Japan: A ReinterpretