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Harvard East Asian Monographs #337
Brokers of Empire: Japanese Settler Colonialism in Korea, 1876–1945
Between 1876 and 1945, thousands of Japanese civilians--merchants, traders, prostitutes, journalists, teachers, and adventurers--left their homeland for a new life on the Korean peninsula. Although most migrants were guided primarily by personal profit and only secondarily by national interest, their mundane lives and the state's ambitions were inextricably entwined in the rise of imperial Japan. Despite having formed one of the largest colonial communities in the twentieth century, these settlers and their empire-building activities have all but vanished from the public memory of Japan's presence in Korea.
Drawing on previously unused materials in multi-language archives, Jun Uchida looks behind the official organs of state and military control to focus on the obscured history of these settlers, especially the first generation of "pioneers" between the 1910s and 1930s who actively mediated the colonial management of Korea as its grassroots movers and shakers. By uncovering the downplayed but dynamic role played by settler leaders who operated among multiple parties--between the settler community and the Government-General, between Japanese colonizer and Korean colonized, between colony and metropole--this study examines how these "brokers of empire" advanced their commercial and political interests while contributing to the expansionist project of imperial Japan.
Drawing on previously unused materials in multi-language archives, Jun Uchida looks behind the official organs of state and military control to focus on the obscured history of these settlers, especially the first generation of "pioneers" between the 1910s and 1930s who actively mediated the colonial management of Korea as its grassroots movers and shakers. By uncovering the downplayed but dynamic role played by settler leaders who operated among multiple parties--between the settler community and the Government-General, between Japanese colonizer and Korean colonized, between colony and metropole--this study examines how these "brokers of empire" advanced their commercial and political interests while contributing to the expansionist project of imperial Japan.
500 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 12, 2024
Another work that I've been meaning to read pretty much since it has been published, but have only now gotten to. Though I do have to admit that I'm happy that I read S.M. Jager's "The Other Great Game" first.
Essentially, the agenda here is to tease out the role of the Japanese settler community in the conquest of Korea, which has been repressed in the years since defeat in 1945. What Ms. Uchida finds is a group of people who were always in a somewhat marginal position, for all their economic ascendancy in Korea, as being overseas Japanese residents they had no official rights (such as they were), vis-a-vis the Imperial administrative apparatus, while still being quite dependent on Tokyo. This is at the same time that they were trying to avoid absorption into the Korean population mass. Much was their sense of nervous self-congratulation.
Where this book really kicks into high gear is with the the so-called Manchurian Incident of 1931, as Uchida gives the reader a good sense of how Japanese military aggression offered something for everyone as a unifying platform; the economic depth for Tokyo, and an agenda that both the Korean and Japanese communities of Korea could get behind. What it mostly meant was an acceleration of the more fascistic visions of Greater Japan as one social organism. Although the irony there is that Koreans were very adept at using terminal Japanese imperial rhetoric as an avenue for demanding more rights; much to the horror of the settler community. This is until empire came crashing down in smoke and ruin in 1945.
I got a great deal out of this work but it's probably not the first book one should read about the Japanese empire. As mentioned, "The Other Great Game" should probably come first, followed by Lori Watt's "When Empire Comes Home;" then read Uchida.
Essentially, the agenda here is to tease out the role of the Japanese settler community in the conquest of Korea, which has been repressed in the years since defeat in 1945. What Ms. Uchida finds is a group of people who were always in a somewhat marginal position, for all their economic ascendancy in Korea, as being overseas Japanese residents they had no official rights (such as they were), vis-a-vis the Imperial administrative apparatus, while still being quite dependent on Tokyo. This is at the same time that they were trying to avoid absorption into the Korean population mass. Much was their sense of nervous self-congratulation.
Where this book really kicks into high gear is with the the so-called Manchurian Incident of 1931, as Uchida gives the reader a good sense of how Japanese military aggression offered something for everyone as a unifying platform; the economic depth for Tokyo, and an agenda that both the Korean and Japanese communities of Korea could get behind. What it mostly meant was an acceleration of the more fascistic visions of Greater Japan as one social organism. Although the irony there is that Koreans were very adept at using terminal Japanese imperial rhetoric as an avenue for demanding more rights; much to the horror of the settler community. This is until empire came crashing down in smoke and ruin in 1945.
