Please note: This lecture will be held in person in room 747, Weiser Hall, and virtually on Zoom. The webinar is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Once you've registered, joining information will be sent to your email. Register for the Zoom webinar at: https://myumi.ch/kPrbk.

The Amami Islands were a transitional border zone between early modern Japan and Ryukyu. Following their invasion and annexation by the Satsuma domain in 1609, they were transformed into sugar-producing colonies of the domain. This lecture will examine how Satsuma integrated the islands into its regional trading network, extending from Naha to Osaka.

Thomas Monaghan received his Ph.D. in History from Yale University in May 2025. His dissertation is titled “The Satsuma Empire and its Sugar Colonies at the Edges of Early Modern Japan.” He is currently a Center for Japanese Studies Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan.

If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible to you, please contact us cjsevents@umich.edu. Please be aware that advance notice is necessary as some accommodations may require more time for the university to arrange.