The Militarization of Okinawa During the Meiji Era
Open Access DepositedMobilizing the Periphery
this thesis reveals the extent to which the Japanese Empire utilized newly established military institutions to assimilate and discipline a colonial population.
This thesis focuses on Okinawa Prefecture and its experiences with Japanese militarism during the late-19th to early-20th century. Formerly the Ryukyu Kingdom, the island was incorporated as a prefecture in 1879, and Meiji Japan introduced assimilative policies to the island. I contend that the militarization policies, a combination of violent coercion and “soft power” of civil associations, reinforced Japan’s assimilation efforts before the Pacific War. Western scholars studying Japanese imperialism place Okinawa at the margins as they examine the rise of the Japanese Empire from its center and from its other colonies, Taiwan and Korea. Few insights are offered on how early militarization affected Okinawa Prefecture before the Pacific War
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