Defamiliarizing Japan’s Asia-Pacific War

This wide-ranging collection seeks to reassess conventional understanding of Japan's Asia-Pacific War by defamiliarizing and expanding the rhetorical narrative. The nine chapters challenge stereotypes and examine resistance to the war, offering new insights into a historical event that remains provocative and divisive.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 244 pages
Publication date: 29 February 2024
Publisher: University of Hawai'i Press

This comprehensive collection aims to challenge and broaden our understanding of Japan's involvement in the Asia-Pacific War by introducing new perspectives and reinterpreting existing knowledge. Comprising nine chapters, each with its unique theme and approach, the book seeks to recover a measured historical perspective on the conflict. By exploring previously overlooked areas of knowledge or reevaluating established narratives, the chapters collectively cast doubt on the war's familiar and recognizable nature, encouraging readers to approach it with fresh eyes.

In the introductory chapter, the author challenges the conventional narratives that portray Japan as a unified nation engaged in an illegal war or race war. The early chapters delve into the destruction of Japan's diplomatic records and the government's interest in promoting egalitarian healthcare policies before, during, and after the war. These chapters prompt us to question selective histories and moral judgments about wartime Japan.

The discussion then shifts to artistic and cultural production, focusing on Osaka rakugo performers who used comedy to confront state oppression. The role of women in creating care packages for soldiers abroad is also explored. Other chapters challenge well-established stereotypes, such as Japan's lack of pragmatism in its diplomatic relations with neutral nations and its irrational and fatalistic military leadership. The book also examines resistance to the war by a prominent Japanese Christian intellectual.

The volume concludes with two nuanced responses to race in wartime Japan. One chapter maintains the importance of racial categories while recognizing the performance of Japaneseness. The other chapter observes that communities often reflected official government policies through nationality rather than race. These contrasting findings highlight the need to ask new questions and fill existing gaps in our understanding of this historical event.

Overall, this collection provides a valuable contribution to the study of the Asia-Pacific War, offering a fresh and nuanced perspective that challenges traditional narratives and encourages readers to approach the conflict with a broader understanding.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780824892579