A Peace Worth Having: Delayed Repatriations and Domestic Debate over the San Francisco Peace Treaty

During the negotiation of the Peace Treaty that would end the Occupation in the spring and summer of 1951, its terms became a matter of great concern for the families of those Japanese still awaiting repatriation from the former wartime empire. This article recounts the little-kown story of how citizen protesters lobbied for mention of the repatriation problem in the Peace Treaty and how they eventually succeeded in having repatriation mentioned in its terms. The protest and its result shed light on domestic concerns at a crucial time in Japanese history; it also highlights the importance of delayed repatriations in the social and political landscape of early post-war Japan, and the contribution of the issue to a gendered conception of the post-war nation.