“Constitutions and Political Culture of the Pacific Island Countries－Fiji 1997 Constitution and the “Pacific Way”－” (Seibundo. 2010)

Yutaka Higashi (Professor at Tomakomai-Komazawa University , Faculty of International Studies)

I am honored to be awarded the 27th Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Prize. For the researchers majoring in the Pacific Rim area studies, especially of the Pacific Islands area studies, this prize is the most honorable one. To be awarded this prize is the greatest pleasure for me. I wish to express my deep appreciation to the members of the Selection Committee who recommended and selected my book as worthy of this prize, to the people belong to the Masayoshi Ohira Memorial Foundation, and to late Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira. My awarded work is the result of my Pacific Island studies on the constitutions and politics for about fifteen years. The object my research is 12 independent micro islands countries spreading in the vast sea area of Pacific Ocean. My book deals with the relation between the state and individuals, human rights and traditional rights, the idea of public welfare in the constitutions of these countries, and the politics under these constitutions and the political culture Pacific Way, especially focusing Fiji 1997 constitution. To write this book, I have visited South Pacific countries many times and experienced their climates and cultures, and tried to understand and share the legal and political sense of local people as much as possible. In Japan the Pacific Island studies have been carried out mainly by cultural anthropologists. Among such an academic trend, to be spotlighted the Pacific Island studies in the field of social science is not only my great pleasure but also great encouragement to the following researchers of social science. Japan is also an island state located in the Pacific Ocean and has the common culture with Pacific Island nations at the bottom of its culture. I feel that there is another circle linking islands inside the Pacific Rim constituted of four continents of North America, Asia, Australia, and South America. It is one of my future subjects to draw this circle clearly. A lot of subjects to be studied are left in the Pacific Island area. From now on, with awarded this honorable prize, I will make much more effort to study Pacific Islands and I wish to contribute to promote Pacific Rim Vision through my study. Thank you so much.

Profile
・Born in Wakayama Prefecture, 1954. ・B.A. in Political Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, 1978. ・M.A. in Political Science, Waseda University, Tokyo, 1980. ・Waseda University, Tokyo (1982-1988) Completed course work in Political Science (Doctor Course) ・Part-time Lecturer at Kinki University, Osaka, April 1991－Present. ・Part-time Lecturer at Meijigakuin University, Tokyo, November 1993－March 1996. ・Part-time Lecturer at Gunma University, Gunma, April 1994－March 1997. ・Researcher at Department of Oceanic Studies, Japan Micronesia Association (Present Japan Institute for Pacific Studies : JAIPAS), April 1994－March 1996. ・Head Researcher at Department of Oceanic Studies, Japan Micronesia Association (Present Japan Institute for Pacific Studies), April 1996－Present. ・Associate Professor at Tomakomai-Komazawa University, Faculty of International Studies, Hokkaido, April 1999－March 2001. ・Professor at Tomakomai-Komazawa University, Faculty of International Studies, Hokkaido, April 2001－Present.