A Roundtable "The Legacy of the Japanese Peace Preservation Law at its Centennial"
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- 16 hours ago
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Date: Thursday May 29th, 2025
Time: 17:30 - 19:00
Location: Sophia University, Yotsuya Campus, Building 10 Room 301
Language: English
Format: In-person / No registration required
Organizers:
Mahon MURPHY, Kyoto University
Max WARD, Middlebury College
Participants:
Ariel ACOSTA, Waseda University
MORI Yasuo, Doshisha University
John PERSON, State University of New York, Albany
Sven SAALER, Sophia University
Description:
One hundred years ago the Japanese government passed the Peace Preservation Law with the intention of suppressing the nascent communist movement and other movements which threatened private property and the imperial system. The law became central to the broad apparatus of social control and the campaigns of the notorious ‘thought police.’ It is probably the most infamous piece of legislation of Japan’s Imperial period and its impact was felt throughout the empire and beyond.
We invite you to join us in reflecting on the legacy of the Peace Preservation Law. The law raises many points for discussion and offers us a chance to create a meaningful study of the intersections of culture in the form of emotions, experience, and beliefs with power in the form of politics, law, and economics. Questions we will address include: What was the impact of the law in its own time and what were its legacies after its dissolution in 1945? How did the impact of the law extend beyond its initial targets and what were the different experiences for those who were arrested? And what is the relevance of studying the Peace Preservation Law 100 years later, and can we consider current developments through its historical example? After brief introductory remarks from roundtable participants, we will open the discussion so that we can collectively explore the history and legacy of this important law.
This event is hosted by Sven Saaler (Professor of History, Sophia University).
Photo: The front cover of the Peace Preservation Law (治安維持法表紙)
