Japanese kyōsei: A comparative model for co-existence in Africa?

“South Africa and Africa: Prevaricating at the Precipice?” Conferences love question marks in their titles and this was the provocative title that we were workshopping for two days in early February. The Department of Political Studies and Governance, University of the Free State (UFS), the Osaka School for International Public Policy and the Southern African Centre for Collaboration in Peace and Security Studies have hosted an annual workshop for the past ten years to share ideas and discuss issues related to peace and security in Africa. As usual, a diverse group of people were in attendance with opposing views represented by a variety of speakers including Ms. Helen Zille, Chairperson of the Democratic Alliance’s Federal Council, Mr. Isaac Mashaba from the ANC and author of “Practical Politics, Power and Governance,” Mr. Eeben Barlow, Chairman of the Specialised Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection (STTP) organization, Mr. Masa Sugano, from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, plus academics from several universities in Japan, South Africa, and worldwide.

Professor Francis Peterson, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of UFS, welcomed the participants by issuing a challenge: “What do we need to do as “active citizens” to address the problems in Africa?” He then turned to our small group who had braved the coronavirus scare and travelled the great distance from Japan (it was early February and not yet a pandemic). He expressed his delight at our presence by directing his challenge exclusively in our direction, “We are happy to welcome our colleagues from Japan. I am looking forward to hearing what Japan can offer from its experience of dealing with Korea and China.” I leaned over to Professor Virgil Hawkins, the unelected leader of our intrepid consortium, and whispered, “Kyōsei”.

This was to be the theme of my presentation with its own question marked title and while I was not there to deliver a magical formula for societal transformation, I kept as the mantra for my own faith in the concept the wise words of Shiho Satsuka and Grant Jun Otsuki (2016), “Multiculturalism and kyōsei are not goals to achieve but points of departure from which to better engage the actually existing diversity in the world.” But where to begin when looking at the question of whether kyōsei or multiculturalism are fitting models of engagement in Africa and when trying to understand the intersections of different models of co-existence?

I began, accompanied by a recording of the incomparable Aretha Franklin singing “Respect” by introducing the doctoral program I have been involved with at Osaka University for the past six years: the RESPECT program. RESPECT is an acronym for Revitalizing and Enriching Society through Pluralism, Equity, and Cultural Transformation. It aims, through the concept of kyōsei as outlined in its colourful brochure, to train a

“new generation of leaders, who are equipped with advanced knowledge and skills that span the natural and social sciences as well as the humanities, and have hands-on experience in global settings…to enhance their expertise within their relevant specialist fields, while simultaneously training to become multicultural innovators…equipped with the knowledge, skills, principles, and ability to take the necessary actions to design and implement future-oriented (mirai: 未来) models for the co-existence (kyōsei:共生) among people with diverse social and cultural backgrounds.”

Kyōsei aims to look beyond issues of nationalities, ethnicities, languages, and religions and to consider how cultural affiliations “necessarily encompass variations not only in ethnic background, but also socio-economic background and…the intersection of factors such as gender differences, generation gaps, health status, and disability.” You can find out more by following this link.

So much attention in current discourses focus on the link between China and Africa and the huge financial investments in infrastructure and development projects that resemble colonial-style power relations that have been popularly described as “China in Africa” (e.g. see The Guardian and Quartz). This one-sided focus excludes exchanges and connections that exist between African countries and other parts of Asia and exchanges that are not always financial in nature. This conference and the exchange of ideas of kyōsei are illustrations of the kind of grassroots exchange of ideas that is also happening alongside (or outside) of big infrastructure investments.

So what exactly is “kyōsei” and is it useful as a concept for comparison with other contexts? Unfortunately (and perhaps this is its strength), there is no “exactly” about it and in typical Japanese fashion it is a vague and somewhat ambiguous term that has its roots in Confucianism, Shintoism and Buddhism, which for some critics renders it a meaningless concept of no practical value. However, its very vagueness and stubborn refusal to be contained within a tidy definition allows it to be appropriated in many diverse areas. Reinold Ophüls-Kashima (2013) points out that kyōsei represents “less a system or a model than the principle of cooperation between usually unequal partners, one stronger and one weaker” (emphasis mine) and is rooted deeply in biological-ecological discourse. In fact, kyōsei (共 生), originally a scientific term in the fields of biology and ecology with the meaning of ‘symbiosis,’ is used in Japan metaphorically for all forms of a cooperative living-together including human and non-human. The word combines kyō (共, together) and sei (生, life).

