A Bizarre Debate between Mr. Honda vs. Mr. Yamaguchi in
1970s :
The origin of dis-communication between Journalism and Cultural Anthropology in Japan
A Bizarre Debate between Mr. Honda vs. Mr. Yamaguchi in
1970s :
The origin of dis-communication between Journalism and Cultural Anthropology in Japan
This article examines
the unsuccessful debate between the journalist Katsuichi Honda and
anthropologist Masao Yamaguchi from June to October 1970 including
afterword of Hondaâs reply published at August 1971. The quintessence
of Hondaâs inquiry, entitled as âThe eyes of the investigated,â was
what the image of western and âwhiteâ anthropologists by the local
people as informants who have been politically suppressed people under
western colonial rules is. Four month later of publishing Hondaâs
paper, famous polemic anthropologist Masao Yamaguchi at 39 years old
wrote long essay with corresponding title, âThe eyes of the
investigator,â which means Anthropologistâs eyes. But Yamaguchiâs essay
could be read as Japanese anthropologistâs self-justification with his
impolite wordings (ad hominem)
against Hondaâs inquiry. Ten month later Honda wrote his short reply
for Yamaguchiâs essay, but Honda expressed his disappointment that
Yamaguchi could not contest with Hondaâs inquiry. At that time the
debate was finished and never had been reopened. The authors challenge
to go back to 1970âs debate scenery under decolonization and the
anti-Vietnam Wars movement and to disentangle communicative cord
between compassionate journalism and neutral-disguising cultural
anthropology. written in Japanese
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