"We aimed to combine our respective areas of expertise to tell a new narrative about the human and local-level impacts of the Cold War in Japan."
Dr. Scott Harrison
Connecting Histories, Shaping Futures
"We aimed to combine our respective areas of expertise to tell a new narrative about the human and local-level impacts of the Cold War in Japan."
Dr. Scott Harrison
Connecting Histories, Shaping Futures
This article by Kimie Hara and Scott Harrison explores the intersection of Cold War geopolitics, the San Francisco System, and the rise of Indigenous rights movements in Japan, focusing on Okinawan and Ainu communities. It argues that the Cold War and the post-World War II San Francisco Peace Treaty profoundly influenced Japan's territorial disputes and relations with Indigenous populations. Okinawans, subjected to prolonged U.S. military presence, and Ainu, marginalized amidst territorial conflicts with the USSR/Russia, experienced shifts in identity and activism as they sought recognition and rights. These movements, shaped by global Indigenous discourses and local geopolitical pressures, reveal the enduring legacy of Cold War structures in the Asia-Pacific and their impact on state-Indigenous relations.
This article by Kimie Hara and Scott Harrison explores the intersection of Cold War geopolitics, the San Francisco System, and the rise of Indigenous rights movements in Japan, focusing on Okinawan and Ainu communities. It argues that the Cold War and the post-World War II San Francisco Peace Treaty profoundly influenced Japan's territorial disputes and relations with Indigenous populations. Okinawans, subjected to prolonged U.S. military presence, and Ainu, marginalized amidst territorial conflicts with the USSR/Russia, experienced shifts in identity and activism as they sought recognition and rights. These movements, shaped by global Indigenous discourses and local geopolitical pressures, reveal the enduring legacy of Cold War structures in the Asia-Pacific and their impact on state-Indigenous relations.
Key Insights
This article examines how the "San Francisco System" influenced Indigenous rights movements among the Okinawans and Ainu in Japan. The San Francisco System refers to the post-World War II arrangements established by the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, which shaped Japan's international relations and domestic policies during the Cold War.
After World War II, the U.S. consolidated lands in Okinawa for military purposes, often displacing local communities and consequently spurring movements supporting Indigenous identity and rights among Okinawans. In parallel, the Japanese government’s policies relating to a territorial dispute with the USSR/Russia affected the Ainu people—an Indigenous group in northern Japan—whose advocacy for recognition and rights was shaped by broader Cold War dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region. According to the article, these developments were closely linked to the geopolitical framework established by the San Francisco System during the Cold War, with the authors emphasizing the complex interplay between international power structures and the emergence of Indigenous rights movements in Japan’s frontier regions.
Key Insights
This article examines how the "San Francisco System" influenced Indigenous rights movements among the Okinawans and Ainu in Japan. The San Francisco System refers to the post-World War II arrangements established by the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty, which shaped Japan's international relations and domestic policies during the Cold War.
After World War II, the U.S. consolidated lands in Okinawa for military purposes, often displacing local communities and consequently spurring movements supporting Indigenous identity and rights among Okinawans. In parallel, the Japanese government’s policies relating to a territorial dispute with the USSR/Russia affected the Ainu people—an Indigenous group in northern Japan—whose advocacy for recognition and rights was shaped by broader Cold War dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region. According to the article, these developments were closely linked to the geopolitical framework established by the San Francisco System during the Cold War, with the authors emphasizing the complex interplay between international power structures and the emergence of Indigenous rights movements in Japan’s frontier regions.
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This article was the product of an invitation from Professor Oliviero Frattolillo at Roma Tre University in Italy to contribute to a special edition on Japan’s Cold War published by the official journal of the Italian Society of International History.
Scott M. Harrison and Kimie Hara, “The Cold War, the San Francisco System, and the Rise of Indigenous Rights Movements in Japan,” Rivista italiana di storia internazionale Vol. 2 (2023): 217-240.
View Article
This article was the product of an invitation from Professor Oliviero Frattolillo at Roma Tre University in Italy to contribute to a special edition on Japan’s Cold War published by the official journal of the Italian Society of International History.
Scott M. Harrison and Kimie Hara, “The Cold War, the San Francisco System, and the Rise of Indigenous Rights Movements in Japan,” Rivista italiana di storia internazionale Vol. 2 (2023): 217-240.
Latest projects
Asia/Indo-Pacific
Japan-Canada Research and Policy Network
Exploring new horizons in trade, diplomacy, media and innovation
Asia/Indo-Pacific
Japan-Canada Research and Policy Network
Exploring new horizons in trade, diplomacy, media and innovation
Indigenous Internationalism
Indigenous Reconciliation in Canada, Taiwan, and Japan
Cross-Pacific Indigenous connections, cultural revitalization, policy reform, and pathways to justice
Indigenous Internationalism
Indigenous Reconciliation in Canada, Taiwan, and Japan
Cross-Pacific Indigenous connections, cultural revitalization, policy reform, and pathways to justice
Latest projects
Asia/Indo-Pacific
Japan-Canada Research and Policy Network
Exploring new horizons in trade, diplomacy, media and innovation
Indigenous Internationalism
Indigenous Reconciliation in Canada, Taiwan, and Japan
Cross-Pacific Indigenous connections, cultural revitalization, policy reform, and pathways to justice
