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In this session, Ma Guang (Associate Professor, Macao Polytechnic University) will share his thoughts on the environmental and political context behind the Wokou piracy in East Asia:

From the 13th to the 17th centuries, wokou (Japanese pirates) repeatedly raided the coasts of China and Korea, threatening maritime security across East Asia. This talk examines the broader environmental and political contexts behind these incursions, arguing that not only instability in Japan but also climatic changes, including cooling temperatures, droughts, floods, and typhoons, intensified wokou activities. By tracing diplomatic missions among China, Korea, and Japan, and analyzing shipwrecks and coastal fortifications, the lecture reveals how climate shifts, piracy, and defense together shaped the making of an “enemy” and the maritime order of East Asia.

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Enemy Encounters in East Asia webinar series for the first semester of the 2025-2026 academic year.

The webinar is organized as part of the Research Training Group (RTG) Ambivalent Enmity: Dynamics of Antagonism in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, hosted by Heidelberg University and the Heidelberg University of Jewish Studies.

If you are interested in attending the webinars, please send an email to Dr. Barend Noordam (barend.noordam@hcts.uni-heidelberg.de) to register and you will receive the regular webinar invitations to the sessions. If you have registered for previous webinars there is no need to register again.

The video recordings of previous webinars are available online on the YouTube channel of Heidelberg University.