Tropics of Savagery: The Culture of Japanese Empire in Comparative Frame (Volume 5) (Asia Pacific Modern)

__Tropics of Savagery__ is an incisive and provocative study of the figures and tropes of "savagery" in Japanese colonial culture. Through a rigorous analysis of literary works, ethnographic studies, and a variety of other discourses, Robert Thomas Tierney demonstrates how imperial Japan constructed its own identity in relation both to the West and to the people it colonized. By examining the representations of Taiwanese aborigines and indigenous Micronesians in the works of prominent writers, he shows that the trope of the savage underwent several metamorphoses over the course of Japan's colonial period--violent headhunter to be subjugated, ethnographic other to be studied, happy primitive to be exoticized, and hybrid colonial subject to be assimilated.

Tropics of Savagery is a groundbreaking study of the figures and tropes of "savagery" in Japanese colonial culture. Through a rigorous analysis of literary works, ethnographic studies and a variety of other discourses, Robert Thomas Tierney demonstrates how imperial Japan constructed its own identity in relation both to the West and to the people it colonized. By examining the representations of Taiwanese aborigines and indigenous Micronesians in the works of prominent writers, he shows that the trope of the savage undergoes several metamorphoses over the course of Japan's colonial period-violent headhunter to be subjugated, ethnographic other to be studied, happy primitive to be exoticized, and hybrid colonial subject to be assimilated. Similarly, he argues that Japanese writers define themselves in relation to the "savages"-as conqueror bringing civilization to backward others, as ethnographer studying these same others, as nostalgic romanticist in flight from civilization, and as colonial official promoting assimilation policies. By situating Japan within the broader field of post-colonial studies, Tierney provides both a rich account of the Japanese colonial experience and a stimulating critique of Western-oriented colonial paradigms.

Tropics of Savagery is an incisive and provocative study of the figures and tropes of "savagery" in Japanese colonial culture. Through a rigorous analysis of literary works, ethnographic studies, and a variety of other discourses, Robert Thomas Tierney demonstrates how imperial Japan constructed its own identity in relation both to the West and to the people it colonized. By examining the representations of Taiwanese aborigines and indigenous Micronesians in the works of prominent writers, he shows that the trope of the savage underwent several metamorphoses over the course of Japan's colonial period--violent headhunter to be subjugated, ethnographic other to be studied, happy primitive to be exoticized, and hybrid colonial subject to be assimilated. / from the publisher's website Tropics of Savagery is an incisive and provocative study of the figures and tropes of "savagery" in Japanese colonial culture. Through a rigorous analysis of literary works, ethnographic studies, and a variety of other discourses, Robert Thomas Tierney demonstrates how imperial Japan constructed its own identity in relation both to the West and to the people it colonized. By examining the representations of Taiwanese aborigines and indigenous Micronesians in the works of prominent writers, he shows that the trope of the savage underwent several metamorphoses over the course of Japan's colonial period--violent headhunter to be subjugated, ethnographic other to be studied, happy primitive to be exoticized, and hybrid colonial subject to be assimilated. Erotic grotesque nonsense : the mass culture of Japanese modern times / by Miriam Silverberg Visuality and identity : sinophone articulations across the Pacific / by Shu-mei Shih The politics of gender in colonial Korea : education, labor, and health, 1910-1945 / by Theodore Jun Yoo Frontier constitutions : Christianity and colonial empire in the nineteenth century / by John D. Blanco Tropics of savagery : the culture of Japanese empire in comparative frame / by Robert Thomas Tierney Colonial project, national game : a history of baseball in Taiwan / by Andrew Morris. A study of the figures and tropes of 'savagery' in Japanese colonial culture. Through a rigorous analysis of literary works, ethnographic studies, and a variety of other discourses, it demonstrates how imperial Japan constructed its own identity in relation both to the West and to the people it colonized. Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1. From Taming Savages to Going Native 2. Ethnography and Literature 3. The Adventures of Momotarō in the South Seas 4. The Colonial Eyeglasses of Nakajima Atsushi Conclusion Notes Glossary of Japanese Terms Bibliography Index This is an incisive and provocative study of the figures and tropes of 'savagery' in Japanese colonial culture. The author demonstrates how imperial Japan constructed its own identity in relation both to the West and to the people it colonized