Toshihiko Kishi (Asian History)
During my primary school years, I was very much a “TV kid,” deeply enamored with the program Kanetaka Kaoru Sekai no Tabi (Kaoru Kanetaka’s Journey Around the World), which I watched religiously with my family each week. At the time, reading was not among my preferred activities, yet I found myself captivated by adventure novels for young readers, which I devoured in the wooden school library. Though I can’t recall the specific series, I distinctly recall reading through every volume with fervor.
This early exposure planted in me a dream—a yearning to explore the world. However, this dream was short-lived, as a serious illness during my junior high school years rendered me unable to embark on the adventures I had once envisioned. As a university student, I found myself envious of my brother, who traveled the world producing TV documentaries. Despite this, I never abandoned my dream entirely. Although today I recognize the issues inherent in Kawaguchi Ekai’s Tibetan Travels and Kinji Imanishi’s Daxing’anling Expedition, reading these works as a young man filled me with an undeniable sense of excitement and wonder.
Currently, my research focuses on migration history and transnational studies, particularly the implications of crossing borders and embarking on new lives. Among the recent works in immigration history, Eiichiro Azuma’s In Search of the Frontiers of Empire: Japanese Pacific Rim Migration and Settler Colonialism (translated by Mariko Iijima et al.) has profoundly resonated with me. Originally published in 2019 as In Search of Our Frontier: Japanese America and Settler Colonialism in the Construction of Japan’s Borderless Empire , this book is structured into four parts: “Imagining a Japanese Pacific, 1884–1907,” “Championing Overseas Japanese Development, 1908–1928,” “Spearheading Japan’s Imperial Settler Colonialism, 1924–1945,” and “History and Futurity in Japan’s Imperial Settler Colonialism, 1932–1945.” Although the book does not address the Cold War period, Azuma’s efforts to bridge the gap between Japanese-American studies and Japanese colonial studies are intellectually invigorating and have greatly influenced my perspective.
In addition to my specialization in Asian history, I have expanded my research to examine the connections between the Pacific and Asia through the lens of ethnic communities. I have published papers on Japanese immigrants in 1930s Hawaii and the Chinese diaspora in Peru before and after World War II. My future research will likely focus on Okinawan immigrants.
Though distinct in nature, the themes of immigration and adventure share a common thread. Since reaching adulthood and gaining the ability to travel abroad, I have encountered numerous challenges, yet my passion for international research remains undiminished. Eiichiro Azuma’s work has not only reinforced the importance of maintaining a spirit of boundary-crossing in academic research—it has inspired me to explore new fields of study. Perhaps it is the enduring allure of adventure that continues to fuel my fascination.
(Illustration by Atelier Epocha)
This article is also available in Japanese. >>
「冒険と移民を追いかけて」（貴志 俊彦）
