Japan-China Sociological Society
Chairman Kazuhisa Nishihara
Professor Emeritus of Nagoya University/Professor Emeritus of Seijo University
My name is Kazuhisa Nishihara, and I was unexpectedly elected as the president of the Japan-China Sociological Association and was approved at the general meeting. When I was offered the position of president, I was unsure whether or not to accept the position due to my own research and age, but I would like to express my gratitude to the Japan-China Sociology Society and Chinese sociology researchers for their great support. So, I decided to accept the offer as a way of repaying your kindness.
Although my older siblings were all born in the former Manchuria, I am not a researcher of Chinese society. However, he has experience in researching young trainees and technical interns from China, and has also taught sociology as a visiting professor at Nanjing University and Beijing Foreign Studies University. We have several international students who are currently teaching in China.
In terms of academic exchange, since the beginning of the 21st century, he has been a member of the ``East Asian Sociology Researchers Network'' and a director of the ``East Asian Sociological Association,'' which is based on this network, and has been involved in international exchanges with the Japanese Sociological Association. He has also focused on academic exchanges between Japan and China as chairman and an organizing member of the Yokohama Conference of the International Sociological Association, and has also been close with Chinese researchers at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Jilin University, Fudan University, Shanghai University, Zhejiang University, and the University of Hong Kong. I have had the opportunity to interact with you. In this connection, I supervised the Japanese translations of Professor Li Peilin, then president of the Chinese Sociological Association, and several of my papers, including lectures I gave in China, have been translated into Chinese and published. In the current Sino-Japanese relationship, I would like to work to further revitalize people-to-people exchanges (not international exchanges), with a focus on academic exchanges. I decided to accept the chairmanship because I thought it was something I could and should do.
In order to state the first of my beliefs as president, I once again checked the bylaws of the Japan-China Sociological Association. Article 1.2 of the bylaws states, ``The association aims to promote exchanges between the sociological societies of Japan and China, The purpose is to contribute to the development of sociology in both countries." This purpose exactly expresses what I want to do. Currently, I have established the Peace Sociology Study Group and am working towards building peace sociology.Peace is a major premise for people-to-people exchanges, not only between Japan and China, but also transnationally. Looking back at the greetings of past presidents on this website from this perspective, we find that in the greeting of former president Meiwa Shuto, the aspiration of our predecessors was ``to deepen mutual understanding between Japan and China through academic exchange, and ultimately to achieve world peace.'' ``The Japan-China Sociological Association is a valuable platform left behind by our predecessors for mutual understanding between Japan and China and the realization of world peace.'' A passage is written. I value the words of my predecessors and intend to make them my duty as chairman. That is the first statement of my belief.
So, regarding the second policy statement, it seems that one of the "predecessors" that former Chairman Shuto is referring to is the late former Chairman Norihiro Nakamura. I had a relationship with former Chairman Nakamura who often shared drinks with him in China and Japan, but one important thing that remains in my memory is the so-called meeting of the Board of Directors at the Otsuka Campus of the University of Tsukuba. I was involved in the publication of two academic journals.After various discussions, I proposed that the journal be called ``21st Century East Asian Sociology,'' and former President Nakamura immediately agreed, and the name was decided upon. Although there have been some ups and downs, we are currently up to No. 12. This second academic journal is also thanks to the hard work of former presidents of the society, such as Professors Lixing Chen, Professor Shuto, and Professor Yuko Minami, who I know directly. It has grown into a magazine. I myself often talk about the idea of an ``East Asian community'' in my lectures and papers between Japan and China, and this discussion is one way to realize a ``peaceful world society.'' That is why, in order to further develop the research of the members of the Japan-China Sociology Association, we will continue to cherish this ``21st Century East Asian Sociology'' as well as the 30th issue of ``Japan-China Sociology Research'' this year. I think so. This is my second statement of belief.
This is a bit long, but I would like to conclude with one more important point. There is no doubt that the Japan-China Sociology Association is based on research on Chinese society and research on Japanese society, but I personally believe that it has the same weight as the research on the transnational "Japan-China exchange" as a whole. We would also like to emphasize research on the past, present, and future. It is precisely because Japan-China relations are currently fraught with political and economic problems that it is important to reconsider the historical present of "Japan-China exchanges" that have been accumulated at the level of the daily lives of people in their daily lives, and to prepare for the future. We would like to be involved in creating a new history of people-to-people exchanges between Japan and China. To achieve this, we have high expectations, especially for the young generation between Japan and China. We would like to revitalize study groups and research meetings that include young people, link regular research meetings with annual research conferences, and reconsider "people-to-people exchanges" between Japan and China. This is the third statement of our beliefs.
Nowadays, in addition to research on international students and workers from China, as well as Chinese international marriage immigrants, there is also research on Chinese settlements and so-called Chinatowns in Japan, and research on transnational issues at the level of the daily life world in Japan. There is no shortage of research themes for China-China exchange. To this extent, Sino-Japanese exchanges are deepening on a daily-world level. I believe that research that focuses on this will be extremely important as we head into the post-corona era, when exchanges will become even more active.
As president, I have played a small role in the Japan-China Sociological Society, which can be summarized as follows: (3) revitalizing research, including research on Japan-China exchange among members involving younger generations, and (2) promoting research in East Asia, with a focus on Japan and China. We would like to place importance on research that is oriented toward the world, and on ways in which through such research, we can contribute to mutual understanding between Japan and China, and ultimately to world peace. After reaffirming this point, I would like to conclude my greetings, although this is rather long. Let's join forces and work together to advance sociological research between Japan and China.