Tensions of Empire: Japan and Southeast Asia in the Colonial and Postcolonial World
Ken'ichi Goto
«The transformation of Southeast Asia from a region of colonies to that of independent nations was one of the remarkable developments of the twentieth century. The role of Japan in this transformation, however, remains controversial. Taking issue with the view, which is still influential in Japan, that Japanese efforts at constructing a 'Great East Asia Coprosperity Sphere' were instrumental in bringing about Asian colonial liberation, Professor Goto, a leading authority on Indonesian history, carefully examines the available data and shows that the bulk of Indonesians, Burmese, Malayans, Filipinos, and others who encountered Japanese soldiers and civilians did not view them as their liberators. At the same time, Goto argues that Southeast Asia's Japanese interlude did make an impact on these countries' social and cultural life and contributed to the emergence of a collective regional identity. The book is indispensable for anyone interested in the story of decolonization and nationbuilding in Southeast Asia.»
- Akira Iriye, Harvard University.
Beginning with the closing decade of European colonial rule in Southeast Asia and covering the wartime Japanese empire and its postwar disintegration, Tensions of Empire focuses on the Japanese in Southeast Asia, Indonesians in Japan, and the legacy of the war in Southeast Asia. It also examines Japanese perceptions of Southeast Asia and the lingering ambivalence toward Japanese involvement in Asia and the war in particular.
«... an illuminating analysis of contemporary debates about Japanese imperialism in China and Southeast Asia, 1937-1945... This is an excellent collection of articles written by Japan's foremost historian of Japan's evolving relations with Southeast Asia during the 20th century. »
- The Japan Times
Ken'ichi GOTO is Professor of International Relations and a former Dean of the Graduate School of Asia-Pacific Studies at Waseda University, Tokyo. He is also the former President of the Japan Society for Southeast Asian History.
publication year: 2003
376 pages
ISBN: 978-9971-69-281-0 Paperback US$30.00 S$38.00
A co-publication with Ohio University Press.
Our edition is available in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
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