Eugenics: Creating a Japanese Race
The history of eugenics in Japan, which was propelled by the adoption of “‘pure blood’ as a criterion of authentic Japaneseness,” is used to examine the issues of interracial sex or marriage in a social context, but based on biology (Robertson, 332). Furthermore, this ideology is used to support nation building, as seen in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Prior to competing, the Japanese government created the best bodies to present to the world and display Japanese superiority. The concept of giving your body to the nation through sport is explored on the page, "Property of the Country", which is in this path.
Works Cited:
Burke, Rachael S. "Embodying A Multicultural Society?: Mixed-Race (Hafu) Children in Japanese Early Childhood Education." Embodiment and Cultural Differences. Eds.
Bianca Maria Pirani and Thomas Spence Smith. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2016. 221. Web.
Robertson, Jennifer. "Biopower: Blood, Kinship, and Eugenic Marriage." A Companion to the Anthropology of Japan. Ed. Jennifer Robertson. Blackwell Publishing, 2008. 329. Web.