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Podcast: New Books in East Asian Studies
Episode: Hiroko Matsuda, "Liminality of the Japanese Empire: Border Crossings from Okinawa to Colonial Taiwan" (U Hawaii Press, 2019)
Description: Okinawa, one of the smallest prefectures of Japan, has drawn much international attention because of the long-standing presence of US bases and the people’s resistance against them. In recent years, alternative discourses on Okinawa have emerged due to the territorial disputes over the Senkaku Islands, and the media often characterizes Okinawa as the borderland demarcating Japan, China (PRC), and Taiwan (ROC). While many politicians and opinion makers discuss Okinawa’s national and security interests, little attention is paid to the local perspective towards the national border and local residents’ historical experiences of border crossings.Through archival resear...