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 are consumed all over the world, ranging from animated movies and computer games all the way through to cars, semiconductors, and management techniques. 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. The aim of this Very Short Introduction is to explode the myths and explore the reality of modern Japan - by taking a concise look at its history, economy, politics, and culture. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

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9780199235698

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Reviews

`A wonderfully engaging narrative of a complicated history, which from the beginning to end sheds light on the meaning of modernity in Japan as it changed over time. An exemplary text.' Carol Gluck, Columbia University `With remarkable clarity and breadth of coverage, Goto-Jones introduces the major topics and themes of the modern history of Japan, giving particularly thoughtful attention to the complex and tortured efforts of figures seeking to define and defend a properly Japanese modernity, and those striving to come to grips with the trauma and shadow of World War II.' Andrew Gordon, Harvard University `Lively, lucid, and full of insight, this is an outstanding exploration of Japan's troubled modern past.' Stephen S. Large, Wolfson College, Cambridge University

`A wonderfully engaging narrative of a complicated history, which from the beginning to end sheds light on the meaning of modernity in Japan as it changed over time. An exemplary text.' Carol Gluck, Columbia University `With remarkable clarity and breadth of coverage, Goto-Jones introduces the major topics and themes of the modern history of Japan, giving particularly thoughtful attention to the complex and tortured efforts of figures seeking to define and defend a properly Japanese modernity, and those striving to come to grips with the trauma and shadow of World War II.' Andrew Gordon, Harvard University `Lively, lucid, and full of insight, this is an outstanding exploration of Japan's troubled modern past.' Stephen S. Large, Wolfson College, Cambridge University

A wonderfully engaging narrative of a complicated history, which from the beginning to end sheds light on the meaning of modernity in Japan as it changed over time. An exemplary text. Carol Gluck, Columbia University With remarkable clarity and breadth of coverage, Goto-Jones introduces the major topics and themes of the modern history of Japan, giving particularly thoughtful attention to the complex and tortured efforts of figures seeking to define and defend a properly Japanese modernity, and those striving to come to grips with the trauma and shadow of World War II. Andrew Gordon, Harvard University Lively, lucid, and full of insight, this is an outstanding exploration of Japan's troubled modern past. Stephen S. Large, Wolfson College, Cambridge University

Author Information

Christopher Goto-Jones is Professor of Modern Japan Studies at the University of Leiden. His publications include Political Philosophy in Japan : Nishida, the Kyoto School, and Co-Prospersity, RoutledgeCurzon (Leiden Series in Modern East Asia), 2005 and Re-Politicising the Kyoto School qua Philosophy RoutledgeCurzon (Leiden Series in Modern East Asia), 2006.

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