"War Crimes Trials in Japanese Lit.: The Question of Korean Representation...

March 3, 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Mānoa Campus, Moore Hall 319 (Tokioka Room), 1890 East-West Rd. Add to Calendar

"War Crimes Trials in Japanese Literature: The Question of Korean Representation on the War Criminal Docket"

Presented by Dr. Younglong Kim, UHM Visiting Scholar.

How has Japanese literature portrayed war crimes trials? Even now, more than 70 years after World War II, there is no systematic study addressing this question. To remedy that gap, this presentation chronicles a genealogy of relevant works in Japanese literature, focusing specifically on those featuring Korean war criminals. These range from the film script “A Wall-Mounted Room” [Kabe Atsuki Heya] published in the 1950s by Abe Kobo to Zainichi playwright Chong Wishing’s 2018 “Macbeth Below the Equator” [Shekid no Shita no Makubesu]. These works remind us that figures accused of war crimes included not only the suzerains of imperial Japan, but also (former) colonial subjects. By examining Korean representation in the context of war crimes trials, this presentation seeks to clarify how literary works engaged with issues of colonial and postwar responsibility never fully settled in the course of the historical trials.

This public lecture is part of the Spring 2020 Center for Japanese Studies Seminar Series, it is free and open to all. Co-sponsored with the departments of History, East Asian Languages & Literatures, and the Center for Korean Studies.

For disability access, please contact CJS at 956-2665 or cjs@hawaii.edu

For visitor parking information, please visit https://manoa.hawaii.edu/commuter/maps/


Event Sponsor
Center for Japanese Studies, Mānoa Campus

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