Toshimi Chazono Women and Soldiers All Books sku-5399069783

Toshimi Chazono's Women and Soldiers: Sexual Violence and Survival Strategies in Occupied Japan is a hardcover in the Japanese Society Series, listed under All Books as SKU sku-5399069783. After World War II, some women in Japan had intimate relations with occupying US soldiers.

Called “panpan,” a derogatory term, they faced social disapproval and often remained silent about their experiences; many have since died. Drawing on oral histories from sixty-three women, the book examines rape, prostitution, love and marriage alongside the unequal power between occupying soldiers and women in a defeated country.

Chazono considers how women exercised agency under the violence and restrictions of occupation, including negotiating with soldiers for living expenses and supplies. The book presents their experiences as part of Japan's postwar history.