読者の皆さまへ

夏の暑さが収まり、秋学期が始まろうとしています。例年であれば、キャンパスは調査旅行から帰って授業の準備に追われる教員と、夏休みから帰って授業を楽しみにする学生とで賑わっているところです。しかし今年はコロナ危機の影響を受け、キャンパスは驚くほど静かです。ただ、そのかわりに大学はオンライン活動に普段の二倍力を入れています。私たち東京カレッジも、今後数ヵ月にわたり、様々なオンラインイベントを実施していく予定です。まずは招聘研究員・葛兆光教授の特別コーナーを含めたこのメルマガ9月号をお楽しみください。

―東京カレッジ一同

8ヶ月どうもありがとうございました。実りのある滞在となったのでしょうか。

今年の1月から8月までの8ヶ月間、特任教授として東京カレッジで滞在できてとても光栄でした。いうまでもなく、突然に世界を席巻したCOVID-19パンデミックは、あらゆる人の計画を混乱させました。私も例外ではありません。鹿児島や、沖縄、高野山真言宗総本山金剛峯寺への訪問調査は予定通り実行できませんでした。しかし、コロナのおかげとも言えるかもしれませんが、静かな読書時間を手に入れました。この8ヶ月で私は集中的に日本史関係の著作を読み、中国史の視点からどのように日本史を理解するかについて、ささやかですが個人的な認識を得ました。これは思わぬ収穫と思います。

東京カレッジでの研究活動についてご感想を聞かせてください。

東京カレッジは、学際的、国際的な研究機関で、成立当初掲げた四つの研究テーマ（および最近加えた五つ目の研究テーマ）のどれも非常に有意義なもので、きっと国際学界で反響を呼びます。異なる専門分野の研究者は思考回路に違いがあるので、互いに理解するためにはコミュニケーションが重要だと思います。また、分野の違い以外に、異なる国々の研究者の問題意識も異なります。これは私がここでの経験を通して感じたことでした。ゆえに最も大きいな収穫とは、国や、民族、学科の壁を超えて、他国、多民族、他分野の見方や方法を学習しなければならないと思ったことです。特に、東京カッレジにはエネルギッシュな若手研究者が大勢います。彼・彼女らの気鋭や活躍する姿に感銘を受けました。言葉の不自由なところもあり、十分に交流できなかったことが残念でした。

帰国後の計画についてお聞かせください。

帰国後、授業のほか、中国と日本との伝統的な政治文化における構造差異について三本の講演原稿を書く予定です。これは私が近くに担当する連続講演のためです。また、引き続き中国で国境を越える歴史研究を推進していきたいと思います。ここ一年半くらい、一般の人々に世界の歴史的なつながりを理解してもらおうと、「中国発のグローバル・ヒストリー」というポッドキャスト番組を企画・主宰しています。この番組は、現在すでに100エピソードを公開しており、数万人が視聴しています。

Dear readers,

The summer heat has finally subsided and the autumn term is about to start. In a usual year the campus would be bustling with activity, with faculty returning from fieldwork and preparing for classes and students reacquainting themselves with the campus. This year, the campus is eerily quiet due to the ongoing impact of the corona pandemic. To counter its impacts, the university is doubling up its efforts online. Tokyo College is no different, and we look forward to introducing a wide range of online events in upcoming months. For now, please enjoy this edition of our newsletter with a special section on our visiting professor, GE Zhaoguang.

-- The Tokyo College Team

How has your experience been so far at Tokyo College?
I've had a fantastic time so far. The group here at Tokyo College is highly diverse, both in terms of academic disciplines and nationality. It's been a rare opportunity in the often insular world of academia to share my research with people with different perspectives, interests, and specializations. I’ve also been excited to participate in events such as the Corona Forum and share my work with the general public.

Could you summarize your current research project for our readers?
My research focuses on the 19th century Japanese colonization of Hokkaido. I analyze Hokkaido as "transnational" colonial space. I look at how methods and institutions which the Meiji state employed in Hokkaido were not only “inspired by” Euro-American precedents, but, in fact, were established with the active participation of foreign experts. In this regard, I also research the colonization of Hokkaido in the context of wider Euro-American imperial expansion in Asia, and see it as an integral part of a global history of empire.

How was your summer?
I had a busy summer! While, because of coronavirus, I wasn't able to make it to Hokkaido, I was able to utilize resources here at the University of Tokyo and many others available online to conduct a second phase of archival research. With my findings, I revised and expanded upon a chapter from my dissertation and aim to publish it in an academic journal. Concurrently, I am part-way through a second article based on entirely new research.

1 One project specialist (translation).
Deadline: Sep 25, 2020

2 Several postdoctoral fellows (3 years).
Deadline: Sep 30, 2020

Thank you for the last eight months. Did you achieve everything you wanted to achieve during your stay?

It was a great privilege being a Project Professor at Tokyo College from January to August. It goes without saying that the COVID-19 pandemic that suddenly swept over the globe brought chaos to everyone's plans, and I am no exception. I could not carry out my research trips to Kagoshima, Okinawa or the Shingon temples at Koyasan as planned. However, perhaps one has to say 'thanks' to Corona, I gained a lot of quiet time that allowed me to read. During these eight months, I concentrated on publications on Japanese history, and I gained some insight into the question how to understand Japanese history from the perspective of Chinese history - an unexpected reward!

What was work at Tokyo College like for you?

Tokyo College is an international and interdisciplinary institution, and I believe its five research foci are of great relevance, so I am certain they will be duly noted by the global academic community. Scholars working in different disciplines have different ways of thinking, which means that good communication is extremely important if we want to understand each other. During my stay I also experienced how the ways of approaching a problem differ from country to country. This was one of the biggest rewards for me: I had to engage with perspectives and methods from other countries, nationalities and disciplines. There are many energetic young researchers at Tokyo College and I was impressed by their spirited efforts. There were also times when I felt language barriers, so I regret I could not interact sufficiently with everyone.

What are your plans for after your return to China?

Apart from teaching obligations, I will prepare a three-part manuscript on the structural differences in traditional political culture between China and Japan for an upcoming lecture series. I also want to further promote historical research across borders in China. During the last eighteen months, I have been organizing a podcast on "Global History from China" in order to help a general audience understand the history of global connections. The podcast has already 100 episodes and several thousand listeners.