Form J (F→O) 提出日 Submission Date: 2015 /1 / 6
博士学位論文審査報告書
Summary of Doctoral Thesis and Report of Examination
研究科長 殿： 下記のとおり、審査結果を報告します。
To the Dean: We report the result of Examination for the Doctoral Thesis below.
学籍番号
Student ID 4011S012 学生氏名
Name Jeffrey Hall 和文題名
Title in Japanese 日本におけるオンライン草の根メディアと保守系政治運動 英文題名
Title in English Finding Meaning Online: Grassroots Media & Conservative Activism in Japan 記
1. 口述試験参加教員 Faculty Members Involved in Oral Examination
①審査委員会主査 Chief Referee of the Screening Committee 氏名
Name 篠原初枝 印 専門分野
Field of Specialization
国際関係論 所属
Affiliated Institution
早稲田大学大学院アジア太平洋研究科 資格
Status 教授 博士学位名
Ph.D. Title Earned
PhD in History 取得大学名
Name of Institution
University of _Chicago
②審査委員会副査（審査委員 1）Deputy Advisor (Member of Screening Committee 1) 氏名
Name Gracia Liu Farrer 印 専門分野
Field of Specialization
社会学 所属
Affiliated Institution
早稲田大学大学院アジア太平洋研究科 資格
Status 教授 博士学位名
Ph.D. Title Earned
PhD in Sociology 取得大学名
Name of Institution
University of Chicago
③審査委員 2 Member of Screening Committee 2 氏名
Name Stephen Nagy 印 専門分野
Field of Specialization
国際関係論 所属
Affiliated Institution
国際基督教大学 資格
Status
准教授 博士学位名
Ph.D. Title Earned
博士 (学術) 取得大学名
Name of Institution
早稲田大学
④審査委員 3 Member of Screening Committee 3 氏名
Name James Patrick Boyd 印 専門分野
Field of Specialization
国際関係論・政治学 所属
Affiliated Institution
早稲田大学大学院アジア太平洋研究科 資格
Status 助教 博士学位名
Ph.D. Title Earned
PhD in Political Science 取得大学名 Name of Institution
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
⑤審査委員 4［該当者のみ］Member of Screening Committee 4 [if any]
氏名
Name 印 専門分野
Field of Specialization 所属
Affiliated Institution
資格 Status 博士学位名
Ph.D. Title Earned
取得大学名 Name of Institution
[時限 / Period] 1st: 9:00-10:30, 2nd: 10:40-12:10, 3rd: 13:00-14:30, 4th: 14:45-16:15, 5th: 16:30-18:00, 6th: 18:15-19:45, 7th: 20:00-21:30
2. 開催日時 Date / Time 20１４ 年(YY)/ １１ 月(MM)/ ２１ 日(DD) ※ １３ :００ ～ １５:00 (Time)
3. 会場 Venue 19 号館(BLDG No.) 315 室（Room No.）
4. 合否判定 Result 合/Passed ・ 否/Failed ※該当する方に○ Circle as appropriate 5. 添付資料
Attached document(s)
5 枚 pages
#和文 4,000 字程度、もしくは英文 1,500 語程度。ただし、論文題目のみは、和文・英文を併記すること。
#Approximately 4,000 characters in Japanese, or 1,500 words in English. The Doctoral Thesis title, however, must be written in both Japanese and English.
Report of Examination
Name: 4011S012-8 Jeffrey James Hall
Title: Finding Meaning Online: Grassroots Media & Conservative Activism in Japan
Translation: 日本におけるオンライン草の根メディアと保守系政治運動
1. Summary
The purpose of this study is to explore the phenomenon of internet-mediated grassroots conservative activism in Japanese society. Using a framework based on Strategic Action Field theory, it explores how a Japanese conservative media organization – Nihon Bunka Channel Sakura – maintained cohesion, raised funds, and held protests that regularly drew hundreds to thousands of participants. The study argues that skilled social actors within Channel Sakura have built a cohesive grassroots protest organization through the creation of shared meaning for itself and its supporters.
