2019 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 AY 2019-20 the principal investigator visited archives in Japan and abroad (United States) to gather primary documents concerning the origins of humanitarianism and the role of private charities such as church organisations and youth groups. The primary sources indicate that church organisations such as the American Friends Service Committee and the Young Mens Christian Association played an indirect role in bringing Japanese repatriation to international attention in the late-1940s. The primary documents also indicate that there were negotiations between youth group leaders and senior Japanese government figures to coordinate private charities’ involvement in repatriation. Archival work in Japan (日本社会事業大学）suggested that there important differences between regions in Japan in terms of how the Japanese state responded to repatriation.
He published 1 co-authored article in an international journal (Japan Forum, British Association of Japanese Studies) on a topic directly related to the research theme. He also published 2 articles in Japanese. One of these articles was in a publication intended for a general audience interested in the Hokkaido Prefectural Government's new History of Hokkaido.
In addition to this archival research, the PI presented the mid-term results of his research at 2 international conferences and 2 domestic conferences.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The PI has made significant progress in gathering primary sources and locating new possibilities for archival research. In particular, he hopes to find more documents about the connection between the Japanese YMCA and repatriation. The international conferences that he participated in were particularly helpful for making connections with other researchers working on forced migration and widening the scope of his research. He is currently writing up some of his findings for publication in a special issue of an international journal focusing on questions of forced migration and citizenship.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
In AY 2020-21 the PI had planned to make follow-up visits to archives with documents on repatriation. However, owing to the situation with COVID-19 these archives may no longer be possible to visit within this academic year. Also, attending conferences to present his research findings and make new connections is likely to be difficult for the foreseeable future. Therefore, he plans to use online archives as much as possible and to concentrate on writing up his findings to date.
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| Causes of Carryover |
In January 2020 I was unable to attend an international conference that I had planned to go to in the USA. I was also unable to visit the archives in the same city that I had planned to go to while attending the conference. Due to the situation with COVID-19 I am unsure as to whether I will be able to visit the archive in AY 2020-21. If visiting is impossible I will reallocate the funds to purchase a volume of primary documents.
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