Minori Takahashi
Primary research areas
Minori Takahashi’s primary research examines the nature and status of the division of power between the central government –or incorporating the governing bodies as a collective entity of the state– and the local authorities. This investigation considers the historical perspective of the various forms of submission and subordination imposed by the state or its collective legitimacy.
Current research
In his current research, Takahashi examines how autonomy is practiced, negotiated, and restructured in countries with a strong central government and areas/population groups with a desire for self-government. This is the case for both the islands of Okinawa which are part of Japan but with an autonomy intention and for the Danish-Greenlandic relationship.
Generally, when authority allocation between the state and internal regional and human groups is questioned, the extension of autonomy is discussed from two perspectives:
- Understanding autonomy as a dissenting view against the rigidity of the state-centric structure (*the degree of regional autonomy is in a tradeoff with the degree of state cohesion).
- Understanding autonomy from the perspective of the territorial preservation of the state (* Self-determination emerges as an option only when self-government is denied).
This tendency is particularly evident in Japan, especially concerning Okinawa. However, the relationship between Denmark and Greenland is more flexible in the decision-making process, both in terms of pragmatic power dynamics and normative values. Interest in the “differences” is inductively manifested in understanding the nature and state of autonomy.
These works are primarily supported by the JSPS-KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, ‘Fostering Joint International Research A (Project/Area Number: 20KK0278)’ and the ArCS II ‘Strategic Goals 4: Legal/Policy Response and Research Implementation for a Sustainable Arctic’.