Dear SSJ-Forum members:

On behalf of the Waseda Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies and the "History, Memory, and Narrative in Contemporary Japanese Politics" Research Group at Waseda, I am proud to announce that on Monday, May 20 at 4:30 p.m., Professor Mire Koikari -- one of the leading authorities on gender, culture, and the legacies of Japan's empire -- will be speaking on "Crafting Japanese Immigrant Nationalism(s) in 1930s Hawai'i" on the Waseda Campus in Tokyo. Dr. Koikari, a professor in the Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Hawai'i, describes the topic as follows:

"Prior to WWII, Japanese immigrant nationalism flourished in Hawai'i. At the center of this little-known phenomenon were "imon bukuro" (comfort bags), handmade by immigrant women and gifted to Japanese soldiers--those aboard the navy training vessels calling Hawai'i as well as troops deployed in the distant battlefields in China. The gendered patriotic campaign was part of the larger tale of Japan's empire-building in which island and homeland, gunboat and sewing needle, and territorial conquest and seaborne expansion all played crucial roles."

This talk, part of the WIAPS Colloquium Series, should be a fascinating event. Please join us in Room 713 of Building 19 on the Waseda campus. We hope to see you there. Please contact David Leheny (dleheny@waseda.jp) if you have any questions.