Hello All,

My Nichibunken colleague Professor Ayako Kusunoki and myself will host a Workshop on ""Insular imaginaries? Japan's islands, reversion and territorial integrity from the 1970s to today" on 10 October 2024.

The Workshop will examine Japan's islands, and specifically how the re-introduction of Japanese administrative control over Okinawa prefecture in the 1970s affected Japanese attitudes to its own territory, geopolitical perceptions regarding the extant and role of the Japanese nation, and Japan's place within the international community. It will also examine how these have changed over the subsequent 50 years.

We are looking for exciting research proposals examining the perceptions and policies that have shaped Japan's borders, and are particularly interested in papers which engage with:
•    The 1970s as a formative period for Japan's territorial understandings today.
•    Shifts in the role of islands and borders within security discourse and practices.
•    Understandings of islands as both connected and isolated.
Proposals for research on any other aspect of research into Japan's border islands from the 1970s onwards, including the analysis of administrative measures or outcomes, are welcome. Comparative studies looking at Japan's policy in a broader Northeast Asian context will also be considered.

Travel support is primarily intended for those in Japan and neighbouring countries, but applications from further afield will be considered.

The application deadline is Monday 1 July 2024.

For full details, including how to apply, please see:
https://www.borderthinking.com/cfp-insular-imaginaries

Best wishes,


Ted