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Sakhalin: The Island of Unspoken Struggles
Sakhalin Island or Karafuto as it is known in Japan changed hands a number of times during the course of its history. Each change had a far-reaching impact not only on the native peoples but also on the thousands of immigrants who had settled there, either willingly or by force.
For over a century, two major powers, the Soviet Union and Japan, endeavored to bring Sakhalin into their own sphere of influence. This long-standing dispute between the two countries came to an abrupt end when the Soviets crossed the 50th parallel and invaded Japanese-controlled Karafuto just days after the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The ferocity of the Soviet forces resulted in the deaths of 3,700 innocent civilians, some of whom were as young as one year of age.
While the Japanese acts of brutality towards civilians and Allied POWs have been well documented in the West, the actions of the Soviet forces in Karafuto are seldom brought to the forefront of discussion. How many people know that Karafuto was the last victim of the Pacific War?
For over a century, two major powers, the Soviet Union and Japan, endeavored to bring Sakhalin into their own sphere of influence. This long-standing dispute between the two countries came to an abrupt end when the Soviets crossed the 50th parallel and invaded Japanese-controlled Karafuto just days after the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The ferocity of the Soviet forces resulted in the deaths of 3,700 innocent civilians, some of whom were as young as one year of age.
While the Japanese acts of brutality towards civilians and Allied POWs have been well documented in the West, the actions of the Soviet forces in Karafuto are seldom brought to the forefront of discussion. How many people know that Karafuto was the last victim of the Pacific War?
206 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2020
22 people want to read
About the author
Kristine Ohkubo
13 books24 followersKRISTINE OHKUBO is a Los Angeles-based author and editor whose work emphasizes topics related to Japan and Japanese culture. While growing up in Chicago, she developed a deep love and appreciation for Japanese culture, people, and history. Her extensive travels in Japan have enabled her to gain insight into this fascinating country, which she shares with you through her work.
Her first book, a compilation of numerous travel blog articles about Japan, was published in 2016 (revised edition issued in 2022). In 2017, she released a historical study of the Pacific War written from the perspective of the Japanese people, both those who were living in Japan and in the United States, when the war broke out. Two years later, she supplemented her earlier releases with the story of an infamous twentieth century geisha, who was both a victim and an aggressor, struggling amidst a strict patriarchal culture and a rapidly changing social system. In 2019, she followed up her 2017 release, The Sun Will Rise Again, with a book titled Sakhalin. The work examines the far-reaching impact the island changing hands had on its inhabitants and resources and culminates with the tragic events which took place in August 1945.
Beginning in 2020, Kristine turned her attention to rakugo, Japan’s 400-year-old art of storytelling. She released two books, Talking About Rakugo 1: the Japanese Art of Storytelling followed by Talking About Rakugo 2: The Stories Behind the Storytellers. Through a succession of biographical information, anecdotes, interviews, and rakugo scripts, the author explains why this traditional art form has endured for centuries.
In 2022, Kristine contributed her editing skills to yet another rakugo book—this one authored by English rakugo storyteller Kanariya Eiraku entitled Eiraku's 100 English Rakugo Scripts (Volume 1). Following its release in August, she revisited a work she had first published three years earlier.
Originally released in January 2019, Asia's Masonic Reformation: Freemasonry's Impact on the Westernization and Subsequent Modernization of Asia examines how Freemasons have historically been the catalysts for change throughout Asia and the rest of the world. Utilizing careful research and setting aside the misinformation and various conspiracy theories that have emerged throughout the decades, the revised second edition presents the details and irrefutable historical facts demonstrating how Freemasons have notably been at the forefront of history, ushering in rapid change, modernization, and enlightenment.
An avid rakugo fan, Kristine once again shifted her attention to the art of rakugo in 2023. She compiled and released a collection of her own original English rakugo stories. Where applicable, the book also includes detailed historical information from which the author drew her inspiration for the stories.
As an author, Kristine believes that writing from other cultural perspectives encourages empathy and understanding, and at the same time it broadens our knowledge of the events that have unfolded over the years.
Her first book, a compilation of numerous travel blog articles about Japan, was published in 2016 (revised edition issued in 2022). In 2017, she released a historical study of the Pacific War written from the perspective of the Japanese people, both those who were living in Japan and in the United States, when the war broke out. Two years later, she supplemented her earlier releases with the story of an infamous twentieth century geisha, who was both a victim and an aggressor, struggling amidst a strict patriarchal culture and a rapidly changing social system. In 2019, she followed up her 2017 release, The Sun Will Rise Again, with a book titled Sakhalin. The work examines the far-reaching impact the island changing hands had on its inhabitants and resources and culminates with the tragic events which took place in August 1945.
Beginning in 2020, Kristine turned her attention to rakugo, Japan’s 400-year-old art of storytelling. She released two books, Talking About Rakugo 1: the Japanese Art of Storytelling followed by Talking About Rakugo 2: The Stories Behind the Storytellers. Through a succession of biographical information, anecdotes, interviews, and rakugo scripts, the author explains why this traditional art form has endured for centuries.
