Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Strategic and Global Studies, ICSGS 2018, October 24-26, 2018, Central Jakarta, Indonesia

Research Article

Japanese Women Repatriated from the Colonies: Racial Conflicts and Agonies: A Studies on Nagareru Hoshi wa Ikiteiru (The Floating Stars Are Alive) by Fujiwara Tei

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  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.24-10-2018.2289679,
        author={Wafa’ Hanim Askho and Susy  Ong and Renny  Nurhasana},
        title={Japanese Women Repatriated from the Colonies: Racial Conflicts and Agonies: A Studies on Nagareru Hoshi wa Ikiteiru (The Floating Stars Are Alive) by Fujiwara Tei},
        proceedings={Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Strategic and Global Studies, ICSGS 2018, October 24-26, 2018, Central Jakarta, Indonesia},
        publisher={EAI},
        proceedings_a={ICSGS},
        year={2019},
        month={11},
        keywords={decolonization repatriation racial tension gender bias},
        doi={10.4108/eai.24-10-2018.2289679}
    }
    
  • Wafa’ Hanim Askho
    Susy Ong
    Renny Nurhasana
    Year: 2019
    Japanese Women Repatriated from the Colonies: Racial Conflicts and Agonies: A Studies on Nagareru Hoshi wa Ikiteiru (The Floating Stars Are Alive) by Fujiwara Tei
    ICSGS
    EAI
    DOI: 10.4108/eai.24-10-2018.2289679
Wafa’ Hanim Askho1,*, Susy Ong1, Renny Nurhasana1
  • 1: School of Strategic and Global Studies, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia
*Contact email: wafahanim.a@gmail.com

Abstract

This studies focuses on the racial conflicts and agonies confronted by Japanese women during their long and uncertain journey home from Japan’s former colonies, following Japan’s military defeat in WW II, as depicted in Nagareru Hoshi wa Ikiteiru (The Floating Stars Are Alive) by Fujiwara Tei. This novel, a best-seller upon publication, is a semi-autobiography of the author. Japan’s defeat to the Allied Powers in 1945 also resulted in the loss of her colonies (Taiwan, Korea peninsula and the puppet state ‘Manchuria’), and Japanese nationals residing in those lands were forced to repatriate. The biggest numbers were from ‘Manchuria’, where Japanese civilians had been ‘transmigrated’ on masse. After Japan’s defeat, the privileges they enjoyed before dismissed, and they became the target of racial assault by angry locals. More tragic were the women, since they were separated from their husbands, had to take care of their children during the journey, and frequently threatened by Korean males, social gap between Japanese, and individual experience with Soviet troops (Japan’s former enemy). This personal story indeed is the testimony of one important part of Japanese modern history hitherto untold (unknown) to the public.