Joanne Miyang Cho - German-East Asian Encounters and Entanglements: Affinity in Culture and Politics Since 1945

This volume surveys transnational encounters and entanglements between Germany and East Asia since 1945, a period that has witnessed unprecedented global connections between the two regions. It examines their sociopolitical and cultural connections through a variety of media. Since 1945, cultural flow between Germany and East Asia has increasingly become bidirectional, spurred by East Asian economies unprecedented growth. In exploring their dynamic and evolving relations, this volume emphasizes how they have negotiated their differences and have frequently cooperated toward common goals in meeting the challenges of the contemporary world. Given their long-standing historical differences, their post-1945 relations reveal a surprisingly high degree of affinity in many areas. To show how they have deeply shaped each others views, this volume presents 12 chapters by scholars from the fields of history, sinology, sociology, literature, music, and film. Topics include cultural topics, such as German and Swiss writers on East Asia (Enzensberg, Muschg, and Kreitz), Japanese writers on Germany (Tezuka and Tawada), German commemorative culture in Korea, Beethoven in China, metal music in Germany and Japan, diary films on Japan (Wenders), as well as sociopolitical topics, such as SinoEast German diplomacy, Germans and Korean democracy, and Japanese and Korean communities in Germany.

Joanne Miyang Cho is Professor of History at William Paterson University of New Jersey.

Studies of Diplomatic Missions in Testing Situations

The Mao Era and its Legacies

Signs, Communication Systems, and the Preparation, Legitimization, and Commemoration of Collective Mass Violence

Affinity in Culture and Politics since 1945

In Defence of Freedom

For a full list of titles, please visit: https://www.routledge.com/history/series/MODHIST

First published 2021

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2021 selection and editorial matter, Joanne Miyang Cho; individual chapters, the contributors

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Names: Cho, Joanne Miyang, 1959 editor.

Title: GermanEast Asian encounters and entanglements : affinity in culture and politics since 1945 / edited by Joanne Miyang Cho.

Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York : Routledge, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, [2021] |

Series: Routledge studies in modern history ; 75 | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Subjects: LCSH: GermanyRelationsEast Asia. | East AsiaRelationsGermany. | GermanyCivilizationEast Asian influences. | East AsiaCivilizationGerman influences. | GermanyCivilization20th century. | GermanyCivilization21st century. | East AsiaCivilization20th century. | East AsiaCivilization21st century.

Classification: LCC DD120.E18 G47 2021 (print) |

LCC DD120.E18 (ebook) | DDC 303.48/24305dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020038721

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020038722

ISBN: 978-0-367-63396-7 (hbk)

ISBN: 978-1-003-11904-3 (ebk)

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Joanne Miyang Cho

This volume surveys transnational encounters and entanglements between Germany and three East Asian nations, namely the Republic of Korea (the ROK), Japan, and the Peoples Republic of China (the PRC) from 1945 to the present. It examines their social and political connections, as well as their cultural connections, through a variety of media. During this period, which is often referred to as the age of globalization, there has been an unprecedented amount of interaction between these two regions. The frequency of this engagement is particularly remarkable given the enormous geographical distance between them, situated as they are on opposite ends of the globe. In exploring their dynamic and evolving relations, this volume highlights not only connectedness but also entanglement and hybridity. It shows how these nations have negotiated their differences and frequently cooperated toward common goals in meeting the challenges of the contemporary world. Despite their long-standing historical and cultural differences, Germany and East Asia have been able to reach a surprisingly high degree of affinity in a number of areas. In contrast to the pre-1945 period, when the direction of this cultural flow was predominantly from Germany to East Asia, relations in the post-1945 era have become increasingly bidirectional, spurred in part by the East Asian nations unprecedented economic growth. In the twenty-first century, they have become equal global partners.

This present volume contributes to the field of Furthermore, these regions of Asia are still quite diverse in terms of their religious identities, history, levels of industrialization, and political systems. This volume therefore specifically focuses on German relations with East Asian nations. While each of the nations in East Asia has its own unique history, they still share many similarities in history, society, economy, religion, philosophy, and culture. Moreover, their connections with Germany show several close similarities. With respect to its historiography, GermanEast Asian studies is still in a somewhat nascent phase and thus more work in this area is highly desirable.

This volume captures important moments in GermanEast Asian relations since 1945. As a thematic volume, it considers both German influences on East Asia as well as East Asian influences on Germany from a variety of perspectives, highlighting their connections and entanglements culturally, socially, and politically. This chapter specifically addresses three aspects related to this edited volume. First, it presents a brief survey of GermanEast Asian relations since 1945. While the East Asian nations share several important commonalities in their respective relations to Germany, each has also had its own unique relationship with Germany. Second, it explores the historiographical landscape on GermanEast Asian relations since 1945 by examining edited works that have appeared in recent years. It explores works that analyze German relations with the individual East Asian countries, as well as works that probe German relations with the East Asian region. Third, it presents the key arguments of the 12 chapters in the 4 parts. Topics include sociopolitical issues, such as diplomacy, democratization, and immigrant communities, as well as cultural themes, such as commemorative culture, literature, music, graphic novels/manga, and film. Together, the essays testify to the extent that Germany and East Asia have become entangled since 1945. They also show how cultural flows in this transnational relationship have become increasingly bidirectional, in contrast to the pre-1945 period.