The National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) is a research center for ethnology and cultural anthropology.

Staff Members

KASHINAGA Masao
KASHINAGA MasaoKASHINAGA Masao
Center for Research Development・Associate Professor
Research specialization
Individual Research Projects
  • Traditions of the Tai Dam in Vietnam and Laos
Personal website ［4 Jan 2013 updated］

Academic Qualifications:

  • B.A. Waseda Univ. 1994
  • M.A. Univ. of Tokyo 1997
  • PhD. Univ. of Tokyo 2006

Research Topics:

  1. Historical study about the traditional socio-political units in the Southeast Asia
  2. Ethnographic study on the Black Tai society focusing on the material cultures
  3. Study about the relation between the nation and the ethnic groups

Recent Research Interests:

The large part of the Vietnamese territory is occupied by hills and plateaus, where many ethnic minority groups are traditionally residing.

Especially, the ethnic groups belonging to the Tai-speaking people are mainly living in the mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam. I have carried out my ethnographical research in some villages of the Black Tai (Thai). Concretely, I have studied the present Socio-economic situation of their villages focusing on traditional activities, such as the textile production.

The Tai-speaking peoples are living in a wide area of Southeast Asia and Southeastern China, not only in Thailand and Laos where the Thai and Lao (both Tai-speaking peoples) are the national majority. Most of them are Theravada Buddhists, but the Black Tai society is characterized by the fact that they have not accepted Theravada Buddhism, and that they have maintained a writing system of their own regardless of handing down the Buddhist scripture. Nowadays the Black Tai people are considered as one of the ethnic minority groups in Vietnam. But it is also important to maintain the perspective of comparing them to those of the neighboring areas and the neighboring ethnic groups, disregarding national boundaries. Since the Black Tai are not only living in Laos and China, but they have been historically interrelating through trade with other areas in Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia is said to be a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural area. But the cultural peculiarity of each society does not always result from the geographical, cultural or economic isolation. Rather, the cultural diversity in Southeast Asia results from the long term inter-regional relations of people, materials and information. In the exhibition of the museum, I wish to reflect not only the cultural diversity of Southeast Asia, but also aspects of the inter-regional exchanges.

Geographical Areas of Interest:

Mainland Southeast Asia, Vietnam

Ethnic Groups:

Black Tai, White Tai, Tai-speaking peoples

Discipline:

Social anthropology

Publications:

2010
Viec luu truyen va su dung bien nien su: 'Quam to muong' cua nguoi Thai Den, trong Luong Van Hy, Ngo Van Le, Nguyen Van Tiep va Phan Thi Yen tuyen (bien soan), Hien dai dong thai cua truyen thong o Viet Nam: Nhung cach tiep can nhan hoc (quyen 2), TP Ho Chi Minh: Dai hoc quoc gia Thanh pho Ho Chi Minh. Tr.550-557
2010
L'usage de la chronique Quam To Muang lors des funérailles chez les Taї-noirs, Viêt Nam. Dans A. Saito et Y. Nakamura (eds.) Les outils de la pensée: Étude historique et comparative des 《textes》, pp.113-128. Paris: Maison des sciences de l' homme.
2009
Textiles and Adornments. In A. Tomoya (ed.) An Illustrated Eco-History of the Mekong River Basin, pp. 82–85. Bangkok: White Lotus Press.
2009
(ed.) Senri Ethnological Studies 74. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.
2009
Introduction. In M. Kashinaga (ed.) Senri Ethnological Studies 74, pp.1–14. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.
2009
The Transmission of Written Geneologies and Patrilineality among the Tai Dam. In M. Kashinaga (ed.) Senri Ethnological Studies 74, pp. 97–116. Osaka: National Museum of Ethnolog.
2007
(With Cam Trong) Genealogies of the Chiefly Families of Tai Dam in Vietnam. Senri Ethnological Report 70. OSAKA: National Museum of Ethnology.
2003
(With Cam Trong, eds.) Danh Sach to tien ho Lo Cam (Mai Son–Son La). Ha Noi: NxbThe Gioi (in Vietnamese and Tai Dam).
2000
Change and Continuity in ‘Traditional’ Textile Production in a Market Economy: Thai Village in Northwestern Vietnam. In T. Sekimoto (ed.) Handicrafts and Industrial Development in Southeast Asia, pp. 269–298. Tokyo: Institute of Oriental Culture in University of Tokyo.
2000
Cong viec det vai va vai det thu cong trong sinh hoat xa hoi cua nguoi Thai o Tuan Giao, Van hoa Dan gian 2000-4. Tr76-80 (in Vietnamese).

Translations:

2000
Ngo Duc Thinh2000, Tap quan phap va phat trien nong thon o Viet Nam hien nay, Tap chi Van hoa Dan gian 69 (1): 6–22.
2000
Lafont, Pierre-Bernard, 1955, Notes surles familles patronymiques Thai Noirs de Son-la etde Nghia-lo, Anthropos 50: 797–809.
1999
L. Cadiere, 1918, Croyance et Pratiques Religieuses des Annamites dans les Environs de Hue, in Bulletin de l'Ecole Francaise d'Extreme-Orient 18.

Presentations:

2010
Presentation as a discussant of the international conference on “Dynamics and Sustainability of ‘Local World’ in East Asia” (27 November 2010, Kobe University, Japan)
2007
“Transmissions and Uses of the Tai Dam Chronicles ‘Quam To Muang.” The International Conference, Modernities and Dynamics of Tradition in Vietnam: Anthropological Approaches, 15–18 December, 2007, Binh Chau Resort, Vietnam.
2007
“Les usages des chroniques dans les funérailles aux villages taï -noirs, Viet-nam.” La Table Ronde, Les outils de la pensée: étude comparative des «textes» et de leurs fonctions sociales, Co-organisée par le Musée National d'Ethnologie et la Maison des Sciences de l' Homme, le 29 mai 2007 à la Maison des Sciences de l' Homme, Paris.
2006
“Objectives of ‘Written Cultures in Mainland Southeast Asia.”, International Symposium of National Museum of Ethnology: Written Cultures in Mainland Southeast Asia, 3–4 February, 2006, Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.
2006
“The Transmission of Written Genealogies and Patrilineality among the Tai Dam.” International Symposium of National Museum of Ethnology: Written Cultures in Mainland Southeast Asia, 3–4 February, 2006, Osaka: National Museum of Ethnology.
2003
“Cam Trong va Kashinaga Masao, Bao cao ve quyen sach: Danh Sach to tien ho Lo Cam (Mai Son–Son La).” Chuong trinh bien soan gia pha o Viet Nam (Ngay 11/3/2003, o Trung tam nghien cuu Viet Nam va Giao luu van hoa , thuoc Dai hoc quoc gia Ha Noi)
1999
“Cloth Production in a Tai Dam Village in Northwestern Vietnam.” 7th International Conference on Thai Studies, 4–8 July, 1999, Amsterdam.
1999
“Change and Continuity in ‘Traditional’ Textile Production in a Market Economy: Thai Village in Northwestern Vietnam. The International Conference, Handicrafts and Industrial Development un Southeast Asia”, 11–12 November 1999, International House of Japan: Tokyo.

Link to:

2007
‘Ethnological Research in the Tai-Dams Villages in Vietnam’ dans les collections AAR.
2006
International Symposium “Written Cultures in Mainland Southeast Asia” 3–4, February, 2006.