A Civilization Process Perspective on Immigration Ships as Transborder Time/Space and Media

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K02043
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: International Research Center for Japanese Studies
• Principal Investigator: Negawa Sachio 国際日本文化研究センター, 研究部, プロジェクト研究員 (40771506)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 移民船 / ブラジル / 越境的時空間 / 航路体験 / 記憶 / 文明化 / メディア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project has illuminated the characteristics of migrant vessels that plied between Japan and Brazil. The researcher has looked into the period between 1908 and 1941 and explored five themes: (1) the migrant vessels and destinations as contact zones among people (such as immigrants, ship crew and local residents), goods, fauna and flora; (2) the movement of the informal empire along with that of the vessels; (3) the process by which the migrants gained awareness of their Japanese national identity; (4) the education of Japanese passengers on and off migrant vessels; and (5) the influence of Japanese media on the Brazilian society. The project has challenged the extant research that regards migrant vessels as a mere mode of transport. The main contribution of this project is to treat the migrant vessels, the immigrants and the destinations as part of the holistic transborder time-space phenomena.

Free Research Field

移植民史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

戦前期日本のブラジル行き移民船について、国内外で得られた①文献資料、②インタビュー・ライフドキュメント資料を収集・整理・保存し、その一部を公開した。これらの資料を活用し、移民船をめぐる研究が、送出国（地域）と受入国（地域）という移民（史）研究の二大局面の間を越境／トランスする第三の局面として、きわめて重要かつ多くの課題を包含するとともに、その領域を押し拡げる可能性をはらんでいる点を明らかにした。また、研究成果を紙媒体の報告書や学会誌に発表するとともに、小学校・高等学校・大学の授業やワークショップで活用し、海洋国家・日本の歴史における移民船の持つ意味を次世代に向けて発信した。