Read more
Originally published in 1975, much of Western scholarly writing on Japan had in recent years concerned the study of modernisation. The papers in this volume, which were prepared by leading specialists from Europe and Israel, concentrate on the problems arising from modernisation, rather than on an analysis of the process itself.
List of contents
Preface. Introduction: Modern Japan: An Historian's View
W. G. Beasley Part 1: History 1. The Politics of the Civil War of 1868
Charles D. Sheldon 2.
Shinbunshi: The Early Meiji Adaptation of the Western-Style Newspaper
Albert A. Altman 3. Japan and Naval Aspects of the Washington Conference
Ian Nish 4. Myth and Reality in Japan of the 1930s
Ben-Ami Shillony 5. National Elections and Electioneering in Akita Ken, 1930-1942
R. L. Sims 6. The Great Tokyo Air Raid, 9-10 March 1945
Gordon Daniels Part 2: Literature 7. Matsui Sumako: Actress and Woman
Brian Powell 8. Modernisation of the Japanese Theatre: The Shingeki Movement
A. Horie-Webber 9. Abe K¿b¿ and ¿e Kenzabur¿: The Search for Identity in Contemporary Japanese Literature
Hisaaki Yamanouchi Part 3: Society 10. New Religions in Japan: An Appraisal of Two Theories
Eimi Watanabe Rajana 11. The Use and Meaning of Leisure in Present-Day Japan
Sepp Linhart 12. Union-Management Conflict in a Japanese Company
R. C. Clark 13. Regional Development Policy in Japan: Some Aspects of the Plan for Remodelling the Japanese Archipelago
John Sargent 14. Japan's Policy Towards Foreign Trade: The Strategic Options
Christopher Howe. Notes. Index.
About the author
W. G. Beasley
Summary
Originally published in 1975, much of Western scholarly writing on Japan had in recent years concerned the study of modernisation. The papers in this volume, which were prepared by leading specialists from Europe and Israel, concentrate on the problems arising from modernisation, rather than on an analysis of the process itself. The historical papers deal with various aspects of the political and international tensions that link modernisation to Japanese expansion and the Second World War: the civil war of 1868; early newspapers and nationalist opinion; the Washington Conference; politics in the 1930s; the bombing of Japan in 1945. Those on literature examine some related themes concerning national attitudes, as expressed in drama and the novel, especially in the context of the relationship of modern ideas and institutions to traditional culture and society. Similar questions are raised by the discussion of new post-war religions, as well as in papers on the use of leisure and on industrial relations in contemporary Japan. Finally, there are two contributions dealing with the economic consequences of the industrial miracle that has marked the latest phase of modernisation, one on balance of payments difficulties and one on current plans to deal with the problems of urban growth. Many of these papers present the results of hitherto unpublished research of great importance to students of modern Japan.