I got a great deal out of this work but it's probably not the first book one should read about the Japanese empire. As mentioned, "The Other Great Game" should probably come first, followed by Lori Watt's "When Empire Comes Home;" then read Uchida.
February 25, 2013
I can already see this book joining canons on modern Korean history -- perhaps in the same line with Peter Duus. Japanese settlers had been such a huge blind spot for historians of colonial rule of Korea. Not that I usually commend the "filling the gap" approach, Uchida did a great job more than just "filling." The most critical characteristic of the Japanese empire was its stubborn push of assimilation policy even after 1920, when the rest of the world empires turned more or less to associationists. The changing positions of Japanese settlers would tell A LOT about what this peculiar nature of the empire meant on the ground. Once she wrote it, the need for a study on settlers was self-evident (but no one had!). I loved the ways she constantly brings up comparisons with British, French, and other colonies. That takes digestion of a massive amount of information.
The only thing that I felt a little inadequate was to account for a wide variety of settler interests. She does explore different political groups among elites and journalists. But there were Japanese teachers, ODC farmers, and ethnographers, etc. I am not sure exactly how she could have covered more than what she did, so my point is perhaps just an excessive request. Anyhow, this is a great reference book if you are also writing *anything* about colonialism in Korea (like I am).
The only thing that I felt a little inadequate was to account for a wide variety of settler interests. She does explore different political groups among elites and journalists. But there were Japanese teachers, ODC farmers, and ethnographers, etc. I am not sure exactly how she could have covered more than what she did, so my point is perhaps just an excessive request. Anyhow, this is a great reference book if you are also writing *anything* about colonialism in Korea (like I am).
March 30, 2022
"Power as a practice rather than an attribute" 💯
December 2, 2012
Deeply researched history of Japanese settlement in Korea during the late 19th through the mid-20th centuries. Tackles the relationship between settler Japanese and Koreans in comparative perspective, particularly analyzing parallels to the French colonization of Algeria. Definitely not an easy read, intended for an academic audience.
December 13, 2024
read for history 419.
the introduction was very convoluted and muddy (in terms of trying to find a properly outlined thesis. i felt like there were about seven of them), which i think really set a bad tone for the rest of the book.
however, the four main points i took away: enforcing culture, settler initiative, colonial collaboration, and assimilation were extremely well developed. each point is able to stand on its own, while still building off every other point really well.
i would have really liked a deeper dive into the different dynasties and imperial governments, and how they may have influenced imperial policy, or how settlers approached the colony. another thing i wish was expanded on was the march first movement. a key event that completely shifted the rest of the course of the colonization was seemingly brushed over, with small comments that felt like “oh yeah, that happened.”
the introduction was very convoluted and muddy (in terms of trying to find a properly outlined thesis. i felt like there were about seven of them), which i think really set a bad tone for the rest of the book.
however, the four main points i took away: enforcing culture, settler initiative, colonial collaboration, and assimilation were extremely well developed. each point is able to stand on its own, while still building off every other point really well.
i would have really liked a deeper dive into the different dynasties and imperial governments, and how they may have influenced imperial policy, or how settlers approached the colony. another thing i wish was expanded on was the march first movement. a key event that completely shifted the rest of the course of the colonization was seemingly brushed over, with small comments that felt like “oh yeah, that happened.”
January 21, 2022
I read the first half of this book and all conclusions and skimmed the second half as my time to complete the book was limited (I read this as part of a masters course). As others have stated, this is a very straight-forward scholarly book and is not a particularly 'fun' read. That being said, the author has done a terrific job of reading, compiling, and analyzing a large amount of primary and secondary sources for their research. They have contributed greatly to an often overlooked aspect of Japanese and Korean history and I imagine that the interviews, questionnaires, and correspondences that were conducted with former Japanese settlers in Korea will be invaluable for future scholarship on the subject.
August 17, 2019
Uchida's thesis is that Japanese settlers in Korea "mediated Japan's passage from imperialism... to colonialism" (36) is well taken, but one wonders if Uchida has cast his net too wide. What are the individual lives of different groups of settlers in Korea; and how do the lives of different settlers vary according to time or geographical region? Uchida's comparative approach with other settler colonies is appreciated and underlines important similarities. An excellent addition to imperial history.
