The Fifteen-Year War was a time of great turmoil and uncertainty in Japan. Various facets of the country were tested and driven to their limits. During the occupation, race and gender began to evolve in ways that had not exactly be seen before. War had a tremendous impact on every part of the life of a Japanese citizen. Both men and women began to fill roles that were completely novel to them. Race became a part of the definition of who people were. As the war progressed and American troops landed on Japanese soil for occupation, more drastic changes occurred. Economic hardship and rations befell the people of the Land of the Rising Sun. Prostitution began to rear its ugly head and rape transpired. Through memory, research, and vivid creativity, the evolution of Japan during the Fifteen-Year War can be analyzed with great scrutiny. Grave of the Fireflies is a tragic film from the late 1980s that draws on the issues of war and presents them explicitly to the public. It follows the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko as they fight to survive during the air raids of World War II. The movie addresses several issues concerned with war but the two most prevalent are gender and race. Race is seen far less in the film than gender. It is critiqued with a great subtleness and almost tact on the part of the filmmakers. The male gender role is the one most emphasized during the length of the movie. Men are supposed to exemplify the masculine standard and even women are inadequate unless they exude virile strength, hard-work, and courage. While the roles of men and women had been completely and precisely separate before the war, Grave of the Fireflies offers a second opinion of the time period. As men became one-hundred percent... ... middle of paper ... ...direct assistance of a male. In Japan’s Comfort Women, the “weakness” of women is seen again. Rape and sexual trade became a power play by individual men all the way up to the highest levels of government. But it was also a story of strength and courage on the part of victimized women. The Pacific War changed many things in Japan and the evolution of those institutions of Japanese society happened rapidly. The changes, however drastic, however gruesome, however sorrowful, were what shaped the history and future of Japan. Works Cited Grave of the Fireflies. DVD. Directed by Isao Takahata. 1988; Japan: Toho Company, 2000. Cooke, Haruko Taya. & Cook, Theodore F. Japan at War: An Oral History. New York: The New Press, 1992. Tanaka, Yuki. Japan’s Comfort Women: Sexual Slavery and Prostituion during World War II and the US occupation. New York: Routledge, 2002.
...ir eyes off of the naked women dancing. The outbursts towards the black men is farther evidence that during that time, blacks had little to no say and had not felt equal to their white counterparts. Perhaps the most conspicuous symbol of all is the battle itself. The white men pitted a group of black men against each other; the black men were in a no win situation. Instead of expressing their displeasure with the white men, the black men were forced to take their anger out on each other. The narrator also seems to seek approval by the white men; remembering his speech as he fights the other men. According to the protagonist: Should I try to win against the voice out there? Would not this go against my speech, and was not this a moment for humility, for nonresistance?” ( ). He’s worried about defying the white men; letting them down by not performing well enough.
Much of what is considered modern Japan has been fundamentally shaped by its involvement in various wars throughout history. In particular, the events of World War II led to radical changes in Japanese society, both politically and socially. While much focus has been placed on the broad, overarching impacts of war on Japan, it is through careful inspection of literature and art that we can understand war’s impact on the lives of everyday people. The Go Masters, the first collaborative film between China and Japan post-WWII, and “Turtleback Tombs,” a short story by Okinawan author Oshiro Tatsuhiro, both give insight to how war can fundamentally change how a place is perceived, on both an abstract and concrete level.
Matsumoto studies three generations, Issei, Nisei, and Sansei living in a closely linked ethnic community. She focuses her studies in the Japanese immigration experiences during the time when many Americans were scared with the influx of immigrants from Asia. The book shows a vivid picture of how Cortex Japanese endured violence, discriminations during Anti-Asian legislation and prejudice in 1920s, the Great Depression of 1930s, and the internment of 1940s. It also shows an examination of the adjustment period after the end of World War II and their return to the home place.
Okihiro, Gary Y. Whispered Silences: Japanese Americans and World War II. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1996.
Beginning in March of 1942, in the midst of World War II, over 100,000 Japanese-Americans were forcefully removed from their homes and ordered to relocate to several of what the United States has euphemistically labeled “internment camps.” In Farewell to Manzanar, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston describes in frightening detail her family’s experience of confinement for three and a half years during the war. In efforts to cope with the mortification and dehumanization and the boredom they were facing, the Wakatsukis and other Japanese-Americans participated in a wide range of activities. The children, before a structured school system was organized, generally played sports or made trouble; some adults worked for extremely meager wages, while others refused and had hobbies, and others involved themselves in more self-destructive activities.
Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi. “Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman and the Surrender of Japan.” Taking Sides: Clashing View in United States History. Ed. Larry Madaras & James SoRelle. 15th ed. New York, NY. 2012. 289-298.
Known for her work as a historian and rather outspoken political activist, Yamakawa Kikue was also the author of her book titled Women of the Mito Domain (p. xix). At the time she was writing this work, Yamakawa was under the surveillance of the Japanese government as the result of her and her husband’s work for the socialist and feminist movements in Japan (p. xx-xxi). But despite the restrictions she was undoubtedly required to abide by in order to produce this book, her work contains an air of commentary on the past and present political, social, and economic issues that had been plaguing the nation (p. xxi). This work is a piece that comments on the significance of women’s roles in history through the example of Yamakawa’s own family and
Throughout his book, ‘The Sisters Matsumoto’, Phillip Gotanda has participated on the commemoration of the Japanese internment as he has presented his play that can be viewed as a general narrative for Japanese American who had suffered from the event that had been long forgotten in the US. The play itself is more delved into the theme pertained with resilience and hope as all Japanese American characters try to reinvigorate their lives again after suffering emptiness both physically and mentally from the extent of the internment. Although the executive branch of the government in the U.S has dealt this uncomfortable part of its World War II history by granting apologies and reparations to the Japanese American community, it is tragic to see
23 .Roger Daniel, Prisoners Without Trial: Japanese Americans in the World War II 1993, Hill and Yang.
Marston, Daniel. The Pacific War Companion From Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. Oxford: Osprey, 2007. .
"Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour US naval base left the nation reeling in shock. For the past 3 years and even before, the United States had succeeded in keeping out of the war in Europe and the Pacific. Then, all of a sudden, the country was in the throes of a second world war, one that had scarred many nations already. The war had ravaged most of Europe and the American people feared a similar fate. Many Japanese-American citizens inhabited the island of Hawaii, shared by Pearl Harbour. This coincidence led to the thought that the Japanese in America might
In addition, shortly thereafter, she and a small group of American business professionals left to Japan. The conflict between values became evident very early on when it was discovered that women in Japan were treated by locals as second-class citizens. The country values there were very different, and the women began almost immediately feeling alienated. The options ...
The mid 1800’s was a dreadful time to reside in Japan due to a fatal famine that transpired at that time. Innocent lives were being derived due to the scarcity of food. The inauspicious weather was to blame, as it hadn’t sustained the crops. The lack of nourishment for the crops affected them remarkably; it had halted the harvestation of the Japanese crops, disrupting the harmony of their accustomed routine. The lethal famine had primarily affected the farmers and peasants, causing emaciation to spread throughout the country. The citizens of Japan started to question the competency of the Japanese government, since they couldn’t find any strategies to overcome this difficult period in Japan. The shogun and Bakufu became distressed as they
When walking through a cherry blossom festival today, one would stand in astonishment when observing the younger generation. The prim, modest Japanese woman has been exchanged for a bold, energetic machine charging at maximum speed into the 21st century. Twenty years ago, Sumiko Iwao took note of a wide-spread stereotype in her book The Japanese Woman boldly claiming, “The Kimono-clad, bamboo parasol-toting, bowing female walking three paces behind her husband remains the image many Westerners hold” (Iwao 1). Today, this image no longer holds true. Japanese women are becoming increasingly more like the women of the West burying their kimonos and their shamisens deep within the vaults of their memories. In a Japanese hair dye advertisement by Palty, a young woman has dyed her hair blonde and wears blue colored contact lenses. Her appearance resembles that of an American starlet fully enveloped in a gla...
Our preliminary class gave a brief, yet detailed outline of major events affecting the East Asian region. Within that class, prompted by our limited geographical knowledge of Asia, we were given a fundamental explanation of the geographical locations of the various events taking place in the region. In subsequent classes, we were introduced to the major wars, political shifts, and economic interests which shaped Japan, China and Korea to what they are today. We examined the paradigm of pre-modern Japanese governance, the Shogunate, and the trained warriors which defended lord and land, Samurai. In addition, we examined the socio-economic classes of Medieval Japan, which included the Samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and the merchants. We also examined pre-1945 Japan’s policies toward foreign entities, notably the Sakoku Policy, which sought to expunge all foreign presence and commerce in an effort to protect its borders and culture. 1945, however, saw ...