Primitive Selves: Koreana in the Japanese Colonial Gaze, 1910–1945

Abstract

Since the book claims to be 'a study of the anniversary celebration and, more broadly, of Japan in 1940' (4), we must ask what this study really tells us about wartime Japan. I am not convinced that Japan was really at its 'zenith' in 1940. Ruoff describes that year as a 'heady time', when the Japanese contemplated ruling over a vast Asian empire, the publishing and entertainment industries flourished, and consumerism and tourism were on the rise. But how do we understand this brief 'interlude' of mass celebration and consumerism in the midst of the costly war in China, combat deaths, material shortages, weak political leadership, bureaucratic infighting and rising international tensions? From this perspective, the celebrations appear to signify desperate attempts by the state to divert attention away from the real issues at hand and rally support for an unpopular war. Which leaders and factions in the government were for and which ones against these celebrations? We only obtain occasional glimpses of the conflicts and debates over these celebrations, in quotes by leaders such as the reformist Cabinet Planning Board member Inaba Hidezō, who later recalled 'wondering at the time of the 2600th anniversary celebrations whether there was really cause for celebration in light of his country's deteriorating economic position in strategic areas' (165). Greater contextualization of the celebrations within wartime politics would provide a more grounded sense of its political significance and impact in wartime Japan.These criticisms and questions should not detract from the valuable contribution of this work. Ruoff should be commended for making accessible a rich source of wartime materials on popular culture and for deepening our understanding of popular agency and mass mobilization in wartime Japan.