The Japanese Botanists Cataloging Korean Endemic Species, 2024
In the Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Japanese botanists undertook a comprehensive cataloging and classification of Korea's endemic species. This activity, seemingly a scientific endeavor, was transformed into a deliberate instrument of colonial governance. Japan’s broader imperial agenda saw control over the natural environment as a means to dismantle cultural ties and establish hegemonic power over Korea. Through the lens of James C. Scott's concept of "legibility," Japan's efforts can be understood as attempts to simplify and manage the Korean landscape, reducing its ecological complexity to make it more governable under imperial rule.
The scientific classification of Korea’s flora was more than a taxonomic exercise; it was an epistemic imposition that redefined Korean ecological identity through an imperial lens. By systematically ordering and reclassifying native species, Japan stripped them of their cultural significance and reframed them as imperial resources. This practice exemplifies a broader biopolitical strategy where biological entities were manipulated for governance—altering cultural relationships to the land and integrating Korean ecology into the framework of Japanese imperial control. Biopolitics, in this context, not only categorized living organisms but also functioned as a mechanism of ecological domination that facilitated Japan’s imperial ambitions.
The laboratory, often perceived as a neutral space for scientific inquiry, instead operated as a critical site where power dynamics were enacted. These spaces were carefully structured to produce knowledge that supported colonial control, embedding disciplinary power into scientific practice. The meticulous organization of specimens and rigorous observation protocols reveal how nature was transformed into a controllable, quantifiable entity that mirrored the intentions of the empire. The laboratory thus functioned as an extension of colonial power—where nature was rendered legible, standardized, and subjugated.
The botanical sciences did not operate in isolation but were deeply entwined with Japan’s imperial infrastructure. This reflects an assemblage of scientific, administrative, and ideological efforts to control both the land and its cultural narratives. The production of scientific knowledge was not merely an academic pursuit; it was integrated into structures of imperial power. By classifying and documenting flora, Japan made the environment more governable, aligning Korea's ecosystem with a new imperial order. The laboratory at the botanical garden became a site where science intersected with authority, and through this intersection, the scientific exploration of nature was utilized to reinforce and sustain a specific ideological agenda.
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The Japanese Botanists Cataloging Korean Endemic Species, 2024
In the Koishikawa Botanical Garden, Japanese botanists undertook a comprehensive cataloging and classification of Korea's endemic species. This activity, seemingly a scientific endeavor, was transformed into a deliberate instrument of colonial governance. Japan’s broader imperial agenda saw control over the natural environment as a means to dismantle cultural ties and establish hegemonic power over Korea. Through the lens of James C. Scott's concept of "legibility," Japan's efforts can be understood as attempts to simplify and manage the Korean landscape, reducing its ecological complexity to make it more governable under imperial rule.
The scientific classification of Korea’s flora was more than a taxonomic exercise; it was an epistemic imposition that redefined Korean ecological identity through an imperial lens. By systematically ordering and reclassifying native species, Japan stripped them of their cultural significance and reframed them as imperial resources. This practice exemplifies a broader biopolitical strategy where biological entities were manipulated for governance—altering cultural relationships to the land and integrating Korean ecology into the framework of Japanese imperial control. Biopolitics, in this context, not only categorized living organisms but also functioned as a mechanism of ecological domination that facilitated Japan’s imperial ambitions.
The laboratory, often perceived as a neutral space for scientific inquiry, instead operated as a critical site where power dynamics were enacted. These spaces were carefully structured to produce knowledge that supported colonial control, embedding disciplinary power into scientific practice. The meticulous organization of specimens and rigorous observation protocols reveal how nature was transformed into a controllable, quantifiable entity that mirrored the intentions of the empire. The laboratory thus functioned as an extension of colonial power—where nature was rendered legible, standardized, and subjugated.
The botanical sciences did not operate in isolation but were deeply entwined with Japan’s imperial infrastructure. This reflects an assemblage of scientific, administrative, and ideological efforts to control both the land and its cultural narratives. The production of scientific knowledge was not merely an academic pursuit; it was integrated into structures of imperial power. By classifying and documenting flora, Japan made the environment more governable, aligning Korea's ecosystem with a new imperial order. The laboratory at the botanical garden became a site where science intersected with authority, and through this intersection, the scientific exploration of nature was utilized to reinforce and sustain a specific ideological agenda.