Kyōsei therefore embodies the three aspects of “symbiosis”, including parasitism:

However, in practice, kyōsei emphasizes the positive components of symbiosis and stands in stark opposition to the destructive elements of parasitism, particularly in its metaphorical sense such as the parasitical classes, parasitical behavior and, pertinent to Africa, colonial (and neoliberal) parasites:

Despite its origins as a scientific term, kyōsei is a spiritual concept that defies concrete definition and therefore is perhaps best described through philosophy. Two of the most important proponents of kyōsei are the Japanese architect, businessman, and political activist, Kurokawa Kishō and the contemporary Japanese Philosopher, Ozeki Shūji. Here is a summary of their thoughts on symbiosis and kyōsei:

The big question, and the subject of my presentation at the conference in South Africa, is whether this vague, philosophical (perhaps idealistic) and spiritual concept of kyōsei can be applied in the context of Africa, particularly South Africa where extreme views are held from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) who, under their leader Julius Malema, demand that all land must be nationalized, expropriated without compensation (see more at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEeUe9lhhUg) to the community of Afrikaners living in the whites-only town of Orania who believe there is a “war on the white skin” (see more at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImTUw5pNjEs).  In other parts of Africa, laws promote intolerance, particularly against homosexuality, women have few rights, and the rich-poor gap is positively obscene.

The problems may seem intractable but kyōsei is not something that can happen from the top down, it always begins at the grassroots level. It begins with stories. Barry Frechette, director of the documentary Paper Lanterns (2016), has commented, “the road to peace isn’t easy, but it starts with one step.” Paper Lanterns tells the story of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th, 1945 in which approximately 140,000 people died, including twelve American airmen who were prisoners of war, having been shot down during an air raid a week earlier. Ten of the POWs died that day, and two lived for almost two weeks before succumbing to radiation poisoning. One man, Japanese historian Shigeaki Mori (a “hibaku-sha”: atomic bomb survivor) began the long process of identifying the men, then tracking down and meeting their families in the US, who had been given no information on the fate of the men. As a result of his efforts, the names of those twelve airmen are now inscribed in the Hiroshima Peace Museum along with the other victims of the bombing. The families of the men had never really forgiven the Japanese for starting the war against America and the atomic bombings on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki are widely regarded as unjustifiable considering how close the Japanese were to surrendering. Yet, within this story of compassion for equal victims of a tragedy lies the essence of kyōsei which can bring about reconciliation, forgiveness, and hope. (You can watch the trailer for Paper Lanterns at this link: https://youtu.be/1I1J8boWjDY).

Two years ago, I edited a volume of readings for the RESPECT program entitled “Embracing the Arts: Encounters with Diversity and Co-existence though Literature, Art, Music, Film and Theatre”. The arts, even though they can sometimes be used as instruments of propaganda, possess the power to challenge, to disrupt, to tear down, and to reconstruct, and as such I believe they are essential in any attempt to utilize the concept of kyōsei in society. Girish Daswani has very interesting comments to make on this subject when thinking about bringing kyōsei into conversation with the African continent. Upon reading my blog post, he was able to connect it with his own research with artists (“Artivists”) in Ghana. He wrote,

“Contradiction, conflict, and tension create the possibility for new forms of creative relations and co-operation in Ghana. The groups commonly known for shining a light on contradictions and for encouraging discomfort to dwell among their fellow citizens  are artists, especially those involved in grassroots activism. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu has shown how elites reproduce themselves and implement agendas that are advantageous to their own groups. In Ghana, artists involved in grassroots activism expose elite reproduction and shine a light on socio-economic inequality, corruption, and the ongoing destruction of natural resources – through popular music, satirical cartoons, and other forms of refusal and protest. By focusing on the contradictions inherent to democratic politics – such as ‘why do politicians promise to care for the country but continue to exploit natural resources to the detriment of its citizens and future generations?’ – these artists inhabit a form of kyōsei within their own political and cultural contexts. Think about the recent example of the destruction of Ghana’s Atewa forest (a site for immense biodiversity) for the bauxite being mined for export (mainly to China) amidst protests from local citizens as well as international environmental agencies. Some of the most creative responses to the destruction of this ecosystem came from artists like Kwame Write and Wanlov the Kubolor and their song Never Rest (featuring Choco Guilène)”. (See Girish Daswani’s related article in Cultural Anthropology here)

