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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