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  • Night in the American Village

  • Women in the Shadow of the US Military Bases in Okinawa
  • Written by: Akemi Johnson
  • Narrated by: Nancy Wu
  • Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (2 ratings)

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Night in the American Village

Written by: Akemi Johnson
Narrated by: Nancy Wu
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Publisher's Summary

A beautifully written examination of the complex relationship between the women living near the US bases in Okinawa and the servicemen who are stationed there

At the southern end of the Japanese archipelago lies Okinawa, host to a vast complex of US military bases. A legacy of World War II, these bases have been a fraught issue in Japan for decades - with tensions exacerbated by the often volatile relationship between islanders and the military, especially after the brutal rape of a 12-year-old girl by three servicemen in the 1990s.

But the situation is more complex than it seems. In Night in the American Village, journalist Akemi Johnson takes listeners deep into the “border towns” surrounding the bases - a world where cultural and political fault lines compel individuals, both Japanese and American, to continually renegotiate their own identities. Focusing on the women there, she follows the complex fallout of the murder of an Okinawan woman by an ex-US serviceman in 2016 and speaks to protesters, to women who date and marry American men, and groups that help them when problems arise, and to Okinawans whose family members survived World War II.

Thought-provoking and timely, Night in the American Village is a vivid look at the enduring wounds of US-Japanese history and the cultural and sexual politics of the American military empire.

©2019 Akemi Johnson (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing
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What the critics say

“A searing and stylish debut. . . . This is a must-read look at the impact of the US’s overseas military presence on the people who live near it, cultural collisions, and gendered violence.” (Publishers Weekly)

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I could have written this book

The experiences outlined in this book are similar to what I lived there as a halfu. The author even referenced some of my friends. There are unpleasant realities that some people have to endure there. As beautiful as it is, it lives in occupation and complexities.

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