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Introduction: Re-examining Asia-Pacific War Memories: Grief, Narratives, and Memorials

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2025

Justin Aukema ,
Daniel Milne ,
Ryōta Nishino  and
Mahon Murphy
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Abstract

Articles in this special issue re-examine Asia-Pacific War memories by taking a longer and broader view, geographically, temporally, and spatially. A diverse, global team of thirteen authors highlights subjects across a wide geographical area spanning the Asia-Pacific region especially. In the process, articles question common assumptions and narratives surrounding Asia-Pacific War memories by highlighting crucial, in-between spaces and remembrances. These range from Japanese military cemeteries in Malaysia, to the experiences of Filipino residents living near a Japanese POW camp, and to Japanese veterans' personal narratives of guilt, trauma, and heroism. Articles also draw attention to the ongoing significance of Asia-Pacific war memories, partly as personal struggles to confront and to find meaning in the past, and partly through memory's political instrumentalization in Cold War and post-Cold War power struggles.

Keywords

Asia-Pacific Warmemorysites of memorynarrativegrieftraumaveteranscemeteriesmemorials
Type
Research Article
Information
Asia-Pacific Journal , Volume 20 , Issue 10 , May 2022 , e2
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2022

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