New Books in Sociology Christopher Nelson, "When the Bones Speak: The Living, the Dead, and the Sacrifice of Contemporary Okinawa" (Duke UP, 2025)
Nov 5, 2025
Christopher T. Nelson, an anthropologist and author, dives into the haunting effects of war memory and sacrifice in Okinawa. He explores how local Okinawans are intertwined with the legacies of colonialism and military occupation. Nelson discusses the complexities of life and death through Okinawan concepts like inochi and mabui. Artistic representations and community practices highlight the ongoing struggle for identity and historical remembrance. He shares insights into the ethical implications of his research and the powerful voices of those affected by past traumas.
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Fieldwork Redirected By A Single Talk
- Christopher Nelson shifted his research from shamanism to battlefield remains after attending a talk by activist Gushiken Takamatsu.
- That serendipitous encounter reshaped his ethnography and became the book's central focus.
Scholar Positionality Shapes Research
- Nelson reflects on the scholar's positionality as an American ex-Marine studying Okinawa and the ethical need for reflexivity.
- He argues scholars must disclose backgrounds and situate themselves amid local and mainland Japanese interlocutors.
Local Ontologies Complicate Life/Death
- Okinawan concepts like inochi (life) and mabui (a presence or soul) complicate Western life/death binaries.
- Nelson uses these terms to explain how people can remain biologically alive yet spiritually diminished.