2. Table of Contents Introduction
Chapter 1: Literature Review, Theory, and Methodology 1.1 Literature Review – The Internet & Activism in Japan 1.2 Literature on Internet-Mediated Collective Action 1.3 Methodology
Chapter 2: The Landscape of Post-War Japanese Conservative Activism 2.1 The Pre-1990 Period
2.2 The 1990’s and the Assertive Conservative Right 2.3 The Assertive Conservative Right
2.4 Closing Thoughts
Chapter 3: The Birth of Channel Sakura 3.1 Takeo Tagata – Kamikaze Pilot Activist
3.2 Matsuura Yoshiko – A Student of Mishima and Japan’s New Right 3.3 Satoru Mizushima
3.4 Funding Channel Sakura
3.5 Channel Sakura’s Programming 3.6 Channel Sakura on YouTube 3.7 Tamogami Toshio
3.8 Ganbare Nippon
3.9 Channel Sakura’s Vision of the Japanese People 3.10 Channel Sakura & The Mainstream Media 3.11 Non-Violence & Legal Protest
3.12 Hate Speech
3.13 Cooperation with Allied Organizations 3.14 Closing Thoughts
Chapter 4: Channel Sakura’s Meaning-Making 4.1 Patriotic Heroes
4.2 Symbols on the Set
4.3 Rallying Around the Flag at Yasukuni 4.4 YouTube Comment Threads
4.5 Meaning from Historical Comparisons 4.6 Thoughts on Meaning Making
Chapter 5: The Anti-NHK Protest Campaigns
5.1 Background – NHK, Bias, and Protest Activities 5.2 Strategic Action Field
5.3 The “Japan Debut” Protest Campaign 5.4 First Reponses
5.6 Issues of Contention 5.7 Protest Methods Used
5.8 The Anti-NHK Protests – Conclusion
Chapter 6: Remembering the Battle of Okinawa 6.1 Civilian Death in Okinawa: Who to Blame?
6.2 The Comfort Women Issue 6.3 Events in the 2000’s
6.4 Strategic Action Field
6.5 The 32nd Army Headquarters 6.6 A “Censored” Signboard
6.7 Closing Thoughts
Chapter 7: The Senkaku Islands: Protest Marches & Boat Activism 7.1 Senkaku Islands – Background
7.2 The 2010 Boat Collision Incident 7.3 Channel Sakura & Nihon Seinensha 7.4 After the Video Leaked
7.5 Crowdfunding for a Boat 7.6 Buying the Senkaku Islands 7.7 Landing on Uotsuri Island 7.8 China’s Reaction
7.9 Increased Restrictions on Boat Activism 7.10 Returning to the Senkakus
7.11 Closing Thoughts Conclusion
3. Content
Chapter 1 consists of four sections. Sections 1 and 2 carry out a literature review of existing scholarly works on the internet and activism inside and outside of
Japan, demonstrating both a lack of research on the particular topic of his dissertation, as well as the significance of using a framework that has not been applied such research. Section 3 explains the framework, which is based on the concepts of Strategic Action Fields and Social Skill. The forth section explains the qualitative methodology employed by the author and explains terminology used in the study.
Chapter 2 also consists of four sections. In explaining the “landscape” of post-war Japanese conservative activism, the author is laying out background information for emergence of Channel Sakura. Section 1 details the different types of conservative activism that were prevalent in Japan from 1945 and the 1990’s.
Sections 2 and 3 then describe the emergence of the Assertive Conservative Right, a category of Japanese conservatives who focus their activities on trying to encourage a positive portrayal of Japan’s pre-1945 history. Drawing on existing literature about politicians and activists within the Assertive Conservative Right, the author argues that the right draws its support from a grassroots base of people who are dissatisfied with the state of post-1990’s Japan. Amid the malaise of economic decline, the ending of the Cold War order, and the end of the Showa era, some Japanese saw conservative activism as a meaningful social experience that also aimed to help Japan reclaim its sense of purpose in the world.