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The Japanese Botanists Cataloging Korean Endemic Species, 2024
At the Koishikawa Botanical Garden, part of the University of Tokyo, as well as at other institutions and universities like Kyoto University, Japanese botanists undertook a comprehensive cataloging and classification of Korea's endemic species. This activity, seemingly a scientific endeavor, was transformed into a deliberate instrument of colonial governance. Japan’s broader imperial agenda saw control over the natural environment as a means to dismantle cultural ties and establish hegemonic power over Korea. Through the lens of James C. Scott's concept of "legibility," Japan's efforts can be understood as attempts to simplify and manage the Korean landscape, reducing its ecological complexity to make it more governable under imperial rule.
The scientific classification of Korea’s flora was more than a taxonomic exercise; it was an epistemic imposition that redefined Korean ecological identity through an imperial lens. By systematically ordering and reclassifying native species, Japan stripped them of their cultural significance and reframed them as imperial resources. This practice exemplifies a broader biopolitical strategy where biological entities were manipulated for governance—altering cultural relationships to the land and integrating Korean ecology into the framework of Japanese imperial control. Biopolitics, in this context, not only categorized living organisms but also functioned as a mechanism of ecological domination that facilitated Japan’s imperial ambitions.
The laboratory, often perceived as a neutral space for scientific inquiry, instead operated as a critical site where power dynamics were enacted. These spaces were carefully structured to produce knowledge that supported colonial control, embedding disciplinary power into scientific practice. The meticulous organization of specimens and rigorous observation protocols reveal how nature was transformed into a controllable, quantifiable entity that mirrored the intentions of the empire. The laboratory thus functioned as an extension of colonial power—where nature was rendered legible, standardized, and subjugated.
The botanical sciences did not operate in isolation but were deeply entwined with Japan’s imperial infrastructure. This reflects an assemblage of scientific, administrative, and ideological efforts to control both the land and its cultural narratives. The production of scientific knowledge was not merely an academic pursuit; it was integrated into structures of imperial power. By classifying and documenting flora, Japan made the environment more governable, aligning Korea's ecosystem with a new imperial order. The laboratory at the botanical garden became a site where science intersected with authority, and through this intersection, the scientific exploration of nature was utilized to reinforce and sustain a specific ideological agenda.
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The Japanese Botanists Cataloging Korean Endemic Species, 2024
At the Koishikawa Botanical Garden, part of the University of Tokyo, as well as at other institutions and universities like Kyoto University, Japanese botanists undertook a comprehensive cataloging and classification of Korea's endemic species. This activity, seemingly a scientific endeavor, was transformed into a deliberate instrument of colonial governance. Japan’s broader imperial agenda saw control over the natural environment as a means to dismantle cultural ties and establish hegemonic power over Korea. Through the lens of James C. Scott's concept of "legibility," Japan's efforts can be understood as attempts to simplify and manage the Korean landscape, reducing its ecological complexity to make it more governable under imperial rule.
The scientific classification of Korea’s flora was more than a taxonomic exercise; it was an epistemic imposition that redefined Korean ecological identity through an imperial lens. By systematically ordering and reclassifying native species, Japan stripped them of their cultural significance and reframed them as imperial resources. This practice exemplifies a broader biopolitical strategy where biological entities were manipulated for governance—altering cultural relationships to the land and integrating Korean ecology into the framework of Japanese imperial control. Biopolitics, in this context, not only categorized living organisms but also functioned as a mechanism of ecological domination that facilitated Japan’s imperial ambitions.
The laboratory, often perceived as a neutral space for scientific inquiry, instead operated as a critical site where power dynamics were enacted. These spaces were carefully structured to produce knowledge that supported colonial control, embedding disciplinary power into scientific practice. The meticulous organization of specimens and rigorous observation protocols reveal how nature was transformed into a controllable, quantifiable entity that mirrored the intentions of the empire. The laboratory thus functioned as an extension of colonial power—where nature was rendered legible, standardized, and subjugated.
The botanical sciences did not operate in isolation but were deeply entwined with Japan’s imperial infrastructure. This reflects an assemblage of scientific, administrative, and ideological efforts to control both the land and its cultural narratives. The production of scientific knowledge was not merely an academic pursuit; it was integrated into structures of imperial power. By classifying and documenting flora, Japan made the environment more governable, aligning Korea's ecosystem with a new imperial order. The laboratory at the botanical garden became a site where science intersected with authority, and through this intersection, the scientific exploration of nature was utilized to reinforce and sustain a specific ideological agenda.
MENU
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