Reading Colonial Japan: Text, Context, and Critique
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Reading Colonial Japan: Text, Context, and Critique 1st Edition
by Michele Mason (Editor), Helen Lee (Editor)
4.3 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
ISBN-13: 978-0804776974
ISBN-10: 0804776970
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By any measure, Japan's modern empire was formidable. The only major non-western colonial power in the 20th century, Japan controlled a vast area of Asia and numerous archipelagos in the Pacific Ocean. The massive extraction of resources and extensive cultural assimilation policies radically impacted the lives of millions of Asians and Micronesians, and the political, economic, and cultural ramifications of this era are still felt today.
The Japanese empire lasted from 1869-1945. During this time, how was the Japanese imperial project understood, imagined, and lived? Reading Colonial Japan is a unique anthology that aims to deepen knowledge of Japanese colonialism(s) by providing an eclectic selection of translated Japanese primary sources and analytical essays that illuminate Japan's many and varied colonial projects. The primary documents highlight how central cultural production and dissemination were to the colonial effort, while accentuating the myriad ways colonialism permeated every facet of life. The variety of genres the explored includes legal documents, children's literature, cookbooks, serialized comics, and literary texts by well-known authors of the time. These cultural works, produced by a broad spectrum of "ordinary" Japanese citizens (a housewife in Manchuria, settlers in Korea, manga artists and fiction writers in mainland Japan, and so on), functioned effectively to reinforce the official policies that controlled and violated the lives of the colonized throughout Japan's empire.
By making available and analyzing a wide-range of sources that represent "media" during the Japanese colonial period, Reading Colonial Japan draws attention to the powerful role that language and imagination played in producing the material realities of Japanese colonialism.
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Editorial Reviews
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"Reading Colonial Japan is an anthology of finely written essays that squarely speaks to the burgeoning scholarship of 'multiple Japans' . . . [T]he anthology exhibits perceptive as well as theoretically- and historically-informed scholarship. The collection would appeal to scholars whose work straddles several disciplines as it places various forms of text in their historical contexts." -- Ryota Nishino ― New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies
"Reading Colonial Japan is a splendid collection of colonial writings in translation, paired with critical essays that address historical and theoretical concerns in original and engaging ways. It is an exceptional achievement and a truly important addition to cultural studies, Asian studies, history, and the study of colonialism/postcolonialism, migration, and translation." -- Sabine Frühstück, Professor of Modern Japanese Cultural Studies, University of California ― Santa Barbara
"Reading Colonial Japan illuminates Japan's seven decades of colonial rule (1869–1945) through well-written translations of Japanese primary sources from the colonial era and related analytical essays . . . This monograph is an excellent contribution to the fields of Asian studies and post-colonial studies." -- Elise Foxworth ― Monumenta Nipponica
About the Author
Michele M. Mason is assistant professor of Japanese literature at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is also the co-producer and interpreter for the short documentary film Witness to Hiroshima (2010). Helen J.S. Lee is an assistant professor of Japanese studies at the Underwood International College, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
Product details
Publisher : Stanford University Press; 1st edition (March 28, 2012)
Language : English
Paperback : 320 pages
ISBN-10 : 0804776970
ISBN-13 : 978-0804776974
Item Weight : 15.2 ounces
Dimensions : 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #2,513,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#99 in Asian Literature (Books)
#225 in Japanese Literary Criticism (Books)
#3,394 in Emigration & Immigration Studies (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.3 out of 5 stars 5 ratings
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EdM.
4.0 out of 5 stars Japanese colonial views
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2013
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An interesting book detailing both the literature and government views of Japan and her territories in the colonial era (late 1890s- 1945). Each chapter has a literary piece followed by a contextual view of the piece and the perspective of the contributor. The first two chapters are on Hokkaido and both concern the way the Ainu were "left out" of history- the island was advertised as mostly uninhabited and the natives had to be protected by legislation. However, the comparison with native americans is not quite accurate as the Japanese Diet made steps to help these people enter modern society and provided education and medical needs. Chapter 3 is on Okinawa and Chapter 4 tells about the problems dealing with the "hill tribes" on Taiwan. Unfortunately, no mention is made about the Taiwanese and how they were assimilated into the Japanese Empire. Chapter 5 has a cookbook manual that was published for settlers in colonial Korea and tips on how to maintain Japanese-ness. The settlers in the Korean peninsula had to always maintain good relations with the neighbors but also remain apart so as not to become acclimated to their culture as the Japanese authorities viewed the Koreans as an inferior culture. Chapter 7 has a story written in 1938 about a Chinese girl working as a house servant to a Japanese couple living in Manchukuo. The girl is tutored by the wife in Japanese culture and mores and over time announces she wishes to become Japanese as she feels Japan is a superior culture. The context piece that follows shows that similar treatments were published both at home and abroad to intice readers into accepting Japanese rule and to obey the colonial governors and the imperial edicts. The last chapter is a manga from the late 30s showing a brave Japanese fisherman traveling the south seas and becoming King of the Islands because he is so all-knowing( and Japanese) For those involved in Japanese studies this book is highly recommended. Would have given 5 stars but there are some points that could have been looked at more. 4.5 stars then. Excellent reading.
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Bucky K
3.0 out of 5 stars This reads like a college textbook. Choppy extracts.
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2014
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This book has so much potential to be substantive and juicy because of the topics it covers. However, despite attractive paperback cover that appeals to lay reader, it turns out to just another one of those unreadable, text-booky, choppy, truncated, "too much editorializing" type academic publications that seem designed entirely for the undergraduate survey course. Dips the toe in the water of an important and still unknown part of Japan's history that so many millions lived but few today know about. The "best of" extracts aren't that great, either - some were just plain boring and uninspiring. You'd think there were better representative pieces of material out there. If you are looking for good non-fiction writing on Japan, John Dower is a brilliant mind. He writes for the lay reader yet his research and ideas are powerful. I have all his books, even his early ones. People just aren't this smart anymore.
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Lord Farquaad
5.0 out of 5 stars Japanese topics course, Japanese Colonialism
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2013
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Most of the history I've learned throughout the years deals primarily Europe and the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. This has been the first far eastern empire history course I have ever taken and it was fairly interesting. This particular book along with Kannani and The Document of Flames, and Travels in Manchuria and Mongolia (both colonial Japanese literature) were required for the course. The professor of the of the course had even translated one of the pieces! Overall I rated the book a 5/5 because it was interesting to learn something that unless you already had interest in the subject or was in your area of study you would probably never know. :]
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2013
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I love Kindle! I can read the book in any kind of moment, at my lectures, at the preparation to lessons. Thank you, Kindle!
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