In May 2024, the University Library Japanese and Korean section organised a book display entitled ‘Zainichi 在日: Korean Diaspora in Japan’ in the Aoi Pavilion. This book display was in conjunction with the Ra Jong-yil Lecture 2024 series event, a conversation with Min Jin Lee. Min Jin Lee is the author of the bestselling novel Pachinko (2017). It wonderfully portrays a Zainichi Korean Diaspora family during the turmoil in Japan and their resilience over three generations. The novel was translated into numerous languages and the UL displayed its copies in English, Korean and Japanese (as shown in the photographs below). During her stay in Cambridge, Min Jin Lee visited the UL and the display. She also signed the UL’s copy of Pachinko.
The book display was a showcase of multi-lingual (English, Japanese and Korean) research materials about Zainichi that are available in the University Library (UL) and the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) library. The word在日 (Zainichi) literally means ‘residing in Japan’. It refers to individuals of Korean descent who live in Japan, particularly those who migrated from Korea during periods of historical upheaval, such as the Japanese occupation (1910-1945) and the aftermath of World War II. The display also included books on the themes of Zanichi Art, Zainichi Literature and Korean ethnic schools (Hakkyo).
Some of the displayed books are here:
- Shashin de miru zainichi Korian no 100-nen: Zainichi Kanjin Rekishi Shiryōkan zuroku 写真で見る在日コリアンの100年
- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
- Zainichi Korean identity and ethnicity by David Chapman
- Chosŏn hakkyo iyagi 조선학교 이야기
- Zainichi Chōsen josei sakuhinshū, 1945-84 在日朝鮮女性作品集, 一九四五-八四
- Zainichi Chōsenjin bijutsushi, 1945-1962 : bijutsukatachi no hyōgen katsudō no kiroku 在日朝鮮人美術史1945-1962: 美術家たちの表現活動の記録
- Song Yŏng-ok t’ansaeng 100-yŏn chŏn: na nŭn ŏdie ̄ 宋英玉 탄생 100년展: 나는 어디에
Capitalising on the opportunities presented by the display, the UL has also acquired some research materials on Zainichi Art and prominent Zainichi first generation artists such as Cho Yang-gyu 曹良奎, Song Yŏng-ok 宋英玉, Chŏn Hwa-hwang 全和凰 and Kwak In-sik 郭仁植. Due to the Korean War and the subsequent political situation, the first generation of Zainichi artists often had to make difficult choices between the different ideologies of each side of their divided homeland. Cho Yang-Kyu and Song Yŏng-ok are known for their symbolic paintings and their works which depict their divided country, as well as the social status and the lives of their compatriots in Japanese society. However, their works were under-researched in South Korea’s art scene as they were pro-North Korean.
The UL now has a copy of Cho Yang-gyu gashū 曹良奎画集. Cho Yang-gyu (1928-?) was born in Jinju, South Korea. In 1948, for political reasons, he fled to Japan. Settling in a Korean village in Tokyo and making his living by working in warehouses, he studied briefly at Musashino Art School and began to exhibit his work at the Japanese Independent exhibition. Through his symbolic work, such as ‘Manhole’ and ‘Warehouse’, he received critical acclaim in the post-war Japanese art scene. This art book came out one month before he took part in ‘The Repatriation Programme from Japan to North Korea’. He moved to North Korea in October 1960. His later life is unknown, and this copy of Cho Yang-gyu gashū appears to be the only one available in libraries in Europe.
Blog post written by the UL’s Japanese & Korean section
Languages across Borders 