Origin
These interdisciplinary symposiums on the long-term effects of Japan’s traumatic experience of the Second World War began as a Study Group initiated in 2019, by two psychiatrists, Dr Eugen Koh, an ethnic Chinese-Australian psychiatrist and psychotherapist, with a special interest in trauma, and Dr Tadashi Takeshima, Chairman of the Japan Liaison Committee for Mental Health. They had discussed the War and its impact regularly over the 10 years that they worked together in various mental health projects in Japan. In May 2019, a small workshop on Traumatised Community and Mental Health -Trauma caused by the Second World War, was held in Osaka, and a follow-up workshop took place in Tokyo in September that year. Plans for another workshop in June 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.
In 2021, Eri Nakamura (historian, Hiroshima University) , Kenta Awazu (sociologist, Institute of Grief Care, Sophia University), Shigeyuki Mori (psychologist & psychoanalyst, Konan University) who took part in the first two workshops, and later, Kenji Kawano (Social psychologist, Ritsumeikan University) joined Eugen Koh and Tadashi Takeshima in forming a committee to organise the first series of interdisciplinary symposiums to explore the long term effects of Japan’s World War 2 trauma. Carrie Cheng, an ethnic Chinese-Australian psychiatrist, who spoke Japanese, working with Dr Koh in Melbourne, was also invited to join.
These five symposiums include 1) Japan’s experience of the War; 2) Japan’s Response to the War; 3) Trauma and Positionality: Japan as Victim and Perpetrator of the War; 4) What are the long term effects of the War? 5) Understanding the Whole Picture. These symposiums successfully explored many issues about before, during and after the War and set the foundation for future symposiums to address its specific long-term effects that remained today.
The aim of these, and future, symposiums is to increase well-being and harmony in Japan, and peace with its neighbours. This work will take many years to accomplish its aim. These symposiums do not assume any political position. Participants are encouraged to help maintain a safe supportive space for respectful discussion and dialogue.
Commitee Member
Eugen Koh, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne/Senior Fellow, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne
Tadashi Takeshima, Chairman of the Japan Liaison Committee for Mental Health/Director of Kawasaki City Inclusive Rehabilitation Center
Shigeyuki Mori, Professor, Faculty of Letters, Konan University
Kuniko Muramoto, Professor, Graduate School of Human Science, Ritsumeikan University
Kenji Kawano, Professor, College of Comprehensive Psychology, Ritsumeikan University
Eri Nakamura, Associate Professorm, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University
Kenta Awazu, Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of Grief Care, Sophia University
Carrie Cheng,Royal Australian and New Zealand Psychiatry Trainee