2018 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 – 2021-03-31
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| Keywords | Migration / Decolonization / Repatriate / Empire / Humanitarianism |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In the academic year 2018-19 the principal investigator (PI) read widely in the secondary literature concerning the origins of humanitarianism and the role of private charities such as church organisations. He also read a selection of primary sources about the role of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) between 1942 and 1952. These primary sources indicated that the YMCA worked closely with the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s Repatriation Bureau in organising repatriation following the disintegration of the Japanese Empire between 1945 and 1950. This is an important finding that he will pursue further in AY 2019-20.
In addition to this archival research, the PI presented the early results of his research at 2 international conferences (Association for Critical Heritage Studies and Association for Asian Studies), 1 domestic conference, 1 invited lecture and 1 public lecture. The public lecture featured in the local news on NHK Hokkaido (broadcast 16th June 2019).
He authored 1 online journal article and 1 joint-authored article. He also had an article published in AY 2018 translated into Japanese and published in Hokkaido University’s Journal of the Center for Northern Humanities (北方人文研究） (Vol.12).
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
The PI has made slightly less progress than he had expected because he started a new job in September 2019. Because his new post has a heavier teaching and administrative workload he has not been able to visit archives and read as much as he had hoped. Nevertheless, despite the increasing demands on his time he has still been able to attend the international conferences at which he had planned to present.
Now that his first semester of teaching is completed, he has a better idea of the amount of time he has available to pursue research. Therefore, he anticipates being able to catch up on the work he was unable to do in AY 2018-19 in addition to completing his original research plan for AY 2019-20.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In AY 2019-20 the PI plans to publish a co-authored article in an international journal. He is also planning to make extended archival visits to the YMCA archives at the University of Minnesota to follow up on the findings from the initial selection of primary sources he analysed in AY 2018-19. In addition he will visit the American Friends Service Committee archives in Philadelphia. He also plans to conduct an oral history interview with a former member of the US Occupation Forces who worked at several Regional Repatriation Centres during his time in Japan. He will also continue to visit archives in Japan to search for additional sources relevant to the question of repatriation and humanitarianism.
The PI plans to present some of his latest research at 3 international conferences (American Historical Association, British Association of Japanese Studies and Association of Asian Studies): 1 in the USA and 2 in the UK.
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| Causes of Carryover |
Because of starting a new position in September 2019, from October 2018 to January 2019 I had to focus on preparing to teach new classes. In addition, I had to take on a larger amount of administrative work. This meant that I was unable to take an international and a domestic research trip that I had planned to make.
Because I now have a clearer understanding of the responsibilities of my new role, I expect to be able to allocate my time more efficiently and to make up for the part of the research I was unable to complete in AY 2018-19.
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