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Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science

ISSN Print: 2576-0556 Downloads: 472725 Total View: 3628918
Frequency: monthly ISSN Online: 2576-0548 CODEN: JHASAY
Email: jhass@hillpublisher.com
Article Open Access http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.12.008

How the Emperor Governs the Nation: Discourse on Rice Cultivation and Biopolitics

Di Yang

Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210054, Jiangsu, China.

*Corresponding author: Di Yang

Published: January 6,2025

Abstract

Focusing on the discourse of rice cultivation, this study examines the symbolic and political functions of rice within the governance of the Japanese imperial state, drawing on Foucault's concept of biopolitics and Agamben's theory of the state of exception. Rice, as a high-yield and sedentary agricultural practice, not only supported social prosperity but also legitimized imperial rule through mythological narratives, religious rituals, and discourses of power. The discourse of rice cultivation reinforced the division between "normal" life and the "state of exception" in political governance, incorporating non-rice-cultivating groups into a system of exclusionary control while serving as a symbolic tool for imperial expansion. By analyzing cases of ancient monarchy and modern colonial governance—such as the management of the Ainu, the Truku people, and non-rice-cultivating populations in Korea—this paper reveals how the discourse of rice cultivation was embedded within the power structure of the Emperor system. Through the normalization of lifestyles and governance via the state of exception, it facilitated national integration and territorial expansion, offering new insights into the mechanisms of imperial power in Japan.

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How to cite this paper

How the Emperor Governs the Nation: Discourse on Rice Cultivation and Biopolitics

How to cite this paper: Di Yang. (2024) How the Emperor Governs the Nation: Discourse on Rice Cultivation and Biopolitics. Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Science8(12), 2701-2705.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/jhass.2024.12.008