Kwame Write - Never Rest ft Wanlov the Kubolor & Choco Guilène https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcKes4yQ6So

Professor Francis Peterson began the conference by asking what we needed to do as “active citizens” to address the problems in Africa and whether there was something we could learn from Japan’s experiences of dealing with their often fraught relations with Korea and China. The concept of kyōsei began to be used as a political idea in the 1970s as an approach to heal the tensions between long term Korean residents (Zainichi Koreans) and Japanese. As Chikako Kashiwazaki describes,

“activism since the 1970s by younger generation zainichi Koreans and Japanese supporters comprised another “origin” of kyōsei. As native Japanese speakers who were socialized in Japanese society, language per se was not a barrier for the second- and third-generation zainichi Koreans. Major problems instead were social prejudice and discrimination, on the one hand, and inequality due to legal status, on the other. Those involved in the social movements to fight against ethnic discrimination put forward the slogan “living together” (tomoni ikiru, 共に生きる) which consists of the same word as “coexistence”（kyōsei, 共生） but with the active voice of the verb ikiru（生きる）. “Living together” became a slogan for overall community building, too. In a district with a concentration of zainichi Koreans in Kawasaki City, a forum of neighborhood organizations in 1991 chose “living together” as a keyword with an emphasis on social diversity. They envisaged an inclusive community where everyone - elderly, children, and disabled people as well as zainichi Koreans - could participate fully.” (Kashiwazaki, 2016)

However, throughout Japan, Japanese and Korean relations among ordinary people continued to be sour until a very interesting and quite amusing phenomenon happened early in the 2000s. Known as the Hanryu (韓流) phenomenon (Korean Wave), it was sparked by the popularity of the South Korean TV drama “Winter Sonata.” According to an article in The International Communication Gazette (2007), “The South Korean television series Winter Sonata became popular among Japanese audiences, especially among Japanese middle-aged women, mainly because of the drama’s depiction of pure love, its overall aesthetic and poetic beauty, and its portrayal of characters with traditional values”. The article quotes a corporate employee in her fifties who revealed: “Although South Korea is a neighboring country, I did not try to know the country, and I even looked down on it. Now I want to know South Korea and try to know South Korea. A country that is geographically close but psychologically far became a country that is both geographically and psychologically close.” While a university student also in her fifties commented: “My interest in South Korea has multiplied. My interest has now expanded beyond South Korea to China and other Asian countries.”

That is not to say that a TV program has healed the rift between Korea and Japan, especially considering the continued controversy over the exploitation of Korean “Comfort Women” during the second world war, but it did provide a catalyst for many people to re-think their relationship with their neighbour and with Koreans living in Japan. The appreciation of K-pop among young Japanese, and vice versa the appreciation of J-pop by young Koreans, has also helped to break down barriers. I am in complete agreement with Girish Daswani that the Arts in all their forms do shine a light on what needs to be changed in relation to inequality, corruption, and the environment and it is through the Arts and artists that kyōsei can find its most effective channel in its vision to bring people together.

After my presentation on kyōsei, I was asked whether the extreme views, differences, and bitterness in South Africa and other parts of Africa that I gave as examples could ever allow for the idea of kyōsei to take root. I reiterated my point that the problems in Japan between itself and its neighbours are also deeply entrenched and yet inroads are being made and at the grassroots level there is a real desire to establish meaningful co-existence, and a widespread condemnation of the noisy “hate speech” of a minority of far-right ultranationalist extremists who parade the streets spewing their vitriol from loud speakers attached to ominous black vans.

