{"product_id":"a-nation-within-north-korean-zainichi-in-postimperial-japan-9781503646124","title":"A Nation Within: North Korean Zainichi in Postimperial Japan","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe presence of hundreds of thousands ethnic Koreans in Japan, or \"zainichi Koreans,\" is one of the visible legacies of Japanese colonialism. A surprising and influential group among zainichi Koreans that persists to this day is Chongryon, the only pro-North Korean diasporic group based in a capitalist society. Chongryon historically represented the central grassroots force seeking to liberate Koreans from Japan's imperial and neo-imperial influences. At the heart of the Chongryon community stands a political organization equipped with a central bureaucracy in Tokyo, with a headquarters in nearly every prefecture. Often called a de facto embassy of North Korea, the Chongryon organization has, in effect, functioned as a state within another state--operating hundreds of schools, banks, hospitals, business associations, publishing houses, and many other institutions across Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Based on extensive archival research and nearly 250 original interviews collected with co-researcher KumHee Cho, who was raised within the Chongryon community, Sayaka Chatani offers a sweeping social history of this secretive, protective community in xenophobic Japanese society. Weaving together personal accounts and situating them in a multi-layered, transnational political context, the book offers a finely textured, intimate narrative of the community's tumultuous history and decolonial praxis. Through the stories of Chongryon, this book provides a bottom-up analysis of power politics among zainichi Koreans and reshapes our understanding of Japanese history, Korean history, and the Cold War in Asia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Sayaka Chatani\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Stanford University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/31\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSeries:\u003c\/b\u003e Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia Un\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 318\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.95lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.72d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781503646124","brand":"Stanford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45463035150473,"sku":"9781503646124","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0636\/9240\/6921\/files\/img_f26339d3-9c9f-431b-beed-099cc73fb409.jpg?v=1774995626","url":"https:\/\/sonsanddaughtersbooks.com\/products\/a-nation-within-north-korean-zainichi-in-postimperial-japan-9781503646124","provider":"Sons and Daughters Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}