Japanese Musical Performance and Diaspora

Iwakuni song texts revolve around a few important themes. Many of the texts relate famous historical tragedies and acts of bravery. There are narrative texts about twentieth-century battles and Japanese-American heroes of the U.S. 100th Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II who fought against German forces in Italy and France. (The 442nd has been described as the most decorated unit in United States military history.) Iwakuni texts impart moral values while other texts, composed during the plantation period, describe the difficulties in adjusting to life as new immigrants in Hawai'i.

Overall, the bon dance operates as part of broader efforts by members of the Japanese-Hawaiian community to maintain cultural links with their Japanese homeland.

Andrew N. Weintraub

Andrew N. Weintraub is Professor in the Department of Music at the University of Pittsburgh. Indonesia is his major focus of research. His fields of interest include the music of Southeast Asia, Sundanese performing arts, Gamelan, Wayang Golek puppet theatre, music and cultural theory, and popular music.