October 21, 2018
Very long, with lots of empirical details. Should be required reading for anyone interested in the histories of the Japanese empire, colonial Korea, and settler colonialism. I don’t research any of these but I do teach them, so this book was very informative to me. Great multilingual and multinational research.
February 26, 2019
Poorly written, hard to follow, and on top of it all, super long. Couldn't even skim.
July 16, 2014
Uchida's central thesis is simple, but one that has been overlooked for far too long: Japanese settlers in Korea had an influential role in shaping colonial policy. In hindsight, this observation seems obvious, but there has never been any "bottom-up" research on this subject. Perhaps marred by nationalist historiography in both Korea and Japan, the roles of the "Brokers of Empire" have never been thoroughly examined. Now, I am happy to see that there is a book that presents meticulously researched accounts of these "brokers'" influence.
This book nicely complements Carol Gluck's 'Japan's Modern Myths,' continuing the project of demonstrating that, rather than being one large conspiracy, Japanese imperial ideology is a process that changes in both time and space. Considering the colonial settlers' liminality in Korea (such as the absence of political representation), space is certainly important here. We see the settlers maneuvering their way between the Japanese state and Korean elites, subtly shifting their ideology in order to gain the most from their ambiguous social position. In Korea, they are Japanese citizens without any representation, so they argue against the state and collaborate with Koreans. However, they also see themselves as colonizers and thus try to negotiate with the state to increase their status in the colony. We see a wide variety of intellectual debates among the settlers and many disagreements, however, the end goal always seems to be how they can most effectively profit off of their liminal status.
Considering time, most who think of Japan's colonization of Korea look at post-1937, some of the darkest years wherein Koreans were notoriously forced to adopt Japanese names and abandon their language. However, as Gluck has pointed out, ideology is a process, malleable and ever-changing. Thus, the goals and methods of the settlers shift over time. Pre-annexation, we see a type of "frontierism," wherein "entrepreneurial" types embarked on a capitalistic quest to make it rich in a new land. These settlers' experiences had a deep impact on Japan's relations to Korea and as we begin to head towards 1910, we see that they possess an influence over Japan's decision to annex the peninsula. Then, we move into the period of "military rule," where, despite annexation, rights granted to the mainland have not been given to the settlers. Interestingly, we see the colons both fight with and against the state, often forming superficial relations with Korean elites in an attempt to extend their privileges in the new territory. After May 1st, 1919, the Japanese state begins a policy of "cultural rule," a feeble attempt to "Japanize" Koreans and nationalize the colony. The settlers sometimes embraced this policy in an attempt to gain representation, but sometimes fought against it in fear that they would lose their superior position. Finally, After the conquest of Manchuria and eventually the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan implemented the policy of 'kōminka,' or "imperialization," wherein the Koreans were even more hastily adopted as imperial subjects. Likewise, settlers continued to simultaneously espouse their thoughts on Pan-Asianist unification and the irrational fear of Koreans gaining more than they had as migrants. Obviously the liminal space had a significant impact on the settlers' ideology.
Throughout all this, we see settlers form organizations that influence their own communities, often preceding the Governor General's official policies, as well as consistently petition to their government and manipulate as many loopholes as possible to exploit and gain the highest possible standing in this uncertain position. Through ideological debates and settler movements, we see an intricate interaction that affects the settler community, Korean community, as well as official policy in the colony. Uchida stays focused on her thesis and demonstrates this interaction and influence throughout a long period of time. My only complaint is that the author's study tends to focus on the colonial elites. It would be interesting to learn more about the settler proletariat, yet I'll wait for some future research to clear that up. Nonetheless, I see this as one of the most important works on Japan's colonization of Korea. There's growing literature and research on the subject, but Uchida's methodology is an important step forward not only for understanding of colonial Korea, but also for post-colonial studies as a whole. While I might not recommend this as entry-level reading material on the subject (Mark E. Caprio's 'Japanese Assimilation Policy in Colonial Korea' does a fine job as an introduction), it should be required reading for anyone who wishes to understand the depth and nuance of such a contentious historical issue.