Chapter 3 describes the birth of Nihon Bunka Channel Sakura. It has 14 sections, which the author uses to explain how key persons from within the Assertive Conservative Right came together and formed a new internet-based media outlet.
Sections 1,2, and 3 describe the three principal founders of Channel Sakura and the life experiences that led them towards conservative activism. Sections 4,5, and 6 describe how they acted as skilled social actors, using their social ties, fundraising abilities, and professional skills to found a TV network. It also describes how the organization overcame funding difficulties by adopting an unconventional system based on free online distribution of programming and voluntary monetary contributions from viewers. The remaining sections of the chapter detail how Channel Sakura functioned as a grassroots organization, promoting a view of itself as a moderate, non-violent, law-abiding group of truth-seeking patriots who provided a truthful alternative to the “bias” of Japan’s mainstream media. The author also explains how allied organizations, such as pro-Taiwan independence groups, have benefitted from cooperation with Channel Sakura.
Chapter 4 explores how Channel Sakura uses symbols and stories to create
meaning for its viewers. It is divided into sections explaining different forms of such meaning-making: the use of stories and slogans of patriotic heroes, the use of symbolic scenery and images, the use of offline ritual gatherings, and the use of historical events such as the Holocaust. It shows how there were skilled social actors within Channel Sakura who have made use of a variety of meaning-making tactics to build solidarity and support from viewers.
Chapters 5, 6, and 7 are empirical examinations of Channel Sakura’s role in three activist campaigns – the anti-NHK protests, the Okinawa signboard protest, and the Senkaku islands dispute. The chapters are structured in a manner that explained the background/context of the campaigns, mentioned the points of dispute, and provided details of the activists’ actions. Each campaign was explained in terms of SAF theory, with Channel Sakura’s leaders employing Social Skill to create shared meaning for their followers.
Several conclusions are drawn from this research. First of all, the emergence of groups like Channel Sakura is shown to have been a product of the Japan’s post-1990’s circumstances - in which malaise led some people to find meaning from participation in the activism of the Assertive Conservative Right. Secondly, it was shown that Channel Sakura’s actions and the tactics it used were reflected in its position within certain Strategic Action Fields. Thirdly, the use of Social Skill was shown as having helped Channel Sakura maintain cohesion for a decade.
4. Evaluation
This dissertation addresses a topic of importance to scholars from a variety of fields, applying a novel multi-disciplinary approach to examining online conservative activism. The author produced a nuanced discussion of the differences between conservative and right-wing groups in Japan, describing factors that have caused them to change over time, which would be of value to Japanese Studies scholars.
The use of SAF to frame and analyze Channel Sakura would also be of interest to scholars of sociology and media studies who may wish to apply a similar methodology in their research. From an International Relations perspective, the topics covered also had significance in illustrating the role of activist groups in international disputes.
The use of online source material (videos, comments on social media, etc), supported with the use of a variety of print and traditional media sources forms an impressive and valuable example of empirical research. The dissertation examiners
particularly noted that the analysis in Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 were very effective in articulating and explaining the emergence and evolution of a peripheral nationalism in Japan. The author specifically analyzed the cases of the anti-NHK protests, the Okinawa signboard protest, and the Senkaku islands dispute in detailed and thoughtful way. The work successful captured the evolving nature of Japanese nationalism, and it eloquently discussed a more textured understanding of the varieties of nationalism cohabiting in Japan.
Having discussed the academic significance of this dissertation, the committee members also raised some questions and shortcomings: definitions of “conservative”
and “right” should be further clarified, the literature review should be expanded to discuss other methods used by scholars, the explanation of SAF and theory should be improved in the empirical chapters, and the conclusion needed to strongly state the implications of the findings and place them in a wider context of relevant academic debates.
5. Decision of the Committee
Based upon the examination and discussion of the submitted dissertation among committee members, we agree that the work had significant academic contribution in the field of Japanese studies, media studies, history, sociology, and international relations. Hence, the committee members came to a unanimous conclusion that Jeffrey Hall, the author of the submitted dissertation, should be granted a Ph.D.
degree.
