Japanese Women Repatriated from the Colonies: Racial Conflicts and Agonies: A Studies on Nagareru Hoshi wa Ikiteiru (The Floating Stars Are Alive) by Fujiwara Tei

This studies focuses on the racial conflicts and agonies confronted by Japanese women during their long and uncertain journey home from Japan’s former colonies, following Japan’s military defeat in WW II, as depicted in Nagareru Hoshi wa Ikiteiru (The Floating Stars Are Alive) by Fujiwara Tei. This novel, a best-seller upon publication, is a semi-autobiography of the author. Japan’s defeat to the Allied Powers in 1945 also resulted in the loss of her colonies (Taiwan, Korea peninsula and the puppet state ‘Manchuria’), and Japanese nationals residing in those lands were forced to repatriate. The biggest numbers were from ‘Manchuria’, where Japanese civilians had been ‘transmigrated’ on masse. After Japan’s defeat, the privileges they enjoyed before dismissed, and they became the target of racial assault by angry locals. More tragic were the women, since they were separated from their husbands, had to take care of their children during the journey, and frequently threatened by Korean males, social gap between Japanese, and individual experience with Soviet troops (Japan’s former enemy). This personal story indeed is the testimony of one important part of Japanese modern history hitherto untold (unknown) to the public.