Symposium

“Back to the Future”

Palau's Japanese Era and its Relevance for the Future

Date:　　June 18 (Monday) 2012

Place:    Palau Community College

Admission free and open to the public

Organized by:

Pacific Community College

National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics (Tokyo, Japan)

Palauan Ministry of Community & Cultural Affairs

Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science Grant-in-aid for Scientific Research Project: “Research on Japanese language songs in Palau”

Speakers and Topics

9:00-11:00	Welcoming Remarks Tutii Chilton, Dean of Academic Affairs
	Remarks His Excellency Yoshiyuki Sadaoka, Japanese Ambassador to the Republic of Palau
	Remarks His Excellency Kerai Mariur, Vice President of the Republic of Palau
	Daniel Long, Tokyo Metropolitan University　“Archiving the Japanese Language Oral History of Palau”
	Keisuke Imamura, Tokyo Metropolitan University Graduate School “Why is it important for Japanese to know about Palau’s past?”
	Shingo Iitaka “Reviewing Visual Images of Palau from the Japanese Administration Era”
coffee break
11:30-12:30	Yoshiyuki Asahi, National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics “The Importance of Linguistic Research on the former Japanese Colonies”
	Shinji Sanada, National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics, Nara University “A Japanese-lexicon Creole in Taiwan”
	(designated respondent) Yoshimichi Mizuno, Kyoto Institute of Technology
	Discussion time
	musical performances of Japanese-Palauan songs by the elders of Ngaraklim
12:30 – 13:30   Lunch Break
13:30-16:00	Junko Konishi, Shizuoka University “Japanese Influenced Songs in Palau”
	Ryota Yoshida, Shizuoka University Graduate School “Why is the archival of Palauan songs important for the future?”
	George Shan-Hua Chien, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU) “The Web Museum of Palauan Music”
	Vivian, Chiao-Wen Chiang National Taiwan Normal University “Constructing the Austronesian Music Museum”
	Howard Charles, Pacific Community College “The Impact of Music Education and Performance in Palau's 2011-12 School Year”
	Osamu Yamaguchi, Nanhua University “Transgender love songs of Belau and Japan  sung by Belau people: with emphasis on the 1960s”
	Discussion time
	Closing Remarks Kathy Kesolei, Senate Vice President
	Closing Remarks Bilung Gloria Salii　Queen, Traditional leader
	Closing Remarks The Honorable Faustina K. Rehuher-Marugg, Minister of Community & Cultural Affairs

The symposium “Back to the Future: Palau's Japanese Era and its Relevance for the Future” was conceived during discussions between Faustina K. Rehuher-Marugg, Palauan Minister of Community & Cultural Affairs, Howard Charles, instructor in music at Pacific Community College, Junko Konishi, professor of music at Shizuoka University in Japan and Daniel Long, professor of linguistics at Tokyo Metroplitan University.  The concept was to provide a public forum for people from many places including Tokyo, Shizuoka, Kochi, Koror, Babeldaob and Taipei to come together and discuss the cultural influences upon Palau in the colonial period, but also to discuss how these cultural influences were important for the future of Palau and its young people.  Three important components of the symposium were the participation of young people both Palauan and Japanese, the musical contributions provided by Palauan elders and the active participation of Palauans and Japanese in positions of administration and policy making.

Tutii Chilton, Dean of Academic Affairs

Yoshiyuki Sadaoka, Japanese Ambassador to the Republic of Palau

Kerai Mariur　Vice President of the Republic of Palau

Daniel Long, Tokyo Metropolitan University

“Archiving the Japanese Language Oral History of Palau for Future Generations”

Abstract： The speaker discussed the necessity for archiving oral history materials (tape recorded or videotaped interviews) in the Japanese language, so that they can be used a cultural resource for future generations.  Thus far in Palau there have been many related contributions, namely (1) numerous museum exhibits curated by the Belau National Museum, (2) many academic papers and books about the Japanese colonial period of Palau written in Japanese, (3) books in printed form of interviews with Palauan elders, particularly the 2009 publication “Palauan Children under Japanese Rule” produced as a volume 87 of the Japanese National Museum of Ethnology’s ethnological reports.  Since 2008, Daniel Long and his graduate students have been collecting audio recorded interviews with Palauan elders about their experiences before and during World War II.  Some of these interviews can currently be viewed by the Japanese public because they are used in the educational show “Japanese Language and Culture” which began running on Japanese TV in 2011 and will continue until 2015.  The concept for the archives is as follows.   Reminiscences are told in the islanders’ own words (not rewritten), and are (a) in their own voices (sound recordings), (b) told in Japanese, both so that Japanese people could understand, (c) to emphasize that there was a Japanese period in the islands’ past.  These recordings will be made available on the internet so that people all over the world (Palauans living throughout the world, Japanese school children, etc.) can listen to them without having to buy discs.  What needs to be done in the near future are the following four things.

• Editing of the tapes to find sections with some content consistency (“stories”).  Adding subtitles in Japanese.  Deciding whether to add English subtitles or not.

• Getting the permissions of the speakers (I got their permission to record the interviews for my research at the time the recording were made, now I need to make sure they don’t mind having the interviews make public)

• Technical aspects (how to make the subtitles visible, how large to make them, what color to use, what format to put the data files in, what server to put the files on)

• Getting the word out.  Linking to other resources like the homepages of Pacific Community College, Belau National Museum, the (Japanese) National Language Research Institute homepage

Keisuke Imamura, Tokyo Metropolitan University Graduate School

“Why is it important for Japanese to know about Palau’s past?”

Abstract： Young Palauans know quite a bit about Japan, but Japanese people know almost nothing about Palau.  Why is it important for Japanese people to know about Palau’s past?  Because Palau is intertwined with Japan’s 20^th century history, so for Japanese, knowing about Palau means knowing about their own past.  Let us look at some important facts that the Japanese should know about Palau.  The fact that there many fluent speakers of Japanese in Palau is an important historical fact but it also relates to the present as well.  Many older Palauans know how to write Japanese.  Not only this, but for some Palauan elders, Japanese is the only writing system they know.   One of the past Presidents of Palau (Kunio Nakamura) is of Japanese descent.  Palauan is one of the few languages that incorporates many Japanese words.  Palauan people old and young know many songs in the Japanese language.   Even among the younger generations of Palauans, many study Japanese in school.  In conclusion, we can see that Palau’s Japanese era still remains as a part of its culture even today.  Learning about this era helps Japanese to know more about Japan and thus about themselves.  

Shingo Iitaka, Kochi Prefectural University

“Reviewing Visual Images of Palau from the Japanese Administration Era”

Abstract：In this talk Iitaka discussed the photographic images from the Japanese era of Palau’s past.  We have an extensive photographic record of the era, including images of the landscape and people as well as photos which make a contribution to the ethnographic heritage of Palau.  There was a documentary film called “Lifeline on the Sea: Japan’s South Sea Island” which includes movie picture footage of Angaur but also several scenes which seems to have been filmed in Yap.  The Japanese movie “Bouquet in the South Sea” has many location shots filmed in Melekeok.  These images can be seen as (1) colonial products made by the Japanese, but they are also (2) cultural resources for the post colonial ere as well.  All of these visual images are valuable resources for the young people of Palau today and into the future to inform them about the Japanese era.   At present there is a necessity and Japanese researchers have a responsibility to consider carefully how they can arrange and catalog these images and then work with Palauan people to return these historical and cultural resources to the local communities.

Yoshiyuki Asahi, National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics

“The Importance of Linguistic Research on the former Japanese Colonies”

Abstract:  In this paper, the author discussed the use of the Japanese language in places as disparate as Sakhalin and Hawaii.  In the former case the language was learned as a second language by the local populations during the Japanese colonial administration and in the latter case the Japanese language was brought to Hawaii by immigrants looking for a new life who learned English and were bilingual.

Shinji Sanada, National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics, Nara University

“A Japanese-lexicon Creole in Taiwan”

Abstract： Not only in Palau, but in many parts of Asia and the Pacific live many people who acquired Japanese before or during World War II and retain competency in the language today.  Particularly in Taiwan and the islands of Micronesia, the Japanese language continued to be used as a lingua franca among speakers whose native language differed. Moreover, in parts of the Atayal people of Yilan County in Eastern Taiwan, a Japanese-based creole language formed. In this paper we first outline the sociohistorical background of Yilan Creole to establish that it is indeed a creole. We then attempt to clarify the linguistic nature of Yilan Creole through an examination of material by field studies.

Yoshimichi Mizuno, Kyoto Institute of Technology

Junko Konishi, Shizuoka University

 “The Importance of archival of Palauan Classic songs, which show Japanese influences”

Abstract：A song is thought to be merely “personal fun”, however, people share time with others while listening to and/or singing them. From the historical point of view, a song often tells much more than the facts: it also speaks for what people are thinking. In this presentation, Konishi encouraged Palauan students to notice the importance of archiving Palauan “classical” music, which was influenced by the Japanese music.

Ryota Yoshida, Shizuoka University Graduate School

“Archival activities and the transcription with Staff notation”

Abstract：Yoshida explained his archival activities, based on his interviews with Palauan elders  to collect musical materials. Then, he emphasized the convenience of staff notation, which integrates musical information onto a piece of sheet.  Producing musical notations makes the songs easier for people to access and perform these songs without the need for electronic equipment.

George Shan-Hua Chien, National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU)

“The Web Museum of Palauan Music”

Abstract：Chien introduced the Digital Museum of Austronesian Music at National Taiwan Normal University, especially the YAMAGUTI Osamu Collection of Palauan traditional songs from 1965. His research project digitalized the field recordings, notes and photos and combined these in a medium so that they can be simultaneously accessed through the project website.

Vivian, Chiao-Wen Chiang National Taiwan Normal University

“Constructing the Austronesian Music Museum”

Abstract：Vivian explained the technical procedures of digitizing the YAMAGUTI Collection. Then, he introduced examples of sound recordings and field data showing the website in detail.

Howard Charles, Pacific Community College

“The Impact of Music Education and Performance in Palau's 2011-12 School Year”

Abstract：The speaker introduced the music curriculum at Palau Community College, the program for elementary school teachers and the activities of students of the PCC Music Club. They have released their original CDs for fund raising purposes in order to conduct sustainable activities. As an instructor, he emphasized how to transmit the esthetics of Palauan songs.

Osamu Yamaguchi, Nanhua University

“Transgender love songs of Belau and Japan favouritely sung by Belau people: with emphasis on the 1960s”

Abstract：He explained traditional Palauan ideas of gender such as that a female often composed the lyrics of chants. Then, referring to the Japanese song, “Kokoni sachi ari”, he discussed how female/gender relationships have changed in Palau.

Kathy Kesolei, Senate vice president

Bilung Gloria Salii　Queen, traditional women’s leader

Faustina K. Rehuher-Marugg, Minister, Ministry of Community & Cultural Affairs

The students of the Palau Community College Music Club

Ngaraklim Singers performing Japanese songs at the symposium

Kyoko Ngotel performing her dance of Ganpeki no haha

The conference room at Palau Community College