The Memories of the Japanese Nisei in the Kona Coffee Belt: Shinto Shrines Left Destroyed and National Identities Eternally Hidden

2016 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03035
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: アベ デヴィットキヨシ 金沢大学, 歴史言語文化学系, 准教授 (10735426)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: National Identity / Japanese American / Kona Coffee / Shinto Shrines

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

(1) Archival research, John Embree Suye Papers, 1932-2001 collection at Cornell University (2) interviews, in Kona. After I submitted the application for the “Kiban-C” in April 2015, I investigated the life experiences of the Japanese Nisei in Kona, Hawaii, based on archival sources and interviews. (3) These findings were presented at an International Conference in June and were received with constructive comments. In addition, I am in agreement a contract for my monograph book with Palgrave Macmillan: “Sitting Pretty in the Middle”: Rural Isolation and the Dual Cultural Existenc e of the Japanese American Kona Coffee Community. The manuscript has completed three rounds of peer review On the whole, the project has progressed at a much higher pace than originally expected. It has already created a solid basis by substantiating the connection between shrines and identities which is rooted from the absent of white America.

Current Status of Research Progress

1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.

Reason

In the third year I completed three task: (1) archival research, (2) interviews, in Kona. After I submitted the application for the “Kiban-C” in April 2015, I continued examining the life experiences of the Japanese Nisei in Kona, Hawaii, based on archival sources and interviews. With regards to archival research, the research took me to the John Embree Suye Papers, 1932-2001 collection at Cornell University. This research suggested that the relationship between Japanese national identity and Japanese national symbols utilized by the Japanese Shrines, such as Jinja and Inari were far more profound than assumed by the existing literature. (3) These findings were utilized in my monograph which is officially in production after completing three rounds of peer review. Since the commencement of the “Kiban-C” project in April 2015, the whole research project has advance to the next level. Further investigation of indigenous and Japanese sources substantiated another previous finding that the assimilation process in the Kona community transpired in later generations. Therefore, the research reveals the experience of the first and second generations was based less on assimilation to a white American norm and more on maintaining a sense of Japanese-ness. On the whole, the project is progressing at a much higher pace than originally expected.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

The project plan is to return and conduct archival research in Hawaii, and perform multi-linguistic. Additional amount of time is necessary at The Hamilton Library, and The Kona Historical Society archives both, has vast amount of document that could take weeks to uncover. This year I plan to investigate the ruins of the Keauhou Inari Shrine (in the Keauhou District) the interviewees include: A 90-year-old Nisei women, who lives next to a Shinto Shrine, an 87-year-old retired Nisei women who witnessed the destruction of the shrine. In addition, I will publish my monograph with Palgrave Macmillan, it is officially in production for publication: “Sitting Pretty in the Middle”: Rural Isolation and the Dual Cultural Existence of the Japanese American Kona Coffee Community.

Causes of Carryover

少額の残額な為、無理に使用することなく次年度に繰り越すとにした。

Expenditure Plan for Carryover Budget

次年度が科研費受給の最終年度となる為、有意義に無駄のない使用をする。