2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
The role of private charities in repatriation from the Japanese Empire
| Project/Area Number |
18K12493
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| Research Institution | Hokkaido University |
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Principal Investigator |
ブル ジョナサンエドワード 北海道大学, メディア・コミュニケーション研究院, 講師 (60735736)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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| Keywords | Migration / Decolonization / Repatriate / Empire / Humanitarianism |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Owing to COVID-19 pandemic I was unable to travel for research meaning visiting archives and presenting at conferences was not possible.
The main development in my research was locating sources held in the Prange Collection at the Tokyo National Diet Library. These newspaper sources produced by Japanese NGOs concerned with repatriates and 'war victims' have provided me with evidence of connections with American NGOs such as the YMCA. In addition, I used this year to analyse the documents I had gathered from the YMCA archives in the USA. I have begun to write-up my findings in preparation for an international workshop presentation to be held in Germany in Autumn 2021. From this presentation I aim to publish a peer-reviewed journal article.
My main research achievement was the publication of a co-authored article in an international journal (Asia-Pacific Journal Japan Focus). Because this is an online journal the article received a wider readership than usual. The article traces the emergence of a network of transnational activists concerned with the commemoration of the sinking of the Ukishima-maru. Occupation documents used in the article are also of relevance to this project for the involvement of NGOs in lobbying Occupation officials.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
4: Progress in research has been delayed.
Reason
Delay to the research plan was caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which made international and domestic travel all but impossible. I have been unable to travel to archives in Europe (World Council of Churches, International Red Cross) and the United States (Harry S. Truman Library).
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Because international travel is still highly restricted I am trying to gather documents through online sources and by using photographic reproduction services. In particular, the holdings available at the Tokyo National Diet Library are important for examining links between private charity organisations and the Occupation.
To present my findings and collaborate with other researchers I am planning to attend online conferences. These include a collaborative research project in Europe about the making of the 'refugee' after 1945 and the Annual Conference of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS).
I plan to write up my research on the role of the Japanese YMCA in working with its American counterpart to speed repatriation from the USSR in a peer-reviewed journal article. I will also continue to analyse Japanese government English language publications intended to appeal to an international audience and evidence of Japan's use of repatriation to regain international recognition in the 1950s. The role of private charities in assisting the Japanese government to disseminate its message has become increasingly apparent from the archival sources.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic I was unable to travel internationally or domestically and this prevented me from using the funds I had allocated for these expenses.
To make the best use of the funds that remain I will order copies of documents using photo reproduction when visiting libraries in person is not possible. I will also use the funds to cover expenses from conferences which are held online. Finally, to disseminate my findings to the widest possible audience I will use funds to cover expenses incurred in translating my work into Japanese.
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