenous." He explained that "Indian-ness," as represented by Indian education, is a discourse in which the West disrupts the absolute condition of the possibility of its identity. He argued that modernization is the process of overcoming the inherent Indian-ness of civilization. He also mentioned "Terra-nullius" (land belonging to no one) as a term that signifies a lack of nationhood and serves as the antithesis and premise of state formation. Furthermore, he elaborated on how this process ultimately leads to the transformation of "Terra-nullius" (land belonging to no one) into "Homo-nullius" (people belonging to no one).
The presenter also noted that the Westphalian system internalized racial differentiation within three spectrums, explaining the categories of civilized nations, semi-civilized nations, barbarians, and savages. He similarly described the categorization of superhuman, human, and subhuman. Additionally, he addressed the relationship between humans and non-humans, which became more distinct after the 19th century. He emphasized that the concept of "region" was born when European Christian civilization hierarchized and differentiated the world, using it as a universal standard of humanity.
In the latter part of the presentation, Professor Hirano discussed the dual consciousness of imperial Japan, post-colonialism, and related terms such as "subaltern." He concluded by introducing the concept of "Moshiri," an Ainu word, and called for the decolonization of knowledge systems.
After the presentation, a Q&A session followed. Questions included topics on postcolonialism, the re-drawing of regional boundaries based on new standards, and inquiries about "Moshiri."
