Research Achievements

Excellent papers on Asian regional integration, which are prepared mainly by young researchers such as GIARI members, co-researchers, research fellows, and research assistants, will be published as working papers. Contributed papers, written in English or in Japanese, will be reviewed and examined by the editorial committee before publication. GIARI donates published papers to the libraries of Waseda and other related universities, research organizations, etc.

Popular Culture and Regional Identity in East Asia:
Evidence from the Asia Student Survey 2008

Hiro Katsumata(*) and Takeshi Iida(**)
May 2011

[182KB]

• (*) Assistant Professor, the Waseda University Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies
• (**) Assistant Professor, the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies, Waseda University

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of cultural exchanges on the　formation of an East Asian regional identity. Has the spread of popular culture led to　the formation of a collective identity in East Asia? A statistical analysis of the data　from the Asia Student Survey 2008 demonstrates that cultural exchanges have a　positive impact on the formation of an East Asian regional identity. In East Asia, the　spread of popular culture has led to the formation of a collective identity or the　cultivation of a sense of “we-ness” or “we-feeling.” In concrete terms, students who are　more frequently exposed to cultural products originating in East Asia – specifically, TV　programs, movies and animations produced in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong　Kong and China – tend to identify themselves more strongly as “Asians,” and be more　sympathetic to the concept of “Asian citizenship.”