The Challenge and Distress from East Asia:
Message from the Japan-China Sociological Society
Japan-China Sociological Society
In Search of a Sociology from East Asia
Clashes of civilizations, the war on terror, environmental destruction, crises of everyday life,
and the other problems that surround us can only be described as being in dire circumstances. The
ideas and cultures that have historically been cultivated by East Asia are bound to be rife with
implications when it comes to searching for clues to resolving such problems. Stated boldly, anumber of factors could be mentioned for this, including their admonishments of covetousness andlust for power that are grounded in a non-monotheistic worldview, and the emphasis they haveplaced on coexistence and harmony with various different value systems through self-limitation andself-introspection. Yet there is the frustration of being unable to straightforwardly reflect suchhistorical aggregations in an academic sense. This frustration is closely bound up with theknowledge structures that we have internalized.
What always comes to mind upon witnessing such dire circumstances are questions over what
constitutes the modern societies that have been created by Europe and the United States, as well as
the extent to which modernistic values have meaning and universality. However, this is not at all to
imply that we are dismissive of Western social thought or social theory. Rather, we have a profoundunderstanding of their importance and highly esteem the enormity of their significance. Yet on theother hand, those of us who have internalized East Asian value systems also raise other questions,such as on the ways in which we can contribute academically as well as the ways in which we canconvey subject matter that is imbued with originality and ingenuity.
Assuming that this frustration and questions will be resolved, then at the very least one cannot
help but regard the promotion of studies that are cognizant of an East Asian perspective as anextremely constructive approach. Considered pragmatically, what lies ahead is none other than theformation of the knowledge structures of an “East Asian sociology” and an “Asian sociology” thatare on par with those conventional knowledge structures that have been grounded in Westerncivilization in a mutually complementary manner. It will also be necessary to forge a connection inwhich these inspire one another. In actuality, this will be grounded in “East Asian-style” concepts
that are quite familiar to us, just like “ying and yang” and “heaven and earth.”
Upon further confirmation, one cannot help but think that we are approaching an age in whichknowledge structures that can contribute to the establishment of coexistence and harmony in theworld should be erected on the basis of a mutual acknowledgement of our differences. The
expectation is that when the enormity of the speculative historical aggregations in East Asia istaken into consideration, there will be limitless possibilities for expanding upon these. TheJapan-China Sociological Society is embarking upon the creation of the sociology from East Asia.
The Relationship Between Japan and China
An academic society covering Japan and China must deal with the opposition that is coming to127

a head between Japan and China concerning the Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands). This is an issue
that profoundly troubles those of us who are members of the Japan-China Sociological Sociology atheart. Moreover, it has given us a sense for our own powerlessness, while also driving home theimportance of the course of action that has been taken by the society.
I will refrain from delving into this topic in detail, but the roots of this problem lie in the factthat both Japan and China suffered from “Western shock” and were therefore impelled to form
nation-states, and so both set about doing so against their will. Seen from this perspective, the way
the issue is presented from the Chinese side is quite fascinating. They would insist on tracing backto the 17th and 18th centuries as seen from the perspective of the Chinese dynasties, or even farther
back to the circumstances of the 15th and 16th centuries, and taking this as the point of departure. If
we were to nullify the “Western shock” that we received and consider the matter by turning theclocks back to at least nearly 200 years ago in history then this would be a bold gambit, but thecontent would be sure to invite bewilderment. If we were to go by this criteria then a considerable
portion of the EU region would belong to the Muslim world, and the borders of African states
would probably all have to be open to question again.
At any rate, flexible and conciliatory efforts have continued to be made in order toscrupulously avoid mutual opposition in the historical East Asian region, as can be seen frominitiatives such as Japan’s modalities for external trade and China’s tribute system. An awareness of
East Asian-style values was undoubtedly brought to bear here, and we have passed down thisknowledge. I am convinced that if the problem is presented by being traced back in history, then its
solution can also be discovered by a reappraisal of history and culture. Moreover, the contents ofthis align splendidly with the course of action of forming an East Asian sociology that we are after.
About the Japan-China Sociological Society
1. Academic Exchanges that Have Weathered the Constraints of the Times
The Japan-China Sociological Society is a small academic society with approximately 300
members. But be that as it may, it could be described as an extremely idiosyncratic academic
society for Japan. This is because it has aspired to be a transnational academic society that is basedin East Asia. It goes without saying, but Japan’s sociological societies have developed based aroundthe so-called importation of analytical techniques and value premises for sociological research fromthe West. Whereas on the other hand our society has a strong inclination to strive to surmountWestern theories by freshly questioning East Asian history and culture while appraising Westernsociological research. Its four major characteristics are summarized below.
(1) Striving to be a transnational academic society centered primarily between Japan andChina.
(2) Conducting initiatives to accommodate multiple languages by publicly acknowledging theuse of the three languages of Japanese, Chinese, and English.
(3) Emphasizing empirical research.
(4) Broadly questioning contemporary society from both an East Asian and a globalperspective.
