Mosaic of Memories: Understanding the Network of Remembering of Kamioka POW Camp

Abstract

This article analyses the network of remembering surrounding Kamioka POW camp in Japan. It finds that a combination of places and objects, interactions, and memory practices form a dynamic network that is in constant flux. Kamiokan memory sites include the former campsite, a cenotaph, a Book of the Names of the Dead, war diaries and dedicated websites, and these sites of memory acquire meaning through activities such as reconciliation trips, and commemorative ceremonies. Due to the ongoing engagement with these places and objects, their connotations continue to develop and change, leading to a network that constantly evolves.