Hiraizumi – Temples, Gardens and Archaeological Sites Representing the Buddhist Pure Land

Ennobling Japan’s Savage Northeast: Tōhoku as Postwar Thought, 1945–2011 by Nathan Hopson

Nathan Hopson's book 'Ennobling Japan’s Savage Northeast: Tōhoku as Postwar Thought, 1945–2011' provides a detailed historiographical analysis of the postwar discursive construction of Tōhoku, revealing its evolution from an 'empty signifier' in Japanese national narratives to a symbol rich with new meanings. The study identifies two key periods: pre-1980s, where Hiraizumi's archaeological significance was central to ennobling Tōhoku as the 'ennobled savage,' and post-1980s, marked by nostalgia-driven 'Tōhokugaku' or Tohokuology. Hopson critically examines Japanese historians' works, including those of Takahashi Tomio, Umehara Takeshi, and Akasaka Norio, to trace how Tōhoku was reimagined within Japan's historical arc, culminating in its abrupt transformation post-3/11 disaster. The research employs a multidisciplinary approach, synthesizing historiography, regionalism studies, and intellectual history to offer insights into postwar Japan's national identity, race discourses, and regionalism.