Organized by Prof. Olga Khomenko and Prof. Sho Konishi, this interdisciplinary conference explores Manchukuo—the so-called “puppet state” created by Japan in occupied Manchuria—not from the perspective of the empire, but from the ground up. Moving beyond dominant narratives of imperial control, the event centers on the lives, political visions, and cultural productions of often-overlooked minority communities: Ukrainians, Russians, Tatars, Poles, Hungarians, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and others.
Over two days, scholars from across the globe will examine how these groups—operating outside official power structures—created their own institutions, publications, and networks. Case studies range from Ukrainian newspaper publishing with Japanese support, to Tatar media and religious life, to the transnational aspirations of Korean and Taiwanese students. These stories highlight the ways minoritized peoples imagined alternative futures, resisted domination, and built forms of solidarity within a complex imperial setting.
The conference will feature keynote lectures, thematic panels, and a closing roundtable reflecting on new methodological directions in Manchukuo studies.
Alongside the academic program, the conference will host an immersive exhibition titled: “Freedom, Identity, and Persistence: The Transnational Story of Ukrainian Diaspora in Asia and Its Continuity.”
Curated by Prof. Olga Khomenko with Yuliia Krulova (design) and Miyu Hosoi (sound), this exhibition combines soundscapes, visual materials, and personal narratives to tell the century-long story of Ukrainian forced migration, cultural resilience, and identity formation in Asia. It offers a powerful reflection on the enduring impact of displacement, linking past and present.
Free and open to the public.
We welcome scholars, students, and anyone interested in history, migration, memory, and the unseen layers of empire.
Full programme: nissan.web.ox.ac.uk/event/conference-re-assembling-manchukuo-from-below-invisible-minorities-politics-and-imagination
