This article focuses on visits by Japanese and Okinawan immigrants to Prisoner of War (POW) camps to see Japanese and Okinawan POWs who were confined there in the Territory of Hawaiʻi immediately following the end of the Pacific War. Previous studies have focused on one-way exchanges, meaning “giving” or “charity” from immigrants to POWs, mainly from Okinawans in Hawai‘i to Okinawan POWs. However, this paper presents evidence for two-way exchanges between immigrants and POWs. Examples include the activities of the katta-gumi (winning-belief–group) and the participation in the Japanese culture revival movements through orchestra performances, theatrical and dance performances and movie screenings in the context of “sympathy visits.” Changes over time in these visits to POW camps in the immediate aftermath of the war and the level of enthusiasm are also examined as evidence that these visits eventually produced cultural interaction, which was, in part, inspired by the appearance of POWs in Hawai‘i. The state of the change was clearer when Okinawan POWs invited “sympathy visit” groups to their theatric performances. In Hawaiian society immediately following the end of the war, this shared culture of immigrants and POWs also constitutes a type of “end-of-war celebration” with the POW camp functioning as a place where they could actually experience the celebration using. Ironically, however, they also showed the struggles inherent in the effort to create a new type of culture (a set of meanings) on the stages in the POW camps managed by the military authorities.

View full abstract

The aim of this paper is to examine the “home” making processes of Shin-Nisei (postwar second-generation Japanese immigrants) who had returned to Japan. Based on the six- year follow-up research of three Japanese university students raised in Guam, I illustrate how they have made their homes in Japan, where they had never previously lived. The main results are threefold. First, they chose to go to Japanese universities to rediscover their roots and/or to seek a better way of life. After returning to Japan, however, they faced a gap between the ideal and reality, and thus struggled to adjust to Japanese society. Second, their home-making process led to two approaches: one was able to create a sense of home by taking advantage of global experiences and competencies, while another failed to feel at home in the new homeland. Finally, three important factors were found for making a home in the process of adaptation. They are the networks in Japan and Guam, the socio- spatial context of the university and area of settlement, and connections with Japan prior to returning.

View full abstract

After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, many Japanese language schools in Japan experienced unexpected changes. While the numbers of foreign students from China and Korea sharply declined, there was a significant increase in both Vietnamese and Nepalese students. This radical adjustment was attributed to the enthusiastic promotion of these schools recruiting applicants from the latter two countries. This paper aims to examine the vital roles played by both international education agencies in Nepal and Japanese language schools in Japan in terms of Nepalese student recruitment to Japan. In Nepal, more than 1,000 international education agencies have helped Nepalese students to study abroad. They also run Japanese language centers that provide basic language training required for school admission in Japan. The agencies look for prospective candidates who can apply to their partner schools through these centers. Thus, registering in these Japanese language courses serves as a first step toward undertaking study in Japan, because Japanese language training in Nepal is entirely synchronized with the four admission periods (April, July, October, and January) in Japan. The recruiting campaign, however, is more extensive. A few months before their expected date of departure, the staff and/or Japanese language teachers from Japan visit Nepal to hold seminars and interview each applicant. This semi-formal process is the platform for double-checking the students’ Japanese language proficiency, the purpose of their study, and financial status. As they visit Nepal, it makes it possible for them to recruit more students through face-to-face conversations. This grassroots promotional campaign by the Japanese business partners is designed to bridge the informational gap between the agencies and the schools in Japan regarding Japan. This paper concludes that although international education agencies have served an intermediary role in bridging Nepalese students and partner schools abroad, the partner schools in Japan have also significantly engaged in school promotion campaigns and student recruitment in Nepal, contributing to cultivating a new international education market.

View full abstract