The Politics of Trauma and Integrity : : Stories of Japanese Comfort Women.

• Superior document: Gender in a Global/Local World Ser.
• Author: Tsukamoto, Sachiyo.
• Place / Publishing House: Milton : : Taylor & Francis Group,, 2022.; ©2023.
• Year of Publication: 2022
• Language: English
• Series: Gender in a Global/Local World Ser.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (167 pages)

"The Politics of Trauma and Integrity uses the lenses of gender and trauma to tell the stories of narratives testified by two contrasting Japanese "comfort women" survivors. Through an innovative interdisciplinary study of the politics of gendered memory and trauma in historical context, with numerous primary sources for analysis including diaries, interviews, letters and oral testimonies, this book uncovers the life-or-death struggles of Japanese survivors in pursuit of public recognition as the victims of state violence against women. It is set within a gender history of modern Japan, supplemented by feminist activist methodology premised upon political agency that seeks social justice. The author's analysis draws upon three key concepts: trauma, coherence of the self, and integrity. Focusing upon the role of gender and trauma as the nexus between memory construction and identity formation in modern Japan, the author reveals these women's relentless quest for their recovery and creation of new identities. This book provides a better understanding of the victims of sexual violence and encourages readers to listen to the voice of trauma, as well as making a significant contribution to the existing research on the ongoing history of sexual violence against women in Japan, the rest of Asia and beyond. It will be of interest to scholars, researchers, activists and all who are interested in the issue of women's human rights. It provides supplementary reading and research material for history and politics courses relating to Japan and East Asia, memory, identity, trauma, gender, war and feminist activism. This book will also be beneficial to victims of sexual violence as well as the counsellors/psychologists engaging with them"-- Provided by publisher.

Table of Contents

Cover -- Endorsement -- Half Title -- Series Information -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Table of Contents -- Figures -- Acknowledgements -- Abbreviations -- Prologue -- 1 Introduction: Trauma and Recovery -- Hegemonic Narratives and the Politics of History -- Trauma as Impossible Communication -- Recovery From Trauma as the Creation of a Coherent Self -- The Politics of Integrity -- The Structure of this Book -- Notes -- References -- 2 Conspiracy of Silence in Post-War Japan -- Introduction -- Japan's War Trauma and the States' Post-War Revisionism -- A Hidden History of the Sexual Contract: Japanese "Comfort Women" for the Allied Forces -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 3 Kikumaru: Between Voice and Silence -- Introduction -- Reclaiming Post-War Life -- The Divided Self -- Kikumaru's Final Effort: Breaking Her Silence -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 4 Shirota Suzuko: The Victim-Survivor-Activist -- Introduction -- The Listener -- Stage 1: Establishment of Stability for Survival -- Stage 2: Subject Formation By Building a Coherent Narrative of the Self -- Stage 3: Reconnection to the External World -- The Victim-Survivor-Activist -- Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- 5 The State-Licensed Prostitute as a Dutiful Daughter -- Introduction -- The Conspiracy of Silence: Forced Internalisation of the Abusers' Shame and Guilt Into Their Victims -- Kikumaru (Hirota 2009) -- For the Family to for the Country -- Shirota Suzuko (Shirota 1971) -- Patriarchal Family as a Unit of Patriarchal Society -- Betrayal of Trust -- Prostitution Sex as a Dehumanised Process -- Conclusion -- Note -- References -- 6 "Comfort Women" as a Gendered National Subject -- Introduction -- Hegemonic Masculinity and Homosocial Male Bonding -- Masculinities of Citizen-Soldiers in Modern Japan -- Kikumaru as the Wife/mistress for Officers.

Shirota Suzuko as a Witness to Brutality at War -- Nationalism as a Conspiracy of Silence -- From "Fully Fledged" Citizens to "Fully Fledged" Soldiers -- Homosocial Bond Between "Fully Fledged" Soldiers -- The Making of an Imperial Killing Machine -- Conclusion: Beyond Masculinity as Humanity -- Notes -- References -- 7 Epilogue -- Introduction -- Modern Nation-States as Imagined Communities -- The 'Circles of Memory: The "Comfort Women" and the World' -- From Empathy to Activism as Imagined Communities -- References -- Appendix Brief Life Stories of Some Japanese "Comfort Women" -- Keiko (Sasakuri Fuji) -- Miyagi Tsuru (Pseudonym) -- Mizuno Iku -- Shimada Yoshiko (Pseudonym) -- Suzumoto Aya (Pseudonym) -- Takanashi Taka -- Tanaka Tami (Pseudonym) -- Uehara Eiko (Pseudonym) -- Index.