Hegemony of Homogeneity: An Anthropological Analysis of Nihonjinron

by Harumi Befu

Overview

Much of the misunderstanding by foreigners about Japan arises out of their acceptance of certain stereotypes about the Japanese. Harumi Befu spearheaded the critique of the stereotypical and the essentialized characterization of the Japanese and their culture, often referred to as Nihonjinron. He now presents his summary statements in this book by reviewing the whole gamut of the Nihonjinron literature, ranging from ecology, rural community structure, personality, language, values and ethos. He shows the roles Nihonjinron plays for the identity formation of the Japanese and as the idealized norm of the society in orienting the public. Elaborating on the way in which Nihonjinron functions as a civil religion, the book outlines how a period of positive self-identity has alternated with a period of negative self-identity since the Meiji period.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781925608243
Publisher:	Trans Pacific Press
Publication date:	12/15/2021
Series:	Japanese Society Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	196
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

BEFU Harumi was born in Los Angeles, USA, in 1930. He spent his youth in Japan and returned to the United States after World War II. He graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and received a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin. He retired after teaching at Stanford University for 30 years and became Emeritus Professor at that institution. From 1996 to 2000, he was also Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kyoto Bunkyo University in Japan. He is an internationally renowned pioneer in the field of Japanese studies.

Editorial Reviews

is the Japanese term for Japanese national character, or the way the Japanese characterize themselves. Befu, a bilingual anthropologist who has studied Japan for 40 years, examines hundreds of original Japanese sources, and argues that is a civil religion for the Japanese and that it responds to the country's political and economic environment. Befu is professor emeritus at Stanford University and has taught at universities in Japan, Europe, and Latin America. The book is distributed by ISBS. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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