Sakhalin: The Island of Unspoken Struggles - Paperback

Ohkubo, Kristine: - KRISTINE OHKUBO is an avid traveler, blogger, and Japanophile. She developed a deep love and appreciation of Japanese culture, people, and history early in life. Her travels in Japan have enabled her to gain insight into this fascinating culture, which she shares with you through her work. Her first book, a travel guide to Japan, was published in 2016. In 2017, she released a historical study of the Pacific War written from the perspective of the Japanese people, both those who were living in Japan and in the United States, when the war broke out. 2019 proved to be a prolific year, and she supplemented her earlier releases with two more publications. The first of these examines the influences of Western culture and Freemasonry on the Westernization and subsequent modernization of China and Japan. The second tells the story of an infamous twentieth century geisha, who was both a victim and an aggressor, struggling amidst a strict patriarchal culture and a rapidly changing social system. Kristine's latest work is devoted to the seldom documented history of Sakhalin Island, the land of unspoken struggles. Beginning in the 13th century, the sovereignty over Sakhalin has changed multiple times, having far-reaching impacts on the island's inhabitants and resources. Yet these changes, and the struggles which ensued, are infrequently brought to the forefront of historical discussion, and in present time they face the risk of being forgotten, even by those who currently call Sakhalin home. As an author, Kristine believes that writing from other cultural perspectives encourages empathy and understanding, and at the same time it broadens our knowledge of the events that have unfolded over the years. She encourages her readers to let their curiosity and hunger for knowledge be boundless as she invites them to explore her work.