Asia Archive

Asia from an Eastern Perspective

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Learn and grow through different perspectives. Because, people are so much more than borders and labels.

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A fantastic resource about gender and sexuality in the East—especially about the struggles and celebrations that both perspectives may share, no matter the border: https://t.co/XU6ufBNEXu

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Another resource, a powerful documentary that follows the lives of these comfort women seeking reparations during a time where they have little left:
https://t.co/xro9EoSHE0

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Here's an article that takes a deep look at the extent of memory politics as it pertains to South Korean comfort women who were enslaved by the Japanese during the height of their power in WWII: https://t.co/rn5P2fUUoI

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This can be seen in tensions between Japan and China, Korea and Japan, and stemming from wars such as the Korean War and WWII.

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"Politicians frequently make use of mythologized understandings of the past to mobilize memory as an instrument of politics in the present."
— Peter J. Verovšek

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From an Asian standpoint, pilgrimages were a key form of early semi-tourism. In fact, recreational tourism emerged in Japan as early as the Tokugawa Period. Now, Asia is branded as "exotic" and "modern" to incite a sense of artificial nostalgia which acts as a selling point.

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Tourism is one of the largest sources of income for the continent of Asia as the industry generates tens of billions of dollars for both Asia and the Pacific each year, according to the Global Tourism Economy Research Centre. But why do people want to go to Tokyo? Or Singapore?

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"Mass" tourism is a product of modernity, as it was historically only enjoyed by elites. While innovations in transportation or the advent of diff socioeconomic statuses (i.e. the middle class) certainly got us to this point, we can thank colonialism for today's travel trends.

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Imagineering is, essentially, the transformation of urban landscapes in order to distinguish Asian communities among their competitors and peers on a global scale. It brings idealistic aesthetics to fruition & shows the grandeur & prestige of a single nation often for some gain.

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There are often two competing characterizations of Asia: "Eternal Tradition" or Breathtaking Modernity." Thus, the idea of slums and world-class cities lead to a trend known as "Imagineering."

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The "imagined community" helps us contextualize nationalism as it stands in the shadow of colonialism. Thus, the concept of a "nation" is a relatively—and politically—recent phenomenon.

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These three historical trends have an incredibly complex relationship in Asia. What we do know is that processes motivated by ideologies such as capitalism, industrialization, and the desire to modernize all contributed heavily to conflicts stemming from resistance and control.

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Above, this mood board features very traditional art forms found in the Edo period. Kabuki theater and ukiyo-e were extremely popular and prevalent forms of entertainment within this city during that time.

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This week's mood board. 🤓 🇯🇵