I sensed a mood of pessimism amongst the audience that such an idealistic concept as kyōsei with its resistance to a concrete definition and its roots in philosophical spirituality lacked potential as a model for co-existence in Africa. But that was part of a wider pessimism that pervaded the whole conference, hence its question as to whether we were skirting around the truth that Africa was indeed at a precipice. However, Professor Dirk Kotze, a political scientist who concentrates on political conflict resolution, described himself in his presentation as positive about the future and encouraged the assembled to break through the pessimism. He pointed out that Africa is not alone in the problems it faces. The world is in transition and with the rise in ultra right wing politics, the proliferation of xenophobia, the bitter wranglings between the Republicans and Democrats in the United States, and the extreme polarization created by the Brexit decision in England, the countries of Africa should not be characterized as facing more problems than the rest of the world. He did not want to look at the big picture but rather, similar to the practical implementation of kyōsei, to concentrate on small positive incidents and build from these.

Professor Philippe Burger, acting dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at UFS, in response to South Africa’s junk status credit rating talked about the necessity to have a “Modern South Africa Vision” and, in words similar to the language used by proponents of mirai kyōsei, to “look beyond our problems to give us something to strive for: a future to which we can move.” Mr. Isaac Mashaba, talked about the points he made in his book (a copy of which was given to each member of the conference) and argued that the “clock of chaos and dysfunctionality can be turned back, or stopped or reset.” He emphasized that anger, apathy, despair, and anti-government sentiments are the result of a neglect of governance. He advocated that Africa and South Africa in particular “require dedicated politicians who refrain from preaching populism, and serve the people instead of serving themselves.” If that can begin to happen, I am convinced there is no reason the concept of  kyōsei could not be used as a way of starting a conversation, in thinking about co-existence in Africa and alongside African models of co-existence.

Kyōsei is not a goal that can be achieved easily in any country, let alone the countries of Africa. And many African countries already have their own iterations of mutual respect and co-existence. However, it is a point of departure and it begins with individual stories that can start cross-cultural conversations. There are already many instances of kyōsei in action in Africa where reconciliation has taken place, barriers have been broken down, and attempts to reconstruct society based on mutual co-existence are being made. It isn’t happening among much of the leadership, as we learned throughout the workshop, but it is being practised among ordinary people, the true representatives of humanity, and expressed through every day actions of mutual trust and RESPECT.

If you wish to learn more about kyōsei and its relationship to Africa please watch this interview I conducted with Professor Eisei Kurimoto, a social anthropologist at Osaka University whose major publications include: Conflict, Age and Power in North East Africa (Jams Currey, 1998); Remapping Ethiopia (James Currey, 2002). He is also one of the main facilitators of the RESPECT program.  https://youtu.be/0SnuyZxvcB

Steve Muller is a lecturer in English on the RESPECT program, Osaka University. Born in England to an Afrikaner father and a British mother he describes himself as the best of two evils. He studied Theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge University specializing in Christian Theology. His main areas of interest are studies in Christology and the writings of Origen (AD185-254) on the concepts of ὑπόστασις (substance) and οὐσία (essence or being) and how they relate to the orthodox Christian understanding of the Trinity. He also spent many years as a professional actor/musician/dancer/choreographer in theatre and on television and radio. He enjoys utilizing drama and role-play in his teaching methods and continues to perform shows in the evenings. You can follow him on his Instagram account “stevemuller1”.

Works Cited:

Daswani, Girish. 2020. On Cynicism: Activist and Artistic Responses to Corruption in Ghana. Cultural Anthropology 35(1): 104-133.

Hanaki, Toru, Arvind Singhal, Min Wha Han, Do Kyun Kim, and Ketan Chitnis. 2007. “Hanryu Sweeps East Asia: How Winter Sonata is Gripping Japan.” The International Communication Gazette 69(3): 281-294.

Kashiwazaki, Chikako. 2016. “Multicultural Discourse and Policies in Japan: An Assessment of Tabunka Kyōsei.” The Gakushuin Journal of International Studies vol.3.

Ophüls-Kashima, Reinold. 2013. “The Concept of kyōsei: Conviviality and Symbiosis in Japan Today."” The Japan Mission Journal 67(3): 173–184.

Otsuki, Grant Jun and Shiho Satsuka. 2016. “Mirai Kyosei: What is a Comparison? Translating Canadian Multiculturalism and Japanese Kyosei.” Journal of Multicultural Innovation vol. 3.