This study describes the history of the Muslim conflict in the 1990s between the “Sufis” and “Ahl al-Sunna” and the current state of religious polarization in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon. The narratives of the conflict suggest that the conflict began as a struggle for control over mosques, which was intensified by agitation in the mosques and ended with the distribution of the mosques between the religious groups. By contrast, currently, major conflicts dividing the Muslim community in Yaoundé rarely occur. This is because, despite significant increases in the number of mosques and areas inhabited by Muslims, the presence of media, such as books, is weak. This renders it difficult for widely dispersed Muslims to form a collective mentality and represent themselves and others as a group. Hence, one can infer that mosques that have proliferated following national land reforms are important as a “material substrate” for polarizing Muslims in Yaoundé. This study demonstrates the importance of a mosque-focused social morphological approach for studying Islam in West and Central Africa.

This paper clarifies the historical transition of Cai Luong, also known as the Vietnamese Opera, through cultural policy in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Cai Luong, which formed and developed in the early 20th century, was popular in the southern region. It was also actively performed during the socialist era after 1975. However, this resurgence occurred because it was positioned as a political tool to “educate” the people.

In what is known as the subsidy economy period (thời bao cấp), Cai Luong experienced many changes; however, the management of the troupes rapidly became unstable after the reforms of the Doi Moi period. Underlying this instability was the fact that government support had been reduced in a market-oriented economy. Furthermore, Cai Luong, which had already lost its creativity and competitiveness during the subsidy economy period, did not have the same power of appeal for the public as television.

It is true that from the 1990s, the government increased support for Cai Luong and, from 2010 onward, it has paid more attention to intangible culture. However, there is no way to change the fact that culture is still a political tool in Vietnam. So, if Cai Luong has lost its imaginative force and innovation, this is a sure sign that the Vietnamese government’s cultural policy is working well.

This study explores local histories in Thailand, often viewed as subordinate to the national narrative. It focuses on a community museum in northwestern Thailand, along a retreat route used by Japanese soldiers during World War II. The museum’s creation was influenced by domestic factors, such as the rise of community museums, as well as foreign ones, including Japanese post-war memorial activities. Initially centered on artifacts left by Japanese soldiers, the exhibitions evolved to highlight local histories and cultures, reflecting growing local identity. By tracing this transformation, the study reveals how narratives about Japanese soldiers were woven into local historical consciousness. Ultimately, it proposes an alternative model of local history rooted in the distinct experiences of border regions that are neither compliant with nor overtly resistant to national ideology.