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The society’s establishment and its characteristics are closely intertwined with thedevelopment of sociology in both Japan and China. China was once an important field insociological research by Japan. It is well known that since the early days leading sociologists suchas MAKINO Tatsumi, SHIMIZU Morimitsu, and FUKUTAKE Tadashi have engaged in research
there. Conversely, vast accumulations of sociological research have been amassed by enormous
think tanks relating to China, such as the Research Department of the South Manchuria Railway
Company and the East Asia Development Board(興亜院). But we have heard direct reports
regarding the limitations of the times and circumstantial problems with the research by these thinktanks. Furthermore, we have a deeper understanding than anyone else of the points to reflect on,
and have been exploring the possibility of undertaking research through new forms of cooperation
between China and Japan.
In 1978 sociology, which until then had been considered a bourgeois academic discipline inChina, underwent a revival. Following which Fukutake Tadashi, who was a founding member ofthe society, organized a delegation of sociologists to visit China, and immediately initiated researchexchanges with China. Since then, through frequent trips to China throughout the 1980s herepeatedly held close exchanges with researchers from the early days of this revival in China suchas FEI Xiaotong, LEI Jieqiong, and YUAN Fang.
At the same time, the end of the 1980s was a time when Japan was waiting to undertake
Chinese sociological research once again. Novel developments were seen from KOMAI Hiroshi
and KITAHARA Atsushi in the post-war period on research focused mainly on Thailand. This
collection of research on Southeast Asia has been passed down and expanded through the efforts ofyoung researchers by taking China and East Asia as their fields. In conjunction with this,international students from China came to Japan one after another starting from the middle of the1980s, and Japanese sociologists made enormous contributions to the world of Chinese sociology
during its revival period. These were two major contributing factors for the promotion of Chinesesocial research.
As can be surmised from this chronology, there have been complex considerations in the formof the deep reflection on the research approach prior to and during World War II on the Japaneseside, as well as in the revival of sociology from its condemnation as a bourgeois academic
discipline on the Chinese side. Such a background engendered a resolute approach in researchers
from both Japan and China of attempting to carry out research and run academic societies groundedin mutual understanding of historical facts while distancing themselves from the nation-stateframework.
This paper will introduce some of the major initiatives for this, leaving aside the holding ofevents and research meetings in Japan.
In 1979 when the society was established Professor Fukutake Tadashi raised the three themesof field studies ascertaining social changes in China, the cultivation of young researchers, andacademic exchanges between Japan and China in his address at the inaugural convention. The
Japan-China Sociological Society Newsletter was also published in the same year. Together withthis Fukutake Tadashi’s Gendaika chugoku no tabi: syakaigakusya houchuudan houkoku, (Travels129

in a Modernizing China: Report from a Delegation of Sociologists to China, University of TokyoPress, 1979) was also published.
Delegations of sociologists to China were frequently organized up through the middle of the1980s, and exchanges with researchers on the Chinese side continued.
In 1988 the Japan-China Sociological Society Report was issued as an academic journal.
Then in 1993 the Japan-China Sociological Society Report was renamed the Journal ofJapan-China Sociological Studies and turned into a peer-reviewed academic journal. From thisperiod until the present, small and medium-sized workshops and academic conferences have been
held in Japan, sometimes China, and Hong Kong from once to several times a year.
The East Asian Sociology of the 21st Century was published in 2008. This was the second
peer-reviewed journal, and emphasized daring and unique research results. The papers can bepresented by three languages of Japanese, Chinese, and English.
All seven volumes of the Japan-China Sociological Series were published between 2008 and2009 by Akashi Shoten. The titles for each volume were Volume 1-“De-Orientalism and ChineseCulture”, Volume 2-“Chineseness and Transnational Identity”,Volume 3 -“China’s Media andIndustry in Globalization”, Volume 4-“Diverging Chinese Families” , Volume 5-“Social Securityand Social Welfare in China in Its Transitional Stage”, Volume 6-“The Reorganization of Resident
Organizations and the Search for Self-Governance in China”, and Volume 7-“Migrating People
and the Pluralist Society Seen in China” (all of the reports and journals mentioned above are inJapanese) . This series considered the visible changes in various fields of Chinese society over 30
years of reforms and the hidden structural transformations that occurred in the depths of society in
an attempt to elucidate the mechanisms by which these changes took place. Naturally, of course,
this series left much that is still open to debate, but it could be described as an important
cornerstone for 21st century East Asian sociology as a manifestation of the society’s three themes.
Also the academic events were joint held in China in the form of international forums. The
East Asia Forum: In Search of a New Paradigm for East Asia was held at the Central University ofNationalities and the Japan-China Economic and Social International Academic Forum was held at
the Capital University of Economics and Business in 2009.
That same year an agreement over mutual exchange and mutual cooperation was concludedwith the China-Japan Sociological Society (China).
2. Investigations into the Workings of East Asian Social Systems with a View towards
Modernity
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake on 3.11 there has been a great deal of attention
paid to the workings of Japan’s social systems with a view towards large-scale natural disasters.
