Routledge Library of Modern Japan – serie

A representative cross-section of works by international scholars in Japanese history have been chosen here for their interpretative thrust and narrative clarity. The articles in this set present a rich variety of perspectives on this vital and controversial period in twentieth-century Japanese history. With a major new introduction by Stephen S. Large, the set provides a comprehensive guide for teachers and students of Showa Japan.The Showa Period covers the reign of Emperor Hirohito (1926-1989), encompassing war and the destruction of the Japanese empire, the Occupation, recovery from the ruins of war and Japan's emergence as an economic superpower. Whereas historians have traditionally approached this question by splitting 'prewar' and 'postwar' Showa, with 1945 marking the beginning of a new era, the emphasis in this anthology is on long-term continuities which were decisive in shaping modern Japan. The readings address such crucial issues as:* the nature of the imperial state* why Japan embarked upon war early in the period* the impact of the Occupation* the dilemmas of Japanese democracy* the social costs and international repercussions of exceptionalism* Japan's evolving world role

Meiji Japan represents a reassessment of the political, economic and social history of Japan during the Meiji period (1868-1911). The Meiji Restoration of 1868 was a pivotal event in Japanese history. Often seen as marking the break between 'pre-modern' and 'modern' Japan, the Restoration has dominated perceptions of Japan's history. This major new collection includes both earlier work written along more traditional lines and later challenges to accepted arguments. Together with a major new introduction by Peter Kornicki and bibliography, the articles presented provide a complex, nuanced and up-to-date reading of Japanese history.Topics covered include:* the collapse of the Bakufu and the Meiji Restoration* economic change* the politics and ideology of change* social and cultural changes* industrialization and consequences* political and institutional change* the economy.Meiji Japan analyses the impact of the West, and of sometimes complacent Western notions of 'modernity', on this critical period in Japanese history. The set provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and historiography of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Japan.

Global interest in Japanese education and industrial training has grown steadily over the last twenty years. The English-language articles included here, written by Japanese and foreign scholars, contain historical studies, and a range of other topics and disciplinary perspectives. An introduction provides a general context for the essays which follow, and represents some recent thinking on the successes and costs of Japanese education and training from school to office and shop floor.This set covers:* the contribution of Japanese education and training to the economy and culture of Japan today* the lessons Japan has to offer the rest of the world* the Japanese influence on the 'East Asian Approach' to education, in comparison with the educational systems of Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong* Japan's promotion of 'learning organizations' and 'knowledge workers' for the information age

Is the Japanese economy really unique? This set collects the major English language contributions to the theories of the structure and performance of the Japanese economy in the twentieth century. It covers a wide range of topics including:* Japan before the Pacific War* post-war growth* trading with Japan* the nature of the Japanese firmThe set gives the reader access to the most important debates about the contours of the modern Japanese economy and their evolution. Many of the articles in the set will also be accessible to non-economists, especially to political scientists. The set constitutes the largest and most comprehensive collection available on the economics of Japan, and will prove an invaluable reference base.

This timely collection offers an indispensable work of reference to all those interested in the contemporary development of one of the world's largest and most influential economies. The set addresses key issues for the Japanese economy in the post-war decades, including:* the relationship between capital market transformation and economic growth* labour markets and the increasing demands for structural change* current industrial policy and its relationship to governance* macroeconomic conditions and their effect on microeconomic policiesThe articles reprinted here explore many of Japan's factor markets, as well as the public policies that have affected their operation. They also examine the role of capital and labour markets in determining the trajectory of economic growth. They conclude that the institutions and policies determining this growth will have to either adapt or increasingly lose their efficiency and relevance.

Japan's relations with South East Asia differ significantly in quantity and quality from relations with its immediate neighbours in North East Asia. Since the opening of the country in the mid-nineteenth century, Japan's interest in this vast and geographically remote area has varied over time. The one hundred and thirty years under review in these two volumes can be divided into three historical periods:· 1868 to the outbreak of the Second World War· the Pacific War (1941-1945) and the effort to establish a greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere· the Cold War years (1947-1990) and the issues which have arisen since then.This unique set gathers together over fifty journal and newspaper articles from otherwise scattered and difficult to obtain sources along with previously unpublished speeches, creating an invaluable reference tool for both researchers and students in the field.

Drawing on the full range of materials published during the twentieth century, this three volume set incorporates previously published material concerning the formation of 'racial' identities in Japan, and social exclusion as experienced by the Ainu, Burakumin, Okinawans, and Chinese and Korean residents. It also includes material related to migration, both pre- and post-war, with special reference to the formation of Nikkeijin (Latin American national of Japanese descent) communities. In addition to those populations conventionally defined as minorities, 'racial' discourse also affects Japanese attitudes toward and perceptions of other groups (e.g. Asians, Blacks, Jews). To ensure both the fullest possible coverage of the related literature and to provide a framework for comparative analysis, this set also incorporates analyses of Japanese attitudes toward these groups.Intended as a resource for both students and specialist researchers, this collection provides a unique introduction of the English language literature related to 'race', migration, and identity in Japan. In addition to textual material related to specific issues or groups, the set provides comprehensive bibliographies and a listing of relevant Internet sources.There is also a new introduction and thorough index, making this set an invaluable reference tool.

This addition to the Routledge Library of Modern Japan brings together the most significant studies in recent years on science, technology and research and development in Japan.Drawn from a broad range of journals, research monographs, technical papers and edited volumes, the articles that make up this collection reflect the highly interdisciplinary nature of the field. An indispensable tool for both researchers and students in the area, this set makes accessible material that is otherwise both widely dispersed and difficult to obtain. An extensive introduction at the beginning of the first volume draws together the three volumes and places each article in its broader context.

Since the end of the 1980s, scholarly work on Japan has attempted to escape the bounds of the previous discourse that continuously described it as ‘changing Japan’, a discourse which paradoxically also focused, in the main, on the hierarchical models of this so-called vertical society. While accepting the rapid rate of social change and enduring continuities within Japan, this new wave of work also looked at the micro-level by trying to place people within the framework of ‘the’ Japanese model.The four volumes in this Routledge Major Work bring together the most useful new-wave essays written from the 1990s onwards, together with the several key and ‘classic’ articles written in earlier decades in order to build up a more nuanced portrait of modern Japanese culture and society.The first part of Volume I looks at the macro level of politics and the economy. The second part moves from material focusing on the structure of society to the rise of civil society and the effect the recession in the 1990s has had on individuals.The other three volumes have a similar two-part structure, with a key introductory article—or articles—to set the scene (in addition to the editor’s Introduction to the set as a whole). The focus moves from larger structures, to the life course of individuals in Volume II, through to key issues about Japanese culture in Volume III. Volume IV will address religion and the diversity of contemporary Japanese society.This collection of essential journal articles and other extracts is an important research resource and will be welcomed by all scholars and students of modern Japan.

Banking in Japan offers a wide-ranging survey of the institutional structures, operating principles and regulatory frameworks of Japan's financial system from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 to the mid-1990s. This collection is an invaluable resource for researchers and students of the Japanese economy and banking and finance worldwide.Japan's financial system is the subject of intense debate. Immediately after the Second World War, Japan's financial order was derided by Western commentators as unsuited to modern industrial economy. By the 1970s derision had turned to respect as it became clear that Japan's banking system played an important part in Japan's post-war economic success.The most influential articles written by Western and Japanese scholars since the Second World War are included.Critical questions asked include:* how is the Japanese financial system different from American and European models?* how can the distinctive evolutionary trajectory of Japanese banking be explained?* is Japan's system unique?