Japanese Colonialism and Imperialism from Manchuria to Okinawa, and Beyond

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A CONVERSATION BETWEEN WENDY MATSUMURA AND RORY HUANG

When thinking about Asian colonialism, the Japanese Empire is arguably the most discussed paradigm. From the annexation of Ainu Mosir (Hokkaido) and the Ryūkyūs (Okinawa) to the colonial rule of Manchuria and Korea, and ultimately the occupation of a significant part of the western Pacific, Japanese imperialism (and its complicity with US imperialism) is still present today, as discussed through letters by Wendy Matsumura and Rory Huang.

Matsumura Funambulist 1
48 hour strike by Zengunrō (All Okinawa Military Employees Trade Union) against mass layoffs of military base workers, September 9-10, 1970. / Okinawa prefectural archives.

Dear Rory,

I’m so grateful to be able to have this conversation with you. I’m so glad that each of our journeys since 2015, when we first exchanged emails, have led us here. Léopold asked us to share our understandings of Japanese imperialism and colonialism in a way that would be recognizable even to people who are not super familiar with non-European empires.