Authors:
- Shengjie Su: -

- Zhiliang Su: -

- Siyi Wanga: ORCID

Abstract: »The heritage of comfort women has always remained on the periphery of authoritative heritage, classified as a “difficult heritage,” facing a predicament of social marginalization, government concealment, and international controversy. This article addresses the negotiations, discussions, and compromises involved in the process of safeguarding the Dai-ichi Saloon, which is on the verge of becoming a museum. It is a priority for the most difficult heritage to be musealized, which is one of the most common methods of “normalizing” to ensure preservation and dissemination. The museumization of Dai-ichi Saloon has involved four stages, through which, scholars, residents, Shanghai citizens, and the government, as the four major stakeholders, have developed different understandings of the Dai-ichi Saloon as a difficult heritage. This article argues that the key reason for this misalignment lies in the misplaced sequence of actions among agencies during the “normalization” process. Through the intricate process of the museum making for Dai-ichi Saloon, this article aims to offer lessons for the museum’s approach to the normalization of difficult heritage.« (Source: Inter-Asia Cultural Studies)

Wikipedia: History of Asia: History of Japan / Shōwa era | History of Asia: History of China / History of the Republic of China | Museum: Museums in China | Prostitution: Forced prostitution / Comfort women | Sex and the law: Wartime sexual violence / Wartime sexual violence in World War II | War: Pacific War / Japanese war crimes