Dominant Narratives of Colonial Hokkaido and Imperial Japan: Envisioning the Periphery and the Modern Nation-State [Paperback]

Recasts the commonly dismissed colonial project pursued in Hokkaido during the Meiji era (1868-1912) as a major force in the production of modern Japan's national identity, imperial ideology, and empire.1. Harvesting History: Modern Narratives for Patriotic Pioneers and the Imperial Military 2. Writing Ainu Out: The 'Nature' of Japanese Colonialism in Hokkaido 3. Penal Colonies and Political Protest: Narrating the Transformation of National Identity and Literature 4. A Pantheon of Promises: Fantasies of Freedom and Capitalist Dreams 5. Contested Sites of an Enduring Colonial PastMichele M. Mason is an assistant professor of Japanese in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Maryland.