To address the complex legacy of these wars, Dialogue participants look not at history books and government documents but at literature, art, film, photography, music, and other cultural resources that illuminate the war memories of soldiers and civilians on both sides of the Pacific. Writers, filmmakers, journalists, artists, and scholars who have shaped public opinion and popular memory in Asia and the United States gather for this week-long event, which is held on The University of Montana campus. The twenty-five participants include ten from the focus Asian country, ten from the United States, and five from other Asian countries. Time during the Dialogue is given to reading, viewing films, and personal exchange.
Simultaneous translation is provided between English and the target Asian language.
In addition, presentations from the Dialogue sessions are edited into a manuscript for publication. A book of presentations from the Japan-America Dialogue, edited by Steven I. Levine and David C. Earhart, will be published in 2002. Japanese popular culture critic Jun Ishiko discuss Japanese publications during the Pacific War at Japan-America Dialogue in June 2000.