Seeds of Control: Japan’s Empire of Forestry in Colonial Korea

Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books

by David Fedman, Paul S. Sutter (Foreword)

Japanese colonial rule in Korea (1905–1945) ushered in natural resource management programs that profoundly altered access to and ownership of the peninsula's extensive mountains and forests. Under the banner of "forest love," the colonial government set out to restructure the rhythms and routines of agrarian life, targeting everything from home heating to food preparation. Timber industrialists, meanwhile, channeled Korea's forest resources into supply chains that grew in tandem with Japan's imperial sphere. These mechanisms of resource control were only fortified after 1937, when the peninsula and its forests were mobilized for total war.

In this wide-ranging study David Fedman explores Japanese imperialism through the lens of forest conservation in colonial Korea―a project of environmental rule that outlived the empire itself. Holding up for scrutiny the notion of conservation, Seeds of Control examines the roots of Japanese ideas about the Korean landscape, as well as the consequences and aftermath of Japanese approaches to Korea's "greenification." Drawing from sources in Japanese and Korean, Fedman writes colonized lands into Japanese environmental history, revealing a largely untold story of green imperialism in Asia.

Genres: Japan, History, Environment

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 12, 2020

Reviews

[Kitty Kolb]

This is a good book for anyone who is interested in political ecology or colonialism. It touches on many topics, such as ecological legitimacy and management of the commons. It presents the history of Japanese forestry policy in Korea in a multi-faceted way, showing both the good, the bad, and the unexpected and unintended consequences. It is not for a person who is a casual interest or general audience, but I would recommend it to people who already have a background in environmental anthropology or political ecology.

[Anne]

A fascinating and well-written history of colonial forestry in Korea that holds interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary interest.

Longer review available here: https://ijkh.khistory.org/journal/vie...