The Man in the High Castle (2015) is an American TV series-turned novel that explores a different trajectory of history where WWII ended with the victory of the Axis Powers, resulting in the partitioning and occupation of the United States by Japan (in the Japanese Pacific States) and Germany (in the Greater Nazi Reich). In the first two episodes of the series, Juliana Crane, acting upon her late sister’s wishes as part of the resistance, uses clues in her sister’s things to make her way to the Neutral Zone after watching a controversial propaganda film created by the mysterious “Man in the High Castle”. At the same time, Joe Blake, a member of the Nazi Reich, feigned being a part of the American resistance  to intercept and gather information for his mission, meeting Juliana in the Neutral Zone. Because of the illegal film and discovered acts of American resistance, those related to Juliana and the caught resistance were severely punished by both Japan and Germany. This alternate reality illustrates the tense relationships between the occupiers and the occupied through the interactions between different factions such as civilians, resistance, and those in power. Through an anthropological lens, it demonstrates the effects of colonialism/imperialism in a historical dystopian context, incorporating details throughout the production from set design to audio to symbolic motifs to further establish the reality of this universe.

Cultural assimilation is a byproduct of colonialism and imperialism, imposed upon a nation by its occupiers. In the context of TMHC (2015), the ethnic complexity in the different sections of the former United States can be classified as plural societies due the multiple ethnic groups coexisting under the control of one (Winzeler 68). The ethnic groups in the society “mix but do not combine” as groups in the west and the east live separately, sharing interactions only for business and government (Winseler 68). From the airing of Japanese anime and featuring of popular song “Sukiyaki” to the use of Japanese language in everyday life in San Francisco, Japanese cultural influence is evident in the popular culture of the western region of the former United States. The scene of San Francisco with its rustic Japanese-style buildings and vehicles showcases how colonial/imperial powers in an occupied region have a dominant influence in the environment. The main character, Juliana Crain, participates in the practice of aikido, makes tea with ginger, and socializes with Japanese resident, Doni. Her day in Japanese-occupied San Francisco illustrates the impact of Japanese imperialism in reshaping American lifestyles, reflecting a more Japanese-influenced lifestyle. The theme here is reminiscent to the Seediq population whose language and lifestyles had changed after Japanese occupation in Taiwan in Warrior of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale. One instance in TMHC (2015) where cultural assimilation symbolically takes place is through the reimagining of the national flag of the United States which closely resembles the Japanese Empire’s flag. This represents the political control of the Japanese government, leaving the Americans “little share in the government of their homelands” as important positions in the region were occupied by Japanese officials only (Winzeler 59). A policing body known as the Kempeitai was also appointed to enforce order, according to the ruling Japanese standards. Because of Japan’s efforts to assimilate the Americans in their portion of the states, this has yielded the unintended consequences of repressing American (conquered) culture and formed an ethnic caste within the confines of the Pacific States.

While assimilation and increased globalization has introduced new cultural experiences for the Americans in TMHC (2015), Americans, as the dominated ethnic minority group, has faced numerous issues such as the repression of their culture pre-WWII and the development of a social caste system. One example in how Americans have faced cultural repression was Juliana’s reaction to seeing a Bible in the Neutral Zone, reminiscing on seeing it when she was younger. This echoes a real, similar case in the Philippines where 300+ years under colonial rule by the Spanish factored into Christianity being the majority religion practiced in replacement of the local religions in the present time (Philippines Lecture, 3/6). This relates to the idea that in efforts to culturally assimilate, the dominant group may use force, leading to the repression and replacement of cultural identity of the occupied group over time. Due to this repression and replacement, TMHC (2015) also presents a social caste based on ethnicity. For example, Frank’s contemporary art style was called “degenerate” which indicates that aspects of American culture were considered primitive and impure to the dominant culture of Japan. This “color line” is also a byproduct of colonialism where the natives (Americans) are the bottom of the hierarchy while the colonial body remains at the top (Winzeler 58). Despite the mixing of Japanese and American culture, Japanese influence is more evident and dominant over American influence as depicted by the popular culture and media in the Japanese Pacific States. TMHC (2015) further represents this hierarchy through the distribution of jobs where Americans like Frank worked in factories while the Japanese were shop owners and government officials. Because of the negative impacts of colonialism, another important aspect to look at in terms of anthropology would be the minority groups and their reactions to this change and globalization.

