THAI STUDIES IN JAPAN, 1996-2006
Organizer/Chair: Sato Yasuyuki, Niigata University
Discussants: Kitahara Atsushi, Kobe University & Akagi Osamu, Osaka University of Foreign
Studies
The Thai Seminar of Japan was founded in 1990 and continued to be until 1998. Then it
developed to be The Japanese Society of Thai Studies. The Japanese Society of Thai
Studies is nine years old, as it was founded in 1998. It is eighteen years old in total. In
1996, The Thai Seminar of Japan published the book titled State of Thai Studies in
Japan edited by Kitahara, A. and Akagi, O. It was to introduce the achievements that
Japanese scholars on Thai studies had researched in each sphere until 1995. Now we do
hope to introduce what and how Japanese scholars on Thai studies were researching
from 1996 to 2006 to the scholars on Thai studies all over the world. Here we will
introduce our achievements in each sphere.
PART I
THAI STUDIES IN JAPAN, 1996-2006: POLITICS, ECONOMICS, AND SOCIOLOGY
Politics, Thai Studies in Japan, 1996-2006
Takahashi Masaki, Niigata University of International and Information Studies (NUIS)
The Thai political studies in Japan in the last decade have reflected on the political
changes in Thailand since the end of the 1980s, which are the rise of Chatchai
administration and the coup against it, the democratization movement against the
junta, the 1997 constitution, the economic crisis of 1997, the Thaksin administration
and Thai Rak Thai party, and the coup against the administration. Many researchers
therefore analyze and comment on the present political situation, especially on the
1990s’ political situation, the Thaksin administration’s policy, and its political result.
The 1997 constitution is studied by some researchers from a perspective of law and
government institution, while others do it from a perspective of political process and
influence on political situation. Decentralization is another topic paid attention to by
the Japanese scholars. Especially they focus on the changing decentralization process
and system which have been accelerated as a result of democratization movement
since the 1990s and on the Thaksin administration’s policy of decentralization.
Political history is also studied by the Japanese scholars. Some of them study on
Japan-Thai relations during and after the World War II and the overseas Chinese in
Thailand.
Though international relations are relatively weak area in Thai studies in Japan, the
end of the Cold War and globalization are stimulating studies on the relationship
between Thai politics and international factors.
Economics, Thai Studies in Japan, 1996-2006
Higashi Shigeki, Faculty of Economics, Seinan Gakuin University
Since the currency and economic crisis took place in Thailand in 1997, Thai
government has carried out medium- and long-term institutional improvements, such
as the reform of the financial and corporate sectors. The main items on the reform
agenda included financial system reform, focusing on sound management, corporate
reform with an emphasis on the accountability and transparency of corporate
management, and the adoption of a system promptly handling corporate bankruptcies
that safeguards creditor rights. In accordance with the ongoing institutional reforms,
corporate groups are dealing with debt disposal and business restructuring by
concentrating management resources on selected business areas, or by forming
strategic alliances with foreign companies.
This report outlines these institutional reforms and legal framework improvements
concerning the financial and corporate sectors and describes their characteristics. We
present analysis, using concrete examples, of the ways Thai corporate groups have
proceeded with the restructuring of their business, and how industrial organization is
proceeding in response to the institutional reforms and improved legal framework. My
study analysis reveals the following points. Many Thai corporate groups have tried to
restructure their businesses and introduce good corporate governance after the crisis,
taking advantage of the institutional reforms. Thus, Thailand’s institutional reforms
did play the role guiding companies to a course of action leading to corporate revival.
But this does not necessarily mean that Anglo-American institutional reforms are
suitable to Thailand’s economy and society. Thailand has its own corporate culture and
business climate, which was nurtured in the course of its economic growth. While the
trend of globalization must be accepted as a fundamental principle, there may be a
need for means of harmonizing it with what Thailand has developed on its own.
Sociology, Thai Studies in Japan, 1996-2006
Sakurai Yoshihide, Hokkaido University
Since a review of sociological studies in Thailand by Japanese scholars from 1985 to
1995 in State of Thai Studies in Japan has been already issued, I will review
sociological researches since then. The general view of these papers in 1996-2006
periods reveals three characteristics. First, the social change such as penetration of
consumerism and information technology into Thai society, widening disparity in
region and class, and subsequent migration from rural areas to cities are considered as
the challenges posed by globalization. Second, to lessen the adverse effects of
globalization, that is social exclusion caused by poverty, ethnic and gender
segregation, the social development and advocacy by civil rights movement and public
institution have been evaluated. Third, the collaboration of research project by Thai
and Japanese scholars has been ubiquitous in various studies, and public fund seems to
promote social action program, in which scholars could find research seed and grant.
