Night in the American Village: Women in the Shadow of the U.S. Military Bases in Okinawa Hardcover – June 18, 2019
by Akemi Johnson (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for Night in the American Village:
"Night in the American Village is not an anti-base polemic but an account of…the gray areas outside of pro- and anti-base politics where ordinary women live their lives. The work, here, is to insist on the multiplicity of women's experiences rather than define one overarching theme, to examine the knot rather than untangle it."
―Jessie Kindig, Jacobin
"Johnson opts for truth over tropes."
―Ms. (Great Reads for Summer)
"Johnson masterfully weaves historical details and current events into the interviews with her subjects, with each aspect enriching the broader tale. Highly recommended…"
―Library Journal (starred review)
"A deep dive into the intricacies of the lives of those who are dependent upon, yet in danger from, their involvement with the U.S. military."
―Booklist
"A searing and stylish debut. . . . This is a must-read look at the impact of the U.S.'s overseas military presence on the people who live near it, cultural collisions, and gendered violence."
―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A lively, fascinating mix of perspectives, impressive in both its research and the humanity with which it portrays its subjects."
―The Japan Times
"Night in the American Village melds intimate contemporary portraits and vignettes with deep post–World War II history to give us a powerful picture of Okinawan people and political culture today. Akemi Johnson is a truly gifted teller of complicated, engrossing, disturbing, and often unexpectedly uplifting tales. She brings vividly to life what it is like to live at the very heart of America's global empire of military bases."
―John Dower, author of Embracing Defeat and Cultures of War
"Night in the American Village is a lively encounter with identity and American military history in Okinawa and America. By turns intellectual, hip, and sexy, with the backdrop of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II and one of the darkest shadows of the American military empire, this is essential reading for our times."
―Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead
"A beautifully written, often chilling book that explores the complexities of the U.S. military presence in Okinawa, getting beyond stereotypes and clichés that have dominated conversations about U.S. bases in Okinawa for too long. The book is a model for understanding the historical and contemporary impacts of U.S. military bases in Okinawa and worldwide, including subtleties of colonialism and empire, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, power and political economy."
―David Vine, author of Base Nation and Island of Shame
"A multifaceted look at Okinawa and the impact of the U.S. military presence there that is compelling and thought-provoking. It is the best book about modern Okinawa that I have read, and any foreign reporter covering Okinawan issues should be required to read it."
―Jake Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice
"Once you know Okinawa, it grabs you and doesn't let go, and this book does the same. Akemi Johnson is the guide we need to travel to this singular island. Clearly and incisively, she reveals the hidden world of the U.S. military abroad and bears witness to the human spirit that thrives even in the face of oppression. Every American should read this important book."
―Sarah Bird, author of Above the East China Sea
"Meticulously researched, this book explores the history of women and the U.S. military in Okinawa from the 1945 battle to the present. Written in deft and evocative prose, Night in the American Village is must-reading for anyone seeking to understand the effects of the vast U.S. military presence in nations around the globe. "
―Steve Rabson, professor emeritus of East Asian studies, Brown University, and author of The Okinawan Diaspora in Japan
"A substantial and powerful account of the women whose lives are drawn into the orbit of the U.S. military in Okinawa. Nuanced and meticulously researched, Night in the American Village is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of gender, sex, power, and national identity."
―Shawna Yang Ryan, author of Green Island
"At once compassionate and unflinching, Night in the American Village expertly illuminates the consequences of American military presence abroad. Akemi Johnson reveals a national identity fractured by violence, war, and cultural discord."
―James Han Mattson, author of The Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves
About the Author
Akemi Johnson is a journalist and writer who has contributed to NPR's All Things Considered and Code Switch. She has written about Okinawa for The Nation, Roads & Kingdoms, Off Assignment, and Kyoto Journal. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Johnson was a 2008–2009 Fulbright scholar in Okinawa.
Product details
Publisher : The New Press (June 18, 2019)
Language : English
Hardcover : 224 pages
Customer Reviews: 4.7 out of 5 stars 39 ratings
Akemi Johnson
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Biography
AKEMI JOHNSON is the author of Night in the American Village: Women in the Shadow of the U.S. Military Bases in Okinawa. A former Fulbright scholar in Okinawa, she has written about the island for The Nation, Travel + Leisure, Explore Parts Unknown, and other publications. She has also contributed to NPR’s All Things Considered and Code Switch. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and Brown University, she lives in Northern California.
