Participation fee is free

Speaker: Matsushima Yasukatsu (Book Editorial Committee Chair/Ryukyu Ethnic Remains Return Claim Lawsuit, Ryukoku University Professor) /Nakamura Ryoko (Niraikanainukai Co-Representative)

A court ruling in which a scholar from Kyoto Imperial University sought the return of remains stolen from the tomb of Hyakujuji in Nakijin Village, Ryukyu before the war was issued at the Osaka High Court on 2023/9/22. It was an unfair judgment that it was not recognized that ownership of the remains belongs to the plaintiff, but on the other hand, “the return of the remains to their original place is currently becoming a global trend” and “remains are not just a thing,” according to the “addendum” to the judgment. He stated, “Remains have the right to sleep peacefully in their hometown,” and further stated that “the remains of indigenous people taken out should be returned to their hometown.” Also, the fact that the Ryukyu people were recognized as “indigenous people” in the text of the judgment can be said to be a historical factual certification by a national agency.

However, Kyoto University has yet to accept the return of the remains. Plaintiffs, lawyers, and supporters published a book summarizing the trajectory of court battles over 5 years since the lawsuit was filed in 2018/12 on 2/1 this year. At this publication commemorative lecture, Editorial Committee Chairman Matsushima Yasukatsu talks about the significance of the trial and prospects for future movements, and Nakamura Ryoko, co-representative of the Nirai Kanainukai Association, reports on the current state of decolonization struggles in Ryukyu, and thinks about how to support supporters living in Kanto.