In 2022, Kristine contributed her editing skills to yet another rakugo book—this one authored by English rakugo storyteller Kanariya Eiraku entitled Eiraku's 100 English Rakugo Scripts (Volume 1). Following its release in August, she revisited a work she had first published three years earlier.
Originally released in January 2019, Asia's Masonic Reformation: Freemasonry's Impact on the Westernization and Subsequent Modernization of Asia examines how Freemasons have historically been the catalysts for change throughout Asia and the rest of the world. Utilizing careful research and setting aside the misinformation and various conspiracy theories that have emerged throughout the decades, the revised second edition presents the details and irrefutable historical facts demonstrating how Freemasons have notably been at the forefront of history, ushering in rapid change, modernization, and enlightenment.
An avid rakugo fan, Kristine once again shifted her attention to the art of rakugo in 2023. She compiled and released a collection of her own original English rakugo stories. Where applicable, the book also includes detailed historical information from which the author drew her inspiration for the stories.
As an author, Kristine believes that writing from other cultural perspectives encourages empathy and understanding, and at the same time it broadens our knowledge of the events that have unfolded over the years.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 12, 2020
August 1945, the bloodiest moment in the long dispute between Russia and Japan over sovereignty on this large island in the cold north of the Pacific Ocean. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. Kristine Ohkubo guided me, page after page, in the objective and never partial analysis of problems whose roots go back to long time ago and whose effects have repercussions even to present days. A journey to discover little-known ethnic minorities, lives of hardship where nature is often merciless, the cruelty of war and the barbarity of which human beings can be capable. And when everything seems to have finally reached a limit, a new odyssey is going to start. A book that deeply moved me, that told me about history without ever yelling, but that strongly got to my heart: I felt anger, pain and intense emotions but above all in these lines I understood that respect for other people's life is an absolute, indispensable value
October 30, 2020
If you read Kristine Ohkubo’s “The Sun Will Rise Again,” you would have known the basic details of what transpired on Sakhalin Island in 1945 as she briefly mentioned those tragic events in the Postscript. Three years following the release of that book, Kristine gives us the gut-wrenching details of those historic events in her recent release titled “Sakhalin: The Island of Unspoken Struggles.”
The book traces the history of the island beginning with its tributary relationship with China all the way through to the Soviet Union’s brutal acquisition of the island following Japan’s surrender to the Allies in August 1945. True to form, she describes these events from the perspective of those who suffered the most from the expansionist ambitions of two major political powers, Russia and Japan, during the span of a century. As always, the author stands not with any particular country or governmental policy, but with the average human being forced into sheer helplessness in the face of imperialism.
Knowing the history of Sakhalin Island serves as a basis for understanding the roots of contention which still remain between Japan and Russia today.
A highly recommended read.
The book traces the history of the island beginning with its tributary relationship with China all the way through to the Soviet Union’s brutal acquisition of the island following Japan’s surrender to the Allies in August 1945. True to form, she describes these events from the perspective of those who suffered the most from the expansionist ambitions of two major political powers, Russia and Japan, during the span of a century. As always, the author stands not with any particular country or governmental policy, but with the average human being forced into sheer helplessness in the face of imperialism.
Knowing the history of Sakhalin Island serves as a basis for understanding the roots of contention which still remain between Japan and Russia today.
A highly recommended read.
December 18, 2020
Once again, Kristine Ohkubo brings to the forefront a topic that is not well-known in the West and virtually forgotten in Japan. Through her concise and easy to understand writing style, she clearly conveys the stories of the various peoples who settled this inhospitable island in the Russian Far East. Whether those people chose to make Sakhalin their home by choice or by force, each one represents a unique story worthy of sharing.
Many people believe that the Pacific War ended with Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. Few know about the last battle fought on Sakhalin Island between the Soviet and Japanese forces resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. Few know the story of the nine young women who committed suicide at the Maoka Post Office on the morning of August 20, 1945 as the Soviet forces descended on the town.
“Sakhalin” is another heart wrenching tale about the tragedies of war that everyone should read.
Many people believe that the Pacific War ended with Japan’s surrender on August 15, 1945. Few know about the last battle fought on Sakhalin Island between the Soviet and Japanese forces resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians. Few know the story of the nine young women who committed suicide at the Maoka Post Office on the morning of August 20, 1945 as the Soviet forces descended on the town.
“Sakhalin” is another heart wrenching tale about the tragedies of war that everyone should read.
December 13, 2020
Kristine Ohkubo is an incredible storyteller. I recently finished reading her book “Nickname Flower of Evil” and had planned to simply glance at the introduction of “Sakhalin” before tucking the book away to be enjoyed during the holiday break. I could not put the book down. Why haven’t others written about this?
Chock-full of history and facts, the book tells the story of all who have suffered on this cold and foreboding island called Sakhalin. The indigenous peoples, the Japanese colonists, the Korean laborers, the Russian prisoners ― all struggled to eke out a living while helplessly falling victim to those who wanted to take advantage of the island’s inhabitants and resources for their own political gain.