This has attracted considerable interest in developing countries regarding how they should face up
to modernization in the future, which has turned from the peachy dream it has been thus far into adouble-edged sword. However, mutual understanding between Japan and China is still inadequate
due to a number of factors, and their historical grudges have been further exacerbated amidst theircurrent fierce economic competition.
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On the other hand, the fact of the matter is that through the experience of major disasters suchas the Sichuan Earthquake or the Great East Japan Earthquake there have been mounting
opportunities for mutual understanding and mutual aid between Japan and China that transcend
national borders and ethnicities, and which are rooted in the universal value of respect for humanlife. In response to this, together with Chinese researchers the society has pursued the question of
how social systems that will enable respect for human life and sustainable development should becreated in order to counter the risks concealed in modernization, which acts as a double-edged
sword. Through comparisons of social changes and the workings of social systems in themodernization of both Japan and China in the 20th century it has proactively carried out research
activities to ferret out the unique mechanisms that lie dormant in East Asian societies, which differ
from Western societies.
Since 2011 the society has been promoting a project for the Japan Foundation’s Grant Programfor Intellectual Exchange Conferences. The 2011 theme was “Groping a New Social System after
East Japan Earthquake: Dialogue Series between Japan and China,” while the 2012 theme was“Comparative Research on the Impacts of Globalization between Japan and China.”
Through this, Japan’s experiences and lessons from being the first Asian country to achieve
modernization will be shared with the newly emerging country of China through intellectualexchanges. More specifically, the achievements from this include: (1) a renewed recognition of theroles of risk management techniques at the global level and social capital (trust, norms, networks)
with people as the primary agents in this for the sake of achieving the sustainable development ofregional societies, (2) the creation of frameworks for mutual understanding between Japan andChina that clarify values that are universal to mankind such as respect for human life andsustainable development, and (3) the strengthening of transnational networks for academic
exchanges. These research results was published in China (Chen 2013).
Not too long after China ushered in its period of reforms and liberalization and the ban on
sociology was lifted by the Chinese state, the Japan-China Sociological Society was established at
the prompting of Professor Fukutake Tadashi. Over the more than 30 years that followed since thenthe society has aspired to come to a full-scale understanding of Chinese society by facing up to
China’s populist society and through repeatedly undertaking field studies in an ongoing manner.
The myriad political tensions between the two countries have been quick to lead to deteriorations inpublic sentiment in both countries. But by rendering the human emotions found at the level of thesocial lives of the public in both countries in a detailed manner, the Japan-China SociologicalSociety has carried on with research activities that accurately get a hold on the pulse of socialtransformations and the workings of social systems.
The above has offered a brief introduction to the history of the Japan-China SociologicalSociety, but right now the society is facing a major turning point.
Challenge for East Asian Sociologists
The development of sociology has been built upon the basis of social phenomena. The socialtransformations that accompanied the Industrial Revolution, which occurred in the West in the first131half of the 19th century, and the rise of the new continent of America from the latter half of the 19thcentury contributed enormously to the development of Western sociology. Yet following in thewake of the decline of Western Europe and the overall rise of Asia in the 21st century there haveappeared East Asian social phenomena that differ from the conventional phenomena in the Westernsocieties. How such developments should be read into and interpreted poses a major challenge, andis not just a question for sociologists from East Asia.
This raises the question of how this should be achieved. More specifically, the question of how
to go about achieving multiculturalism—including value premises and the languages used—is amajor theme in this. Building new relationships with the Western sociological world also poses apressing challenge in combination with this. As was already stated, it is mutual complementaritythat we are aiming for. We must create dynamism on the research front by harnessing historical
East Asian social phenomena and an East Asian-style value consciousness in order to contribute to
newly developing of a 21st century sociology. Now is truly the time to achieve such a feat.
Closer cooperation than ever before between transnational sociologists will be indispensable
in the 21st century. While the Japan-China Sociological Society has achieved considerable resultswith this thus far, we are now obliged to work to expand this across the entire Asian region.
As a postscript, Japanese people who have been appointed as president of the society since its
founding include Fukutake Tadashi, AOI Kazuo, MIYAGI Hiroshi, NEBASHI Shouichi, andNAKAMURA Norihiro. But in 2010 CHEN Lixing, a Chinese national, was appointed president.
Her appointment further boosted the transnational character of the society.
References
Chen Lixing, Song Jingwen, Shuto Toshikazu, Tian Yipeng, eds., 2013, Comparative

Studies Between China and Japan on Earthquake, Rescue and Reconstruction:from the Perspective of Globlaization and Social Capital (in Chinese), Changchun,China, Jinlin Wenshi Press.
Contact Points:
MINAMI Yuko, Head of the Administrative Affairs Department
Japan-China Sociological Society
Address: 2-1 Naka, Kunitachi-shi, 186-8601,
Department of Economics, Hitotsubashi University
Email: info@japan-china-sociology.org
Chen Lixing, President of the Japan-China Sociological Society
Address: 1-155 Uegahara Ichiban-cho, Nishinomiya-shi, 660-8501
School of Sociology, Kwansei Gakuin University
Email: chenlixing@kwansei.ac.jp
Japan-China Sociological Society official website
http://www.japan-china-sociology.org/

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