Transforming Empire in Japan and East Asia

Robert Eskildsen is Senior Associate Professor, Department of History, International Christian University, Japan. The author's academic training is in the field of modern Japanese history, notably in the sub-fields of premodern Japanese history and modern East Asian history. His publications on the topic include articles in leading journals of history and Asian Studies, such as the American Historical Review and The Journal of Asian Studies.

• Introduction.- Part I: The regional context of the Taiwan Expedition.- From portals to borders.- A justification for colonization.- Planning an expedition to Taiwan.- The decision to go to Taiwan.- Part II: On the ground in Taiwan.- Spies and explorers.- Punishing the “savages”.- The fading dream of colonization.- Part III: Defending the expedition.- Negotiating a settlement.- Justifying the expedition in the Japanese media.- Conclusion.

“Efforts to understand the peculiarities of Japanese imperialism remain important to scholars of Japan and comparative history alike, and Eskildsen makes a significant contribution in that respect … . His study opens a revealing window onto early Meiji political and cultural history in its regional environment as well as onto the multilayered workings of international relations in East Asia.” (Yoshihisa Tak Matsusaka, Monumenta Nipponica, Vol. 75 (1), 2020)