Remembering Asia's World War Two

Over the past four decades East and Southeast Asia have seen a proliferation of heritage sites and remembrance practices which commemorate the regionâs bloody conflicts of the period 1931â45. Remembering Asiaâs World War Two examines the origins dynamics and repercussions of this regional war âœmemory boomâ. The book analyzes the politics of war commemoration in contemporary East and Southeast Asia. Featuring contributions from leading international scholars the chapters span China Japan Malaysia Hong Kong and Singapore covering topics such as the commemoration of the Japanese militaryâs âœcomfort womenâ system forms of dark tourism or commemorative pilgrimages (e. g. veteransâ tours to wartime battlefields) and the establishment and evolution of various war-related heritage sites and museums. Case studies reveal the distinctive trajectories of new and newly discovered forms of remembrance within and across national boundaries. They highlight the growing influence of non-state actors over representations of conflict and occupation as well as the increasingly interconnected and transnational character of memory-making. Taken together the studies collected here demonstrate that across much of Asia the public commemoration of the wars of 1931â45 has begun to shift from portraying them as a series of national conflicts with distinctive local meanings to commemorating the conflict as a common pan-Asian or even global experience. Focusing on non-textual vehicles for public commemoration and considering both the local and international dimensions of war commemoration within Remembering Asiaâs World War Two will be a crucial reference for students and scholars of History Memory Studies and Heritage Studies as well as all those interested in the history politics and culture of contemporary Asia. . Language: English