Revisiting the Role of Imperial Universities in Japanese Colonies: The Case of Keijo Imperial University’s Medical Envoy to Thailand

This paper explores Keijo Imperial University's medical envoy to Thailand (KMET). Previous scholarship focused predominantly on the fieldwork of Keijo Imperial University and Taihoku Imperial University, portraying them as institutions producing knowledge in support of Japan's imperial expansion. Specifically, Keijo Imperial University was thought to be investigating Manchuria, located along the northern route towards China, while Taihoku Imperial University was considered as an institution investigating regions along the southern route to China. However, this dichotomy fails to explain the activities of KMET, which targeted Thailand. Furthermore, the conventional approach that described the function of Imperial Universities in Japanese colonies to imperial knowledge production cannot be applied to the interpretation of KMET's projects. Its primary purpose was not to produce knowledge, but to expand networks of modern Japanese medicine to Thailand and to secure a constant channel for medical exchange with newly incorporated nations under the Japanese Empire from the late 1930s through the early 1940s. This study aims to demonstrate the alternative roles pursued by Imperial Universities in Japanese colonies by tracking the activities of KMET. By doing so, this study shows that Keijo Imperial University attempted to develop a new role as an Imperial University established in the Japanese colonies.