Tohoku: Japan’s Constructed Outland

In March 2011 Japan’s Tohoku region was devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami. This was another blow to an area that has been dogged by hardships throughout Japanese history. Beginning in the middle of the 19th century, modern Japan, in its quest to form a nation-state, situated Tohoku on the periphery and emphasised the region’s alleged backwardness. By examining how Tohoku has been perceived and constructed through this lens across the span of history, Hidemichi Kawanishi reveals a Japan that is far more diverse than traditionally thought.