This book nicely complements Carol Gluck's 'Japan's Modern Myths,' continuing the project of demonstrating that, rather than being one large conspiracy, Japanese imperial ideology is a process that changes in both time and space. Considering the colonial settlers' liminality in Korea (such as the absence of political representation), space is certainly important here. We see the settlers maneuvering their way between the Japanese state and Korean elites, subtly shifting their ideology in order to gain the most from their ambiguous social position. In Korea, they are Japanese citizens without any representation, so they argue against the state and collaborate with Koreans. However, they also see themselves as colonizers and thus try to negotiate with the state to increase their status in the colony. We see a wide variety of intellectual debates among the settlers and many disagreements, however, the end goal always seems to be how they can most effectively profit off of their liminal status.
Considering time, most who think of Japan's colonization of Korea look at post-1937, some of the darkest years wherein Koreans were notoriously forced to adopt Japanese names and abandon their language. However, as Gluck has pointed out, ideology is a process, malleable and ever-changing. Thus, the goals and methods of the settlers shift over time. Pre-annexation, we see a type of "frontierism," wherein "entrepreneurial" types embarked on a capitalistic quest to make it rich in a new land. These settlers' experiences had a deep impact on Japan's relations to Korea and as we begin to head towards 1910, we see that they possess an influence over Japan's decision to annex the peninsula. Then, we move into the period of "military rule," where, despite annexation, rights granted to the mainland have not been given to the settlers. Interestingly, we see the colons both fight with and against the state, often forming superficial relations with Korean elites in an attempt to extend their privileges in the new territory. After May 1st, 1919, the Japanese state begins a policy of "cultural rule," a feeble attempt to "Japanize" Koreans and nationalize the colony. The settlers sometimes embraced this policy in an attempt to gain representation, but sometimes fought against it in fear that they would lose their superior position. Finally, After the conquest of Manchuria and eventually the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan implemented the policy of 'kōminka,' or "imperialization," wherein the Koreans were even more hastily adopted as imperial subjects. Likewise, settlers continued to simultaneously espouse their thoughts on Pan-Asianist unification and the irrational fear of Koreans gaining more than they had as migrants. Obviously the liminal space had a significant impact on the settlers' ideology.
Throughout all this, we see settlers form organizations that influence their own communities, often preceding the Governor General's official policies, as well as consistently petition to their government and manipulate as many loopholes as possible to exploit and gain the highest possible standing in this uncertain position. Through ideological debates and settler movements, we see an intricate interaction that affects the settler community, Korean community, as well as official policy in the colony. Uchida stays focused on her thesis and demonstrates this interaction and influence throughout a long period of time. My only complaint is that the author's study tends to focus on the colonial elites. It would be interesting to learn more about the settler proletariat, yet I'll wait for some future research to clear that up. Nonetheless, I see this as one of the most important works on Japan's colonization of Korea. There's growing literature and research on the subject, but Uchida's methodology is an important step forward not only for understanding of colonial Korea, but also for post-colonial studies as a whole. While I might not recommend this as entry-level reading material on the subject (Mark E. Caprio's 'Japanese Assimilation Policy in Colonial Korea' does a fine job as an introduction), it should be required reading for anyone who wishes to understand the depth and nuance of such a contentious historical issue.
November 6, 2012
This book is a very broad analysis of a vast amount of archival research. Unfortunately it is nothing more than that. This presentation of 'Brokers' as interlocutors serving between the colonial power and the social bottom (despite being wealthy businessmen) does nothing to question race, ideology, capital, sex/gender, or other category of analysis used to understand empire and imperialism.
This book offers a great deal of information on a very specific group of people in colonial Korea. This book needs, but does not offer, discussion about why this group is important, and how they should change our current understanding of power relations.
This book offers a great deal of information on a very specific group of people in colonial Korea. This book needs, but does not offer, discussion about why this group is important, and how they should change our current understanding of power relations.
April 25, 2013
A tour de force that doesn't rely on some European philosopher, but let the sources speak to offer a totally different view of Japanese colonialism. Contains a staggering amount of new info not found in other books I've read on Korea. Its analysis of Japanese colonists and their “middle” place in Korea is nuanced, and comparison with European settlers also insightful. Unlike many works on postcolonial mumbo jumbo, this one will definitely stay on my bookshelf.
July 12, 2024
Very impressive and profound, yet not too difficult to understand
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews