2022 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Cross-Cultural Analysis of Postwar Repatriation Narratives in Japanese and Asian Literatures
| Project/Area Number |
22K13035
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| Research Institution | Osaka University |
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Principal Investigator |
ランブレクト ニコラス 大阪大学, 大学院人文学研究科(人文学専攻、芸術学専攻、日本学専攻), 助教 (60845981)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-04-01 – 2025-03-31
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| Keywords | 引揚げ / 脱植民地化 / 移動文学 / ポストコロニアル / 帰国 |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
This project contributes to the study of postwar repatriation narratives in Asia by serving as a cross-cultural examination of the relationship between Japanese repatriation literature, or hikiage bungaku, and postwar narratives of migration and return written and published in other Asian languages. After World War II, millions of repatriates and returnees undertook voyages of return, both to Japan and to other countries across Asia. Memories and reinterpretations of these journeys were the topic of a significant number of literary works, and recent research on repatriation literature written by Japanese repatriates (hikiagesha) has begun to reveal the significant and ongoing influence of repatriation on the postwar world.
This project expands the scope of ongoing research on Japanese repatriation literature not only by highlighting the inherently international nature of Japanese repatriation, which necessarily involved complex movements across national borders and contact between people from vastly different backgrounds, but also by applying insights from the study of Japanese repatriation literature to new contexts outside of Japan. In particular, the project is engaged in exploring the mutual influence of postwar repatriation narratives that have usually been interpreted within the context of particular national histories and national literatures. Such analysis of the bidirectional movement of both people and texts promises to enhance our understanding of war memory, postwar international relations, and the functions and effects of literature.
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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
Collection of research materials in multiple languages progressed smoothly during the first year of the project. This permitted research to continue at the expected pace despite the limitations on domestic and international travel that were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Proper examination of texts in Asian languages other than Japanese and Korean requires significant time investment, so certain results in this area will only become clear later in the project period. I am continuing to analyze the resources that are on hand, and preliminary research results concerning Japanese-language and Korean-language resources were discussed at hybrid and online symposia in early 2023.
Travel circumstances have improved in recent months, allowing me to accept invitations to participate at upcoming international conferences. The feedback received at these conferences is expected to encourage the immediate development of new research questions, particularly since these conferences will include opportunities to interact with prominent scholars focusing on multiple Asian literatures. Additional domestic conference and workshop participation has also been confirmed.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The resources on postwar repatriation narratives in Japanese, Korean, and English collected during the first year of the project will be used to conduct the original research plan and obtain preliminary research results. New travel to repatriation archives and literature museums in Fukuoka, Kochi, Kanagawa, and South Korea will result in further development of this research.
Research results are scheduled to be presented in Japanese and English at both domestic and international conferences. These presentations are expected to serve as occasions to obtain essential feedback and make additional connections that can serve as the basis for future joint research. Participation is confirmed at multiple international conferences in South Korea, including a panel presentation at the annual AAS-in-Asia conference in June, and at multiple venues in Japan.
Together, this analysis of existing resources, travel to review new materials, and participation in symposia are expected to lead to new publishing opportunities in the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years.
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| Causes of Carryover |
International travel and access to domestic archives were limited by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly during the first half of the 2022 fiscal year. It is expected that opportunities to carry out research trips will improve during 2023; delayed travel to literature museums and repatriation archives has been rescheduled and in-person conference participation is set to increase. Multiple visits to South Korea are in the final stages of planning, including a trip to present research results at the 2023 AAS-in-Asia conference held by the Association for Asian Studies.
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Research Products
(2 results)
