Japan and the Eastern World

The fourth International Conference on Oriental Studies in Vietnam, themed “Japan and the Eastern World,” was jointly organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Toshiba Foundation (Japan) on February 6, 2009. More than 30 papers were presented at the conference, showcasing new research on various issues in Oriental studies.

The conference was divided into two subcommittees: Subcommittee 1: Japan in the Eastern World; Subcommittee 2: Issues in Oriental Studies.

Discussing Japan in the context of the Eastern world, reports consistently highlight the miraculous transformations Japan has undergone since its opening up and integration into the international community. This issue has been thoroughly researched and analyzed by Japanese scientists and researchers from many other countries, highlighting the advantages of the Japanese government's economic and foreign policies that have led to rapid and sustainable growth, making Japan the first economic superpower in Asia and a prominent political figure in the modern world. The world highly values ​​the "Japanese miracle" and praises its highly effective and unique development and management model. In this model, three main pillars – lifetime employment, seniority-based pay, and domestic labor unions – have created its uniqueness and are the reasons behind Japan's miraculous achievements over the past decades. This model has even spread, been learned from, and successfully applied to varying degrees and in different ways in many other countries.

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2009/02/10/img_0431.jpg" border="0" alt="Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh speaking at the conference" title="Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Khanh speaking at the conference" width="240" height="161" align="left" ]

However, in the current context, are the old development models still suitable for the realities of societal development? What will the Japanese do to continue maintaining their role and position on the international stage? What lessons from Japan can Vietnam learn during its current period of industrialization and modernization? These are questions that require careful consideration and research from the scientific community.

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2009/02/10/img_6695.jpg" border="0" alt="Prof. Dr. Mai Ngoc Chu and Dr. Trinh Cam Lan chaired subcommittee 2: Issues in Oriental Studies" title="Prof. Dr. Mai Ngoc Chu and Dr. Trinh Cam Lan chaired subcommittee 2: Issues in Oriental Studies" width="240" height="161" align="right" ]

Other reports focus on analyzing the foreign policies that the Japanese government has applied in its relations with several countries in the region such as Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia during certain historical periods since World War II. In particular, these reports highly praise the cultural diplomacy strategy that Japan has successfully implemented in fully leveraging the strength and influence of cultural elements to persuade and strengthen cooperation with partners, enhancing the country's image, thereby achieving diplomatic successes and contributing to other economic, political, defense, and security interests.

Other reports explore the unique cultural characteristics of Japan through its architecture, analyze the subtle transformations of Japanese people and society through famous Japanese literary works, and highlight the names of modern Japanese writers who have become famous worldwide.

In Subcommittee 2, discussing issues of Oriental studies, the reports are a collection of new and diverse research in many specific fields such as linguistics, literature, education, art, and humanities, but linked to narrow specializations such as Indian studies, Southeast Asian studies, Korean studies, and Chinese studies.