Description
Book SynopsisThis book examines the social and cultural history of the Bonin Islands and its inhabitants from the first settlements in the early nineteenth century to today. It provides a critical approach to understanding how communities create local narratives while located between powerful nations and national discourses.
Trade ReviewThrough a careful consideration of personal accounts, collective memory, government records from Japanese and European countries, presettlement travel records of explorers, and so on, Chapman weaves together the multiple narratives that "form the many strands that make up the very fabric of Bonin history".... The scope of the work is truly impressive. * The Journal of Japanese Studies *
The story of the Bonin Islands is an extraordinary and little-known part of Japan's frontier history. A place of multiple cultural encounters, migrations, displacements, and occupations, the Bonins offer a vantage point for a fresh look at the shaping of modern Japan. David Chapman provides a superb historical analysis of the islands' history, while also recounting their fascinating and sometimes tragic history with the skills of a consummate storyteller. -- Tessa Morris-Suzuki, Australian National University
David Chapman narrates a fascinating chapter of global history through the story of the Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands, their people, and shifting regional power dynamics. He reveals a space and time of cosmopolitanism in the history of Japan and the Pacific. -- Vera Mackie, University of Wollongong
Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Orphan, the Uninhabited, and the Archbishop: Narratives of Discovery and Possession Chapter 2: An Unsettled Settlement: Narratives of Promise and Menace Chapter 3: Encountering Japan: Narratives of Possession and Reclamation Chapter 4: Naturalized Foreigners: Narratives of Nation and Modernity Chapter 5: Christianity, Colonialism, and Community: Narratives of Spectacle and Religion Chapter 6: Strangers at Home: Narratives of Suspicion and Conflict Chapter 7: A World Apart: Narratives of Identity Chapter 8: Conclusion
