Fumio Kumamoto
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About
My areas of expertise include Japanese diplomatic history, particularly during the interwar period between Japan and China.
In the previous year, I published my fourth book, titled "The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere of Foreign Ministry Bureaucrats" (Shincho-Sensho, Tokyo, 2025, in Japanese). In this work, I examined the dismantling of the peace regime of the 1920s and 1930s.
I propose that this analysis may offer insights into contemporary issues, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Expertise Details:
The focus of my research is the diplomatic history of Japan during the 1920s and 1930s, with particular emphasis on its relations with China, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations. I contend that the Manchurian Incident holds significant importance, as it marked a shift in the foreign bureaucracy's stance towards exclusivity following the event. This incident may have served as a catalyst for the destabilization of the established order in Asia.
Publications:
Single authored books:
The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere of Foreign Ministry Bureaucrats, Shincho-Sensho, (Tokyo, 2025, in Japanese)
Shidehara Kijuro, Chuko-Shinsho, (Tokyo, in Japanese, 2021)
Reading Diplomatic Documents of Modern Japan, Minerva-Shobo, (Kyoto, 2020, in Japanese)
Japanese Cultural Diplomatic Policy toward China in Interwar Period, Yoshikawakobunkan, (Tokyo, 2013, in Japanese).
Journal Articles (the following are restricted to papers authored in English):
“The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Interwar Period: The Significance of the Establishment of the Asian Affairs Bureau and Its Diplomacy towards China,” KOMAZAWA SHIGAKU, vol. 83, pp. 91-114 (Tokyo, 2014, in English) https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/kokusaiseiji/2012/168/2012_168_1/_article
Engagement and impact
Awards, Fellowships and Grants
I was awarded the 20th Junzo Kashiyama Prize in the General Publications category for my book, “The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere of Foreign Ministry Bureaucrats” (Shicho-Sensho, 2025), administered by the Kashiyama Scholarship Foundation.
I was awarded the 25th Osaragi Jiro Prize for Commentary for my aforementioned book, which is administered by Asahi Shimbun.
I was awarded the 29th Shiba Ryotaro Prize for my aforementioned book, which is administered by the Shiba Ryotaro Memorial Foundation.
I have recently received significant funding from the Japanese Ministry of Education for a team research project under my leadership (KAKEN-HI: 科研費).
The research project is entitled “Clarifying the Causes and Process of the Disintegration of the Peaceful International Order through an Analysis of the Impact of the Manchurian Incident.”