Violence in Postwar, Postcolonial Japan

Léopold Lambert of The Funambulist invited me to contribute something on the theme of "self-defense," in the context of leftist activism.

It gave me a chance to think about the history of the East Asian Anti-Japan Armed Front (EAAJAF), a militant group active in the 1970s in Japan. The group insisted upon a violence commemoration of Japan's wartime and colonial violence, and the founding cell named itself after the eradicated Japanese wolf. I used the figure of the wolf -- often cast as the villain of Western fairytales -- to think about how villains and violence are interpreted in ostensibly peaceful postwar Japan.

The Funambulist can be purchased online or at places like the Irregular Rhythm Asylum in Tokyo, as one can see here:

I have also uploaded a PDF for download on my academia.edu page.