The Japanese Alpine Empire: A Transnational Environmental History of Japan’s “Alpine” Landscapes

01/09/2024 to 31/08/2030

The primary objective of this DFG Emmy Noether Programme is to shed light on how the dissemination and adaptation of European “alpine” knowledge influenced mountainous regions throughout East Asia, facilitated not by a European colonial power but by the Japanese empire during the early twentieth century.
The research addresses critical questions surrounding the creation of the “Japanese Alpine Empire,” the ecological and cultural repercussions of transforming the Japanese central mountain range into what is today known as the “Japanese Alps” (nihon arupusu), and how alpine knowledge contributed to
colonial exploitation in Korea and Taiwan. By adopting a longue durée perspective, spanning from the Little Ice Age to the Anthropocene era, the research provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of East Asian mountains over time, exploring historical climate impacts and human responses to environmental transformations.
The research's groundbreaking nature lies in challenging established narratives by providing a transnational environmental history perspective, where European mountain concepts influenced East Asian mountains through an indigenous East-Asian power. The project aims to enhance our understanding of how social constructions of mountains impact physical environments, revealing the interconnectedness of global mountain discourses beyond Europe.
By taking an interdisciplinary approach, encompassing intellectual, environmental, and global history, the research offers a deeper analysis of the complex interactions between human societies, mountain ecosystems, and global knowledge exchange. Insights gained from historical ecological transformations and their consequences hold relevance in addressing the present-day impacts of climate change and human exploitation on mountain landscapes, paving the way for sustainable policies and conservation efforts.