Japan - Vietnam, a relation under influences

Summary

Japan and Vietnam: two different worlds? The paths of the North Asian economic giant and the Southeast Asian socialist country in the throes of transition were not particularly meant to cross. But this geography–economics logic has been disproved by History time and again.

Way back in the 14th century, Japanese merchants contributed to the prosperity of Hoi An, the Annamese city. Since then there have been numerous, often conflictual encounters. From the time of the occupation by the Imperial army during the Second World War up to the utilisation of the Okinawa base by the American B-52’s during the Vietnam war, Tokyo has been perceived as an enemy by Hanoi.

Today there is a rapprochement between the two countries and a certain convergence of their cultural models.

Guy Faure and Laurent Schwab take us along the path of this mutation which in a certain way marks the emergence of a new Asia.

About this book

Japan - Vietnam, a relation under influences is a translation of the French book Japon - Viêt Nam, Histoire d'une relations sous influences published by IRASEC - Les Indes Savantes in 2004.

Biography

A politologue and economist, Guy FAURE is a specialist on Japan, a researcher at the CNRS and Deputy Director of the Institut d'Asie Orientale in Lyon. He is in charge of the Far East Degree programme at the IEP in Lyon. He has lived 14 years in Asia.

Laurent SCHWAB is an economist. He has published many books and articles on the Japanese economy. He served as an expert on the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for the Asia-Pacific Region in Bangkok. He has been living in Vietnam since 1992 where he organises training programmes and works as a consultant.

CFVG director, doctor in macroeconomics and the author of two books on Japan; he oversees the project and will cover institutional aspects.

NUS Press Singapore

NUS Publishing looks after academic publishing at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Its main activity is the operation of NUS Press Pte Ltd and Singapore University Press Pte Ltd (SUP).

IRASEC

Based in Bangkok, the Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia is a member of the network of research centres of the French Foreign Ministry. IRASEC is calling on specialists from all academic fields to study the important social, political, economical and environemental developments that affect, together or separately, the eleven countries of the region (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam).