Abstract
Cultural integration can contribute to substantially reducing international conflicts. In this study, we examine how popular cultural waves and tourism (or cultural tourism in particular) in Japan, Korea and Taiwan have been facilitating multi-cultural integration in East Asia during the last two decades. Japan’s popular culture was the first wave to gain momentum in this region during the 1980s and 1990s. Then since the late 1990s, the Korean pop culture has become the major wave through the 2000s. Taiwan and the rest of Greater China are emerging as the next wave generator. The four countries comprising Northeast Asia, including China, have steadily increased tourism and cultural exchanges. These cultural exchanges are extended to Southeast Asia and other regions across the world. However, their intensity and degrees have been somewhat different from each other. Recently, research and discourse about a new East Asian form of cultural regionalism have been proliferating from multiple disciplines. Based on extensive research, we conclude and propose four facilitators or conditions should be met for maximizing benefits of all nations and people involved in these exchanges: well-developed and easy-to-use cyber/social networks, free trade among the involved countries, sustained growth of the middle class, no serious political conflicts among or between the involved countries. In this context, this paper examines the possibility and conditions of cultural hybridization resulting from cultural integration. Several hybrid Asian Waves can emerge if current trends continue, and co-production of cultural products substantially increases as cultural imperialism is collectively avoided.
Author Information
Yoo-Soo Hong, Institute for Creative and Innovative Development, South Korea
Hui-Wen Chen, Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages, Taiwan
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