PART II
THAI STUDIES IN JAPAN, 1996-2006: ANTHROPOLOGY, HISTORY, RELIGION,
AND LITERATURE
Anthropology, Thai Studies in Japan, 1996-2006
Murakami Tadayoshi, Osaka University of Foreign Studies
I review the anthropological studies on Thailand in Japan between 1997 and 2007.
During this period, we can see a growing trend in research with the special attention to
multi-ethnic /multi-cultural situations in Thai society and the dynamics or process of
its cultural phenomena, rather than searching for the “Thai-ness”.
The main topics, in which a considerable number of researchers have been interested,
are as follows: 1) The studies on ethnic minorities, for example, “hill tribes”, Malay
Muslim, “Non-Thai” Tai ethnic groups, and oversea/overland Chinese 2) The studies
on the gender relations in religious practices, migration, and ethnicity 3) The studies
on the social construction and transmission of the knowledge and technique in the
regional situation 4) The studies on the issues related to the environment and natural
resources such as forest 5) The studies on the attitudes toward the social change and
the way of coping with the problems resulted from the social change 6) The studies on
religious practices of both world religions and local animism.
As far as the sites of field research are concerned, the north attracts the most number
of researchers and studies. The second most is the studies in the northeast and the third
is in the central including Bangkok. The studies in the south attract the fewest.
Moreover, I should note that this review includes some researches in the surrounding
areas of Thailand because anthropologists would not restrict their frames of references
to “nation-state” and frequently go across its national border.
History, Thai Studies in Japan, 1996-2006
Kano Hiroshi, Aichi University
Research of Thai history by Japanese scholars has been broad based. They have
studied Thai history from prehistory to modern history through multiple methods,
including archaeological studies, research of historical documents and fieldwork. In
addition, research data has been gathered from central government, as well as local
towns and villages in all parts of Thailand. Furthermore, research included minority
groups living in Thailand and Tais living in Laos and Yunnan and so on.
Even though there has been broad research of Thai history by Japanese scholars, most
studies in the last ten years seem to have had a common focus: a re-examination of the
image of the Thai nation. It has been examined from three perspectives.
Firstly, studies of documents and fieldwork in local areas have re-examined “national
history” written from a traditional viewpoint. Secondly, during the last ten years, the
processes of the invention of “nation” and “national history” have been actively
studied through central government documents. Thirdly, the image of the Thai nation
has also been reconsidered by the studies of minority groups and Tais living in
Thailand and other neighboring states such as Laos and China.
Through these studies, the image of the Thai nation has been re-examined and
diversified in many ways. It might be time to try to join them together into a new
image of the Thai nation.
Religion, Thai Studies in Japan, 1996-2006
Yano Hidetake, Komazawa University
A great variety of Thai studies have been conducted in Japan in recent times. They
have been on a wide range of subjects, comprising various approaches to the study of
religions in Thailand.
Many of these studies have focused on Theravada Buddhism and other popular
religions such as sprit cults, and concern many different areas or communities, and
various religious activities. Studies about Muslims in Thailand have also developed in
the field of Cultural Anthropology and Education. Moreover, articles about the
problem of terrorism and violence in the southern part of Thailand have appeared
every now and then. Although few in number, there are also studies about Chinese
religion and Christianity. As for their approaches, many of them are studies in specific
areas, based on Cultural Anthropology, where the variety of subjects and areas is
wide–ranging.
Apart from these, other approaches have also appeared in recent years: the historical
approach; development economics, focusing on the village development activities
influenced by Buddhism; education studies, examining religious education; and an
approach based on comparative religion has explored newly rising Buddhist
Movements in urban Thailand.
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the articles on religion in Thailand published
by Japanese researches from 1998 to 2007.
Literature, Thai Studies in Japan, 1996-2006
Hiramatsu Hideki, Chulalongkorn University
It was decades ago that Thai literature was first translated into Japanese. These
translations and other introductions on Thai literature have been done in a
considerable number by several pioneers.
As for the "study" of Thai literature itself, although lately rigorous introductions and
translations have been conducted, there remains a big gap between the ideal and the
actual states of a study. The method, as well as the content of the works by the
pioneers mentioned above, fails to exceed the level of an "introduction". It is far from
being a full-scale literature study. Like other Southeast-Asian literature, very few
studies on Thai literature have been presented in the academic world.
The number of researchers in the field of Thai literature study is quite limited in Japan,
and they can hardly be considered "specialists." In addition, studies on Thai literature
by Japanese researchers have not been done for the sake of the literature itself, but
rather as an extension of an area study. In any case, presently, Thai literature study has
not reached the stage of a full-scale "textual interpretation" yet.
On 2006 we just had one Ph.D. dissertation on contemporary Thai literature, which
could be categorized as a first full-scale literature study, different from what we have
ever had. I will also discuss the significance of this doctoral dissertation in this
presentation. I am hopeful that such a pioneering project will give rise to new studies
which might mark the beginning of a new era of full-scale Thai literary study in Japan.