Efforts to assimilate the dominated culture into the dominator’s culture throughout most case studies in anthropology resulted in a diversity of reactions and attitudes, and TMHC (2015) reflects different sections of the spectrum of attitudes of the American people. In addition to the gap of attitudes between the younger and older generations, within these groups, the attitudes are also varied. Juliana Crane represented members of the dominated younger generation who were very young during the beginning of occupation and had an easier time adjusting to the assimilation efforts by the Japanese. Her attitudes and practices juxtaposed those of her parents who represented the dominated older generation who were unhappy with the shift, claiming that the Japanese had taken everything away from them. This echoes similar themes in real life regarding the “Americanization” of Japan where American power and influence had dominated, causing the Japanese people to reconstruct their national identity “through the medium of desire and antipathy towards ‘America’” (Yoshimi 434). Within the younger generation represented in TMHC (2015), there is also a diversity of attitudes between those who have adjusted to the assimilation like Juliana, those who are scared/lost hope into complying with the wishes of the dominating power like Frank, and those who are willing to put their lives on the line in order to regain control back like Trudy.

One of the major responses to colonialism is rooted in resistance driven by nationalism because colonization presents itself as a threat to the national identity through repression and cultural assimilation. In the context of TMHC (2015), the American Resistance faction was created and run by Americans such as Trudy, Don Warren, and Randall Becker who express hostility towards the Japanese for taking away everything from Americans. These attitudes convey how “certain groups might feel excluded or threatened to break off and form their own nation” (Mines & Lamb 311). This reaction could be considered a form of populism driven by nationalism and the desire to take back what was stolen. It is caused by the increased levels of globalization and change that take place under colonialism. The dominated people’s perception of and attitudes towards their dominator factor into the frequency of the resistance, and in Trudy’s and Randall’s case, they were willing to die for the resistance and regain control. The level of resistance in TMHC (2015) is reminiscent of the indigenous Seediq population in Taiwan who physically fought with the Japanese imperial soldiers in efforts to maintain their sovereignty, rights to the land, and preserve their cultural practices (Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale). Colonialism and occupation are forms of globalization and rapid change which creates a diverse range of attitudes of acceptance to complete opposition. 

Overall, the anthropological themes explored in TMHC (2015) are the effects of colonialism and the different interactions between and reactions of those who have been colonized. Cultural assimilation took on many forms in creating an “imagined community” where in the western region of the former United States, the architecture, popular culture, language, and government were primarily Japanese in nature (Mines & Lamb 311). At the expense of the introduction of a dominant culture in an ethnically plural region, the culture of the dominated American group was repressed, leading to a more “Japanified” shift in different areas of culture. With this repression, a social caste was created where the works of Americans were considered impure and primitive to the colonizer’s works. Looking further into the attitudes of those who have been colonized, which is a topic that is explored often in anthropology, they can vary based on multiple factors such as age and experience. While some may be more accepting like Juliana, there are also attitudes of resent for the Japanese which result in the formation of resistance groups in the name of nationalism and taking the country back from the colonizers. The TV series expresses the dynamic relationships between the colonizer and colonized and the tensions between those within the colonized faction. In conclusion, TMHC (2015) explores themes of colonialism, national identity, and the “imagined community” which connect to different areas that are also addressed in the series such as resistance movements and assimilation efforts. 

Works Cited

Armosilla, Aimee and Keri Yokoyama. “Mabuhay! From the Republic of the Philippines.” People and Cultures of Asia, 6 Mar. 2019, Whittier College. Microsoft PowerPoint presentation. 

Mines, Diane P., and Sarah Lamb. Everyday Life in South Asia. Indiana University Press, 2010.

Wei, Te-Sheng, director. Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale. Vie Vision Pictures, 2011.

Winzeler, Robert L. The Peoples of Southeast Asia Today: Ethnography, Ethnology, and Change in a Complex Region. AltaMira, 2011.

Yoshimi, Shunya & Buist, David. (2003). “‘America’ as desire and violence: Americanization in postwar Japan and Asia during the Cold War.” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies. 4. 433-450. 10.1080/1464937032000143797.