The Cambridge History of Japan

by Marius B. Jansen

Overview

This volume in The Cambridge History of Japan provides the most comprehensive account available in any Western language of Japan's transformation from a feudal society to a modern nation state. Volume 5 traces the roots and the course of political, social, and institutional change that took place in Japan from late Tokugawa times to the early twentieth century. The interrelated collection of authoritative and analytical essays by specialists in the history of nineteenth century Japan discuss the fissures in late feudal society, the impact of and response to the Western world, the overthrow of the shogunal government, and the revolutionary changes that were instituted as defensive measures to strengthen the country against what seemed a dangerous competition with the Western world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521223560
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/28/1989
Series:	The Cambridge History of Japan , #5
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	844
Sales rank:	739,955
Product dimensions:	6.34(w) x 9.33(h) x 1.89(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction Marius B. Jansen; 1. Japan in the early nineteenth century Marius B. Jansen; 2. The Tempo crisis Harold Bolitho; 3. Late Tokugawa culture and thought H. D. Harootunian; 4. The foreign threat and the opening of the ports W. G. Beasley; 5. The Meiji Restoration Marius B. Jansen; 6. Opposition movements in early Meiji, 1868–85 Stephen Vlastos; 7. Japan's turn to the West Hirakawa Sukehiro; 8. Social change Gilbert Rozman; 9. Economic change in the nineteenth century E. Sydney Crawcour; 10. Meiji political institutions W. G. Beasley; 11 Meiji conservatism Kenneth B. Pyle; 12. Japan's drive to great-power status Akira Iriye.

Editorial Reviews

"This work is more of what we have come to expect from Cambridge: a rock-solid summary of scholarship in the field by distinguished senior historians." Bob Tadashi

"This volume will remain the standard reference in English for nineteenth century Japanese history for decades to come." Journal of Asian and African Studies

"...provide both the non-specialist and specialist with a coherent survey of major events of the nineteenth century....Volume 5 of the Cambridge History may be read both as a summation of existing English-language historiography on nineteenth-century Japan and as implicitly setting an agenda for the next stage of research." Kate Wildman Nakai, Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies

From the Publisher