Learning from the Earthquake Nation: Japanese Science Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century.
Earthquake sciences, such as seismology and earthquake engineering, were important for Japanese science diplomacy throughout the twentieth century and remain relevant for Japan's science diplomacy initiatives today. This article traces how the earthquake sciences were constructed as a 'Japanese scie...
| Published in: | Journal of Contemporary History Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 485 - 502 |
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| Format: | Article |
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Sage Publications, Ltd.
Jul2021
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=151403721&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 151403721 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 00220094 JCI jtl: Journal of Contemporary History issn: 00220094 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Jul2021 vid: 56 iid: 3 pid: 2171 pub: Sage Publications, Ltd. artinfo: ui: 151403721 10.1177/00220094211009963 ppf: 485 ppct: 17 formats: tig: atl: Learning from the Earthquake Nation: Japanese Science Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century. aug: au: Jacoby, Julia Mariko affil: University of Freiburg, Germany su: Twentieth century Diplomacy Colonial administration Seismic networks Sendai Earthquake, Japan, 2011 Earthquake engineering Earthquakes Japan sug: subj: Japan Twentieth century Diplomacy Colonial administration Seismic networks Sendai Earthquake, Japan, 2011 Earthquake engineering Earthquakes keyword: history of the earth sciences Japanese history Science diplomacy transnational history of science, history of Japan-US relations twentieth century ab: Earthquake sciences, such as seismology and earthquake engineering, were important for Japanese science diplomacy throughout the twentieth century and remain relevant for Japan's science diplomacy initiatives today. This article traces how the earthquake sciences were constructed as a 'Japanese science', giving Japan authority in science diplomacy, what science diplomacy practices scientists engaged in, and the images of Japan they helped to convey internationally. In the late nineteenth century, Japan played a crucial role in establishing seismology as a scientific discipline, which supported claims of Japanese research experience with their highly seismically active environment. Thus, Japanese earthquake specialists were enabled to act on equal terms with their Western counterparts in international networks, and even became regarded as 'teachers' of earthquake-proof construction. This image that was built and expanded upon by generations of scientists and maintained regardless of the shifting political climate. Consequently, prewar science diplomacy served to justify 'civilised' Japanese colonial rule in East Asia, while postwar earthquake science underlined Japan's new identity as a peaceful 'developed' country and became a crucial part of Japan's developmental aid programs. Science diplomacy also helped open diplomatic channels for Japan during difficult international conditions and created sustainable networks between seismic countries. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y dt: @attributes: year: 2021 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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