Feminism and Intersectionality in Okinawa

Everyone is welcome to join the round table "Feminism and Intersectionality in Okinawa". The talks will be in Japanese with simultaneous interpreation to English. 

Women's History in Japan/Okinawa: How Gender Roles Have Been Constructed

Harumi Miyagi-sensei

Harumi Miyagi is among the most prominent feminist historians in Okinawa, and one of the chief editors of the Prefectural History project. She was born in 1949 on Zamami Island and has a diverse career as a historian, writer, editor, and lecturer. 

Her master's degree focused on the mass suicide during the Battle of Okinawa using feminist lens. She is the author of numerous books and articles in the encompassing fields of studies, such as, on gender, peace, trauma, and war. She frequently contributes articles to newspapers and magazines on issues of war and violence, gender, and education. Having retired from the Naha City Museum of History, she continued as a part-time lecturer at Okinawa University, Okinawa International University, and the University of the Ryukyus. Her book Mother's Legacy: A New Testimony of “Mass-Suicides” on Zamami Island, Okinawa won the 2001 Okinawa Times Publishing Culture Award. Miyagi's dedication to preserving and sharing Okinawa's history remains an integral part of her work.

Transoceanic Feminist Intersections from Okinawa 

Ayano Ginoza-sensei

Ayano Ginoza is an associate professor at the University of the Ryukyus and the editor for the Okinawan Journal of Island Studies. Her research looks at women's peace movements in Okinawa and the Asia-Pacific regions. She is currently co-editing Detours: A Decolonial Guide to Okinawa.