A Report on Panel 1: “The Social and Political History of Whaling and Fishing in the 19th- and 20th-Century Pacific”
Saki Miyazaki
Ph.D. Student, Hitotsubashi University
From December 14th through 16th, 2018, the symposium titled “Practicing Power in the Global Asia-Pacific: Environments, Migrants and Womanhood” was held at Sophia University Central Library. On the second day of this three-day symposium, the first panel, “Social and Political History of Whaling and Fishing in the 19th- and 20th-Century Pacific,” was given. This discussion had four panelists, Mr. Fynn Juergen Holm, Professor Jakobina Arch, Professor Manako Ogawa, and Professor Yuko Konno. All the panelists’ presentations focused on fishing and whaling in the modern era. Professor Paul Kreitman commented on the presentations, and then questions followed from the floor.
This panel discussed Japanese whaling and fishing in Japan, Hawaii, and California. The first panelist was Mr. Fynn Juergen Holm, who is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Zurich. His presentation, “Burning Down the Whaling Station: Anti-Whaling Movements in Northeast Japan,” illustrated the anti-whaling sentiment present among fishermen. Mr. Holm explained the tension between fishermen and whalers by employing an example from Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture in which fishermen claimed that oil and blood from whaling could contaminate the ocean and possibly destroy the ecosystem, which would cause a poor catch in the area. Mr. Holm demonstrated the importance of tracing cultural and religious representations of whales in local accounts.
The second panelist was Professor Jakobina Arch, who is an assistant professor at Whitman College. Her presentation, “Taking Whales, Taking Spaces: Nineteenth Century Whaling's Connections to the Imperial Expansions of Japan and the United States,” discussed how imperial power was practiced through whaling and fishing. Professor Arch argued that while whaling and fishing are not military actions, they played a significant role in promoting imperial power. For example, they allowed modern Japan to feed its growing populace. Additionally, they provided jobs and new habitats for the population of the expanding empire.
The third panelist was Professor Manako Ogawa, who is a professor at Ritsumeikan University. Her presentation, “Tuna, Fishing, or Nuclear Testing: The Early Cold War Dialogue Over the Exploitation of the Central Pacific,” revealed the development of the fishing industry in the Territory of Hawaii from the 1920s to the 1940s. She explained that when World War II erupted, Hawaii’s local politicians preferred that Japanese fishermen stay in business to support its consumer population; however, martial law prohibited Japanese fishermen from owning vessels. Even after martial law was withdrawn, the United States (US) Navy did not allow Japanese citizens to return to the fishing industry. Professor Ogawa also explained that Hawaii’s plan to be a hub of Pacific fishery was thwarted by nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands, which started soon after World War II ended.
The fourth panelist was Professor Yuko Konno, who is a lecturer at Asia University. Her presentation, “Transpacific Community Building: Wakayama Villages and California’s Fishing Industry in the Early Twentieth Century,” vividly depicted the community building of Japanese fishermen from Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture in Terminal Island, Los Angeles. She explained that fishermen from Taiji made up a quarter of the Japanese population on Terminal Island. In San Pedro, fishermen from Taiji formed a trans-local community to connect them to their homeland. Professor Konno emphasized that this case study of Japanese fishermen from Taiji would remind us how immigrants have connected places and how global immigration can be understood as a trans-local phenomenon.
Professor Paul Kreitman from Columbia University commented on each panelist, and they all answered his questions and comments before questions were opened to the floor. Mr. Holm responded to Professor Kreitman’s comment by referring to additional arguments regarding the technological development of fishing and whaling made in his Ph.D. thesis, on which he is currently working. As a response to her comment, Professor Arch gave us an example of one local whaling group practicing its agency rather than being used by the empire. Professor Ogawa provided further background information concerning the challenging food situation that the Territory of Hawaii faced. Finally, Professor Konno gave a detailed description of the community of Terminal Island, including information regarding its boundary and the tensions within and outside the community.
The discussion session was very active and interesting. I would like to highlight the conversation on Japanese fishermen and lawlessness. Professor Ogawa brought up the case of Japanese illegal immigrants who came to the Honolulu Bay and jumped into the water to be picked up by their friend’s boat. Dr. Konno provided similar examples which took place in the waterfront of the US-Mexico border. It could be said that these “illegal” immigrations were successful because of the strong trans-local community.
All panelists took a closer look at local accounts to illustrate the collaboration and disagreement at the local, national, transnational, and international levels. It was a very enthusiastic and challenging session. I am very thankful to have had this enlightening opportunity.