Nihonjin after 3.11: the construction of Japaneseness in times of national crisis

ABSTRACT

This article explores the interplay between the nation and media in times of national crisis. Through a critical textual analysis of the AC Japan’s public service announcements (PSAs), I argue that the PSAs in the early post-earthquake period reproduce nationalistic discourses of the Japanese that resembles the core tenets of nihonjinron (discourse of Japaneseness) by 1) reiterating the homogeneity of the Japanese people; 2) reinventing particular cultural practices as deep-rooted traditions; and 3) urging social unity and solidarity. Each theme is legitimized by various discursive strategies, which transform a seemingly descriptive model of behaviours into socially sanctioned hegemonic practices. This study shows that the careful deconstruction of media texts can provide media scholars with ample resources for investigating the formation of a peculiar social reality.

KEYWORDS:

• Nihonjinron
• Japaneseness
• national disaster
• textual analysis
• discursive strategies
• public service announcements

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Singing of Furusato on NHK Kōhaku is not unprecedented as it has functioned as an apparatus for reminding people of the Japanese nation through nostalgia. However, it is noteworthy that Furusato was selected as a theme song of the 2011 Kōhaku. According to Mandujano-Salazar (2018), Arashi’s song Furusato was promoted as ‘an anthem of national bonding and pride in multiple contents produced by NHK’ since 3.11 in order to strengthen national identity and spirit and evoke traditional national values (160).

2. This emperor-centred and Shintō-based Japanese spirit is called yamatodamashii 大和魂. Monolingual dictionaries typically define yamatodamashii in terms of valour, bravery, daring, and resolve (Carr 1994, 279–280).

3. Mandujano-Salazar (2018) discusses the essential elements of nihonjinron in terms of ‘the avoidance of conflict and shame, the strength of spirit, the ability to resurge from tragic events, a unique thought process reflected in the language structure and patterns of non-verbal communication, a unique aesthetic sense, and a syncretic inclination’ (154).

4. The eleven PSAs were collected through AC Japan’s official website (https://www.ad-c.or.jp/).

5. Although Kodama de shōka was initially produced for the Greater Tokyo area in 2010, it was nationally televised after the earthquake.

6. Among four temporary PSAs, two have more than one advertisement: Nihon no chikara o shinjiteru has two versions; and Ima, Watashi ni dekiru koto involves three versions. Although each version features different celebrities, it addresses the same subject – either the power of Japan or things that [I] can do now.

Additional information

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Jaehyeon Jeong

Jaehyeon Jeong is an Assistant Professor of Communication at The University of Utah Asia Campus. Previously, he taught in the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, where he received his Ph.D. His broad research programme stands at the intersection of critical cultural studies, media industry studies, and global communication. He has published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles, monographs, edited book, book chapters, and online essays on Korean television, media globalization, diasporic identity, nationalism, comics industry, etc.