UA&SC | Collections and Research Guide: Special Topics

The politics of Japan are less widely reported than its economics. Most people are aware of the economic 'miracle' following the Second World War, whereby Japan became the second largest economy in the world after the United States, and the economic stagnation of the early 1990s is also well known. But it is difficult to make sense of these phenomena without a knowledge of the political system and the ways in which it works in practice. Containing an introductory essay, an essay on theories of Japanese politics and over 250 A-Z entries, the Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Japan remedies this imbalance, and answers the need for an accessible work of reference bringing together information and authoritative analysis on all aspects of the politics of Japan and the Japanese political system. Including a fully annotated bibliography to guide the user to further reading, the entries are thoroughly cross-referenced and indexed, and are supplemented with maps and tables, to ensure that the Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Japan is essential reading for all scholars and students of the politics and international relations of Japan.

With more than 700 alphabetically arranged entries, The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture offers extensive coverage of Japanese culture spanning from the end of the Japanese Imperialist period in 1945, right up to the present day. Entries range from shorter definitions, histories or biographies to longer overview essays giving an in-depth treatment of major issues. Culture is defined in its broadest sense to allow for coverage of the diversity of practice and production in a country as vibrant and rapidly changing as Japan. Including a new preface by the editor to bring the book fully up-to-date with cultural developments since 2001, this Encyclopedia will be an invaluable reference tool for students of Japanese and Asian Studies, as well as providing a fascinating insight into Japanese culture for the general reader.

Historical surveys of postwar Japan are usually established on the grounds that the era is already over, interpreting "postwar" to be the years directly proceeding World War II. However, the contributors to this book take a unique approach to the concept of the postwar epoch and treat it as a network of historical time frames from the modern period, and connect these time capsules to the war to which they are inextricably linked. The books strength is in its very interdisciplinary approach to examining postwar Japan and as such it includes chapters centred on subjects as diverse as politics, poetry, philosophy, economics and art which serve to fill the blanks in the collective cultural memory that historical narratives leave behind. Originally published in French, this new translation offers the English speaking world important access to a major work on Japan which has been greatly enriched by the translator's great accuracy and knowledge of English, French and Japanese language, history and culture. Japan's Postwar will appeal to students and scholars of Japanese Studies and Modern Japanese History as well as historians studying the world after 1945.

In this newly revised edition of his readable and thoughtful survey, Mikiso Hane presents the essential facts of modern Japanese history. He integrates political events with the cultural, economic, and intellectual activities of each period, and he is sensitive to the conditions of life in all strata of the population. The new edition covers a variety of important developments through the 1990s, giving special consideration to how traditional Japanese modes of thought and behavior have affected these recent developments.As background for his study of the modern era, Hane summarizes the early history of Japan, with attention to institutions that have molded the nature of Japanese society--including Shinto, the Emperor system, Buddhism, and feudalism. Hane then sets the stage for modern Japan with a detailed and analytical discussion of the Tokugawa period.The survey takes on immediacy as it chronicles the growth of Westernization in the nineteenth century and the ascendancy ofmilitarism in the twentieth. The chapters on Meiji Japan balance politics and economics with a close look at social conditions, education, and religion. The story of Japan's role in World War II, its defeat in 1945, and the occupation is told dispassionately, but from a Japanese vantagepoint. Hane's portrait of life in postwar Japan is enriched by material on contemporary literature, Japanese youth culture, and other intellectual developments.The last two chapters, which have been updated and reorganized, focuses on the dramatic economic surge since the end of World War II and the accompanying social changes in life-style and attitudes, particularly for women and the working class. Reiterating themes that permeate the book, a final section reviews Japan's relations with the outside world, especially with the United States, and the ongoing tension between the old and the new, the traditional and the recent social, intellectual, and cultural developments. A useful, updated bibliography and well-chosen illustrations enhance the text.

Japan's catapult to world economic power has inspired many studies by social scientists, but few have looked at the 45 years of postwar Japan through the lens of history. The contributors to this book seek to offer such a view. As they examine three related themes of postwar history, the authors describe an ongoing historical process marked by unexpected changes, such as Japan's extraordinary economic growth, and unanticipated continuities, such as the endurance of conservative rule. A provocative set of interpretative essays by eminent scholars, this book will appeal to anyone interested in the history of twentieth-century Japan and the dilemmas facing Japan today.

The Routledge Handbook of Modern Japanese History is a concise overview of modern Japanese history from the middle of the nineteenth century until the end of the twentieth century. Written by a group of international historians, each an authority in his or her field, the book covers modern Japanese history in an accessible yet comprehensive manner. The subjects featured in the book range from the development of the political system and matters of international relations, to social and economic history and gender issues, to post-war discussions about modern Japan's historical trajectory and its wartime past. Divided into thematic parts, the sections include: Nation, empire and borders Ideologies and the political system Economy and society Historical legacies and memory Each chapter outlines important historiographical debates and controversies, summarizes the latest developments in the field, and identifies research topics that have not yet received sufficient scholarly attention. As such, the book will be useful to students and scholars of Japanese history, Asian history and Asian Studies.

In the aftermath of the Pacific War and Japan's capitulation, Mrs Yumi Goto and her family lived in the small community of Muramatsu, where they had relocated to get away from Tokyo. Yumi Goto was an English-speaking graduate of one of Japan's top universities for women, and when a contingent of American soldiers was sent to Muramatsu as a garrison force, she became an interpreter. The sudden influx of more than 1,800 Americans into a rural Japanese community was potentially traumatic, and their imminent arrival made the townspeople "depressed and fearful". To everyone's surprise, they found the soldiers to be "open-hearted and humane", and the two sides co-existed peacefully. Those Days in Muramatsu is a testimony to the capacity of ordinary people from vastly different backgrounds to co-exist harmoniously, even in the aftermath of war.