The most heart-wrenching story comes midway through the book when the author discusses what happened in the Japanese-controlled portion of the island known as Karafuto. The brutality and the desperation that characterized August 20, 1945 is vividly laid out on the pages of Sakhalin ― it’s a story everyone should read.
Chock-full of history and facts, the book tells the story of all who have suffered on this cold and foreboding island called Sakhalin. The indigenous peoples, the Japanese colonists, the Korean laborers, the Russian prisoners ― all struggled to eke out a living while helplessly falling victim to those who wanted to take advantage of the island’s inhabitants and resources for their own political gain.
The most heart-wrenching story comes midway through the book when the author discusses what happened in the Japanese-controlled portion of the island known as Karafuto. The brutality and the desperation that characterized August 20, 1945 is vividly laid out on the pages of Sakhalin ― it’s a story everyone should read.
October 31, 2020
You can have an overview of Sakhalin or Karafuto as the Japanese call it. and also you can hear some voices of real people. We have to know what happened in this small island located during the second world war through this book.
January 19, 2021
“Sakhalin” is an unparalleled account of the people who became the victims of the power struggles over this resource-rich island in the Far East. The history of Sakhalin is little known even to Japanese, including myself, although a part of the island was once colonised by Japan and the Japanese settlers themselves eventually became the victims at the end of World War II. Thoroughly researched, Kristine Ohkubo’s intelligible writing reveals the island’s complex history that involved the world powers such as the Mongols, China, Russia, and Japan. However, the real beauty of this book is that Ohkubo has given voice to the Karafuto Koreans, Ainu, Uilta, and Nivkh. Even though this book’s subtitle is “the Island of Unspoken Struggles”, their struggles have now been spoken.
May 5, 2022
In 1890 Russian playwright and story-teller Anton Chekhov wrote "The Island: A Journey to Sakhalin." Highly valuable both as a detailed depiction of the Tsarist system of penal servitude and as an insight into Chekhov's motivations and objectives for visiting the colony and writing the exposé, Sakhalin Island is a haunting work which had a huge impact both on Chekhov's career and on Russian society.
Now, over a century later Kristine Ohkubo revisits the island's unknown history in her short, well-written, thoroughly researched book, "Sakhalin, The Island of Unspoken Struggles." Ohkubo describes the literal tug-of-war between Japan and the Soviet Union with devastating consequences to the thousands of immigrants who settled there, either willingly or by force. There is the massacre of 3,700 innocent civilians of Sakhalin Island or Karafuto by Soviet forces, some of whom were as young as one year of age. Now history repeats itself, Russia is doing the same to Ukraine.
Especially, heartbreaking is Ohkubo's account of 12 Japanese telephone operators who volunteer to stay and to perform their duties until the end. They are asked to put work ahead of themselves and their families for the sake of the nation while others evacuate the island, as Soviet soldiers are minutes from breaking in to their communications center. They played a critical wartime role by communicating knowledge that was vital to Japan's national security.
While Japanese acts of brutality towards civilians and Allied POWs attracted global outrage and punitive justice, the violence unleashed upon civilians by the Soviet forces during the invasion of Karafuto and the use of Japanese POWs as slave labor in the immediate postwar era has gone unquestioned by any postwar tribunal," according to Ohkubo's introduction to the book.
Now, over a century later Kristine Ohkubo revisits the island's unknown history in her short, well-written, thoroughly researched book, "Sakhalin, The Island of Unspoken Struggles." Ohkubo describes the literal tug-of-war between Japan and the Soviet Union with devastating consequences to the thousands of immigrants who settled there, either willingly or by force. There is the massacre of 3,700 innocent civilians of Sakhalin Island or Karafuto by Soviet forces, some of whom were as young as one year of age. Now history repeats itself, Russia is doing the same to Ukraine.
Especially, heartbreaking is Ohkubo's account of 12 Japanese telephone operators who volunteer to stay and to perform their duties until the end. They are asked to put work ahead of themselves and their families for the sake of the nation while others evacuate the island, as Soviet soldiers are minutes from breaking in to their communications center. They played a critical wartime role by communicating knowledge that was vital to Japan's national security.
While Japanese acts of brutality towards civilians and Allied POWs attracted global outrage and punitive justice, the violence unleashed upon civilians by the Soviet forces during the invasion of Karafuto and the use of Japanese POWs as slave labor in the immediate postwar era has gone unquestioned by any postwar tribunal," according to Ohkubo's introduction to the book.
October 19, 2020
“Sakhlin” is a groundbreaking book about a little known corner of Northeast Asia. Well researched and lucidly written, it provides a political and ethnographic review of the island’s tortuous, alternating colonization by the Mongols, China, Japan, and Russia, exploring how the local Ainu, Korean and Russian inhabitants struggled in a harsh environment to develop their towns and cultures. The highlight is the Russian invasion of “Karafuto”, the Japanese name for Sakhalin, at the end of World War II, when warships shelled fleeing Japanese inhabitants and telephone operators committed suicide. Reading this history, one gains a deeper appreciation of the complex geopolitics influencing today’s headlines.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews