Speaking beyond the Discipline: Japanese Diaspora Archaeology in Dialogue

Abstract

While this collection of articles provides a pathbreaking assemblage of studies of Japanese diaspora, for the progression of the field, archaeology must engage critically with other disciplines. Too often historical archaeology is conceived of as an afterthought or curiosity in conjunction with other disciplines’ approaches to history. Materials and objects as illustrative but not informative to the level of the archive of oral historical record. In this concluding forum, we discuss the contribution of archaeology to Japanese Diaspora studies, inviting a diverse group of scholars to comment on this special issue. What relevance do these studies have, and how do they articulate with other disciplinary approaches? In doing so we hope to move the conversation beyond the discipline, putting archaeology in dialogue with history, cultural anthropology, and ethnic studies.