Top reviews from the United States
Dtobaru
5.0 out of 5 stars A New Way to "See" the US-Okinawa Relationship
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2019
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As scholar on Okinawa's history, I have found Akemi Johnson's account of women's experiences, both Okinawan and American, in the midst of the U.S. military bases to be compelling because it provides a complex and nuance account of their experiences. Written exceptionally well and impeccably researched, this highly readable account chronicles the experiences of women from many different and refreshing angles. While the military base problem is often depicted in simplistic black and white terms, the author offers a far more complex account of life in Okinawa. I also appreciated that she managed to place her own experiences in Okinawa in a thoughtful and balanced manner as she weaves her own thoughts and encounters with the women she is profiling. Such works are often ahistorical, but Night in the American Village effectively weaves in sufficient historical and social context (of Okinawa) that places these women's accounts in appropriate context. This book nicely complements Rugh Ann Keyso's book: Women of Okinawa : Nine Voices from a Garrison Island."
5 people found this helpful
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Margaret A. Ishikawa
3.0 out of 5 stars Re: Interesting Perspective
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2020
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I have lived in Okinawa for over 30 years and understand much of what the author is saying. On one hand, she thinks she lived here long enough to get an understanding on the precarious situation here in Okinawa, but really she only sees the tip. Also, this book was very dark but considering the subject matter....
3 people found this helpful
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Luke Matthews
5.0 out of 5 stars Ugliness, Beauty and American Empire
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2021
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I was born and raised there and so, sure, I have a bias, I suppose, but Okinawa is a stunningly beautiful place. A small island set in a seemingly endless subtropical sea. Standing on a white Sandy beach under a sun so bright that even with sunglasses you are forced to squint to see, there are in the distance vast expanses of blue water that grade to crystal clarity at your feet. The ocean is alive with color and life. There are thick green forests - ferns, cycads, vines, and old gnarled trees. Okinawan language, music and culture, related to their Japanese counterparts in the way that Italian is related to Spanish but showing the influences of the island’s wider historical connections to China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, fill the air. (As I write this it’s cold and snowy in Wisconsin, and through my window I see the stark outlines of leafless trees set before a heavy grey of clouds that seem too sullen to move on.) But the beauty of Okinawa is marred by an ugliness. For nearly the past 80 years, the land and the sea, the culture and society of Okinawa have been shaped and I think it would fair to say twisted by the massive US military presence there, and the policies of Japanese government that favors that presence but wants no part of it, or its social consequences, on the main islands. Since 1945, Okinawa has been a silenced pawn in regional geopolitics and a way for Japan to allay its anxieties without having to make any sacrifices of its own.
In her 2019 book NIGHT IN THE AMERICAN VILLAGE: WOMEN IN THE SHADOW OF THE U.S. MILITARY BASES IN OKINAWA, American journalist Akemi Johnson, based on ten years of research and life on Okinawa, explores the human costs and benefits of living on the island - a cultural zone whose colors reflect the heat and light of three cultures, Okinawan, Japanese and American, in constant friction with and against each other. Through Johnson’s writing we meet Okinawans who call for a return to tradition and others who desire and see new futures through their contacts with Americans. We meet those opposed to and others in support of the American bases filled with restless young people and thunderingly noisy military machines, but also sources of large amounts of money. We meet Okinawans, young and old, fit whom the 1945 Battle of Okinawa in which a third of the population was killed, is ever present and others who are nearly unaware of the island’s wartime past. We see Okinawa at a human level, and we hear people, mainly women in Johnson’s prose, talking to us about things that American empire abetted by Japanese global political ambitions would rather be kept silent.
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Diann Q
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and a great read.
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2019
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This book is fascinating and the story of the people of Okinawa is beautifully written by Akemi. After hearing an interview with her, and learning of her ten years of research that went into this book, I felt that I had to read it. It's a topic that one does not readily think about, the U.S. military presence in Okinawa and the political/cultural effects on the people that live there. Excellent book.
One person found this helpful
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Tim
5.0 out of 5 stars Okinawan Society vs. American Military Bases
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2019
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I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn about Okinawan culture, and the complex relationships between the people and the US military bases. It was also fascinating to read about the Japanese's treatment of them as second-class citizens.
One person found this helpful
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Scott
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2019
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Great storyteller! Very eloquent. There's a lot about Okinawan history that you wouldn't realize by the title, which I enjoyed. Very pertinent topic for military affiliated people. A very relevant book!
One person found this helpful
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kerry laake
5.0 out of 5 stars Cultural perspective often ignored by Americans
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2019
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Still reading but an amazing perspective I never thought about! Lived in Okinawa in early 90's in the Air Force and loved it and the people!
One person found this helpful
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John Tasato
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Facts Revealed!...
Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2020
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Educational curiousity and verification of what were written.
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