Institute for the Study of Humanities & Social Sciences,
Doshisha University
21st Period 17 Research (2022-24)
(Representative: Liulan Wang-Kanda)
Chika Shirota
The “boundary” marked in front of the gate of White Beach, a U.S. military facility on the Katsuren Peninsula, Okinawa Island. During the White Beach Festival 2017, hula and dances for peace by the local Heshikiya Eisa Preservation Society were performed on the base.
Discipline Cultural Anthropology
Study Area Places associated with people with roots in the Hawaiian and Okinawan islands (Hawaiian Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Japanese Archipelago, North America, South America)
Research Themes
-Anthropology of the Dance and Song Bridging Hawaii and Okinawa
-Heritage Tourism and Roots Tourism among Okinawan Immigrants
-Issues Regarding the Ancestral Bones of People with Roots in the Islands of Hawaii and Okinawa
"Dancing 'Hawaii' and Dancing 'Okinawa': Hula and Eisa,” (co-authored with Shinya Morita, Akashi Shoten), compiled in 2022.
A word about borders (boundary)
The relationship between Hawaii (Kingdom) and the United States, Okinawa (Ryukyu Kingdom) and Japan-U.S., has various "borders" [Photo 1]. As a third-generation Okinawan born in Osaka, I have been practicing Migritude Anthropology, particularly focusing on the lives, dances, songs, and museum exhibitions of people with roots in the islands of Hawaii and Okinawa. I have experienced living, dancing, singing, and creating exhibitions, contributing to the practice of Migritude anthropology concerning social exclusion and cultural inclusion [Photo 2].
Recently, we have been involved in the "Worldwide Uchinanchu Convention" held in Okinawa Prefecture, "Heritage Tours" (cultural heritage tourism) organized by the Hawaii-Okinawa Association, "Roots Tourism" (journeys focused on exploring one's roots and creating family trees), and the "Ancestral Bones (Repatriation) Issue" among people with roots in the islands of Hawaii and Okinawa, particularly in museum exhibitions and facilities.
I have been conducting research on the "borders" that have traditionally separated entities such as Hawaii, the United States, Okinawa, and Japan, as well as the roles of those conducting research and exhibitions and those being researched and exhibited. I have been exploring the movements and fluctuations that transcend and bridge these borders, including distinctions between the material world and the spiritual realm.