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In an era not widely recognised for transregional female mobility, a small group of Japanese Christian women navigated the complexities of migration and exile in the Dutch East India Company's (VOC) settlement of Batavia. Batavia represents a critical junction in VOC's Asian trade network and the experiences of Japanese women there has been overlooked. Against this backdrop, this project aims to produce captivating yet historically significant resources for the general public, researchers, students, and others interested in Japan's global engagement in both the past and present. As such, the project illuminates the underexplored lives of Japanese women in seventeenth century VOC Batavia, focusing on their roles and lives within this vibrant, multicultural settlement. By highlighting Japanese women's stories and Japanese-Dutch relations in Tokugawa period (1603-1867), this project aims to enrich our understanding of the social and cultural dynamics of early modern global interactions. These women's experiences therefore shed light on the broader socio-economic and cultural exchanges that characterised the early modern period, offering insights into the complexities of gender, migration, emotions, and mobility.
Conventional historical narratives often overlook the experiences of women, particularly those from non-European backgrounds. This oversight is evident in the study of the VOC Batavia, where the focus still lies on European male actors and their activities. Recent scholarship (O'Leary, 2023; Matsumoto, 2023; Brommer, 2022; Broomhall, 2018/2014; Clulow, 2014; Taylor, 2006; and Blussé, 2002), however, begin to challenge these narratives by uncovering the important roles played by Japanese women, from cultural intermediaries to active participants in the history of VOC Batavia. Building on the recent scholarship, this project thus aims to develop a more nuanced narrative that acknowledges these women's contributions to and their experiences in a uniquely global historical context.
2024 - 2024
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