An Intercultural Study of Collective Memories in North East Asia

What is the relationship among language, culture, and memory? How is collective memory, at its heart, discursive phenomena? How do we engage with contested or contradictory memories, to heal historical traumas? This presentation explores these questions, by examining two sites/sights of collective memories – Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, and Human Rights Museum of War and Women in Seoul. As a part of a research project that intends to offer a comprehensive assessment and inter-cultural analysis of collective memories of WWII in Korea, Japan, and the US., this presentation analyzes how memories of historical atrocities are represented not only in linguistic forms but also in the experiential/immersive cultural ‘forms’ and media ‘environments’ – such as, museums, visual artifacts, and cultural events. Ultimately, this study intends to contribute to a broader discussion on intercultural dialogue and civic engagement for historical justice and reconciliation in the region.