2009/11/21 by Beatrice Trefalt · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Japanese History and Culture #Asian Culture and Media Studies #Chinese history and philosophy
paper · doi:10.1080/10371390903298037
openalex publication_date 2009/11/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Although the islands of the Northern Marianas are famous for the ferocity of the battles of June and July 1944 and their subsequent role as crucial military airbases for the defeat of Japan, they are less well known as the site of the first US occupation of a Japanese territory. During the battles and in their wake, the civilian population of Saipan was herded into internment camps, where they were kept until early 1946. This article considers Japanese civilian experiences of life in Saipan under Occupation, the tensions between the administration of the camp and the internees, and the way in which the experience reflected and reshaped the understanding of the enemy, both in Japanese and in American eyes.