My book contests the perception of medieval Japan as a “rice country” by repositioning the sea at the heart of Muromachi (1336 – 1573) Japan. I draw on written records and material culture to demonstrate how maritime communities in the Seto Inland Sea were hubs of economic and cultural development. Through Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis, I have identified maritime trade routes, transshipment hubs, and collaborative shipping procedures. The medieval Japanese economy has traditionally been seen as agrarian-based and hierarchical. My research shows that in reality port communities played a critical role in developing a thriving lateral trade and exchange system.

---

Michelle Damian (PhD, University of Southern California), is an Associate Professor of History and Coordinator of the Japanese Studies program at UW–Whitewater. She specializes in Japanese maritime history and archaeology as well as public history, and has authored chapters in the volumes Land, Power and the Sacred: The Estate System in Medieval Japan (University of Hawaii Press) and Historical and Archaeological Perspectives on Early Modern Colonialism in Asia-Pacific (University of Florida Press), among other publications. She is on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Museum of Underwater Archaeology, and has been an organizing committee member of the Asia-Pacific Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage since its inception in 2011.

*Events currently open only to 2026-27 fellows due to space concerns; please contact IRH at info@irh.wisc.edu to be added to a cancellation list for in-person events.*