Modern Japan: A Very Short Introduction

by Christopher Goto-Jones

Overview

Japan is arguably today's most successful industrial economy, combining almost unprecedented affluence with social stability and apparent harmony. Japanese goods and cultural products—from animated movies and computer games to cars, semiconductors, and management techniques—are consumed around the world. In many ways, Japan is an icon of the modern world, and yet it remains something of an enigma to many, who see it as a confusing montage of the alien and the familiar, the ancient and modern. This Very Short Introduction explodes the myths and explores the reality of modern Japan, offering a concise, engaging, and accessible look at the history, economy, politics, and culture of this fascinating nation. It examines what the term "modern" means to the Japanese, debunks the notion that Japan went through a period of total isolation from the world, and explores the continuity between pre- and post-war Japan. Anyone curious about this intriguing country will find a wealth of insight and information in these pages.

About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer, they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud, quantum theory to Islam

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199235698
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	08/15/2009
Series:	Very Short Introductions
Pages:	176
Sales rank:	1,179,431
Product dimensions:	4.30(w) x 6.80(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Christopher Goto-Jones is Professor of Modern Japan Studies at the University of Leiden.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What is Modern Japan? 1. Japan's Encounter with the Modern World2. Overcoming Modernity in Imperial Japan3. Overcome by the Modern: the US Occupation4. Japan's Miraculous Modern Economy5. Towards a Post-Modern Society6. Normalcy and Japan's Place in the Modern WorldFurther reading