Modern Japanese Society, 1868-1994 (OPUS) - Softcover

Waswo, Ann

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192892282 ISBN 13: 9780192892287

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1996

Synopsis

The last 120 years have seen great social change and development in Japan. In the early 1870s Japan was still a third world country - a newly unified island nation with a highly agrarian economy and an insecure and weak government. By 1914 Japan has progressed towards the beginnings of an industrial economy, it had established a small empire for itself and the government had gained full and effective control over the entire country. Now, at the end of the twentieth century, Japan is an economic giant, with a massive export economy and considerable clout in the international world community.

Ann Waswo outlines the role of the 'ordinary' Japanese citizen in this extraordinary history. One of the continuous themes in this history has been the steady relationship which the state has had with the people since the late nineteenth century, but this relationship has not been without change. Waswo focuses attention upon these developments, together with the many historical explanations for events in Japanese history - events which have too often been explained by the 'unique and enduring' quality of Japanese cultural traditions.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The last 125 years have seen great changes in Japanese society. In the early 1870s Japan's economy was largely agricultural and its newly centralized government still insecure. By the 1930s, as the nation veered towards a disastrous war, roughly half the Japanese labour force worked in factories or other non-agricultural enterprises, and cities had expanded in both number and size. Now, Japan is an economic 'super-power', its population overwhelmingly urban, and its citizens increasingly concerned with their nation's domestic future and Japan's broader international role.

About the Author

Ann Waswo is Lecturer in Modern Japanese History at the University of Oxford, a member of the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies, and a fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0192892282
• ISBN 13: 9780192892287
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 188