Global Journal of Human Social Science, C: Sociology and Culture, Volume 21 Issue 5

Total War System and Youth Culture in East Asia Looking at 20th Century Culture from the Changes of Mobilization Mode Takumasa Senno Abstract- In recent years, the relations between the governments of Japan, China and South Korea have been very tense. The Chinese government often sends military aircraft or warships to the Senkaku Islands (the Diaoyu Islands), and the South Korean government stationed its troops on Takeshima (Dokdo). Their domestic media also reported daily on Japan's right-leaning. An atmosphere of opposition to Japan is slowly brewing in the societies of the two countries. The media in Japan also daily report the "airspace and territorial water violations" of Chinese military aircraft and warships, as well as anti-Japanese trends in China and South Korea. The societies of the three countries are slowly permeating an atmosphere of mutual hatred. It seems that the entire East Asia lies in a vortex of opposition. In a sense, the government’s declaration and media reports, as well as the dissemination of literature and art, are all modes of mobilizing the public. But looking at the current situation in East Asia, the results of the two mobilizations are completely opposite. Behind it are mobilization changes. In the 1980s, after the so-called era of globalization began, the boundaries between mobilization and mobilization in literature and art began to blur. The transnational common prevalence of subcultures is one of this new mode of cultural mobilization. Looking at today's society from the above changes in the mode of cultural mobilization, we can see two possibilities. One is negative and the other is positive. The negative possibilities are as follows. Many teenagers are only interested in their hobbies and just play with their friends, which greatly reduces their attention to society. The positive possibilities are as follows. Although it is only a superficial thing on the surface, young people have achieved close cross-border cultural exchanges. Although its content is not positive, they already have a common heart. Furthermore, it seems that they have formed a common cultural circle, and there is no friction between them, but they enjoy and assist together. This means that the above model of cultural mobilization has the potential to change the current tension. When we think about whether and how today's culture can promote reality, youth culture may provide us with a new frame of reference. Keywords: subculture, mobilization, theatre-type mobilization, total war system, mobilizer and mobilized, huang jiguang, three bomb soldiers, god of war. I. W hat is the P roblem? n recent years, the relations between the governments of Japan, China, and South Korea have been very tense. Since the Japanese government decided to nationalize the Senkaku Islands ( 尖閣諸島 ) ―― the so-called Diaoyu Islands （钓鱼岛） in China ―― in 2012, the relationship between the governments of China and Japan has deteriorated and summit meetings have not been held until now. The Japanese and Korean governments also deteriorated their relations due to Takeshima Island （竹島） ―― the so-called Dokdo Island ( 独島） in Korea ―― , comfort women and wartime recruitment issues, and until now there has been no summit meeting either. In addition, the Chinese government often sends military aircraft or warships to the sea and airspace of Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands), and the South Korean government stationed its troops on Takeshima (Dokdo Island). Their domestic media also daily report the right-leaning of Japanese society. An atmosphere of opposition to Japan is slowly brewing in the societies of the two countries. The media in Japan also daily report the "infringement of airspace and territorial waters" by Chinese military aircraft and warships, and anti-Japanese trends in China and South Korea. Hate speeches against China and South Korea are gradually appearing in Japan, and Japanese society is slowly pervading the atmosphere of hating China and South Korea. It is not only the relationship between China and South Korea and Japan, but also serious conflicts between China and Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea. It seems that the entire East Asia is in a vortex of opposition. It has really developed to the point where many people worry about it. However, by looking at the youth culture, we can reach a completely different East Asia. When Haruki Murakami （村上春樹） contributed to the Asahi Shimbun （朝日新聞） and advocated that "the way of I Volume XXI Issue V Version I 21 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2021 C © 2021 Global Journals Author: Waseda University, Japan. e-mail: t-senno@waseda.jp The culture of mobilizing the masses began after the emergence of modern culture in the 19th century. We temporarily call it the "theatre-type mobilization" model. A characteristic of this culture model is that the mobilizer (creator, country, etc.) is clearly separated from the mobilized (receiver, the public, etc.). The limit of this model is the cultural mobilization under the total war system, that is, all the people and all the cultural resources in the country are invested for one purpose. Such a culture has existed throughout the world from the 1930s to the end of the Cold War. We can see typical examples in the propaganda pictures of the Nazis, the former Soviet Union and China, and the elementary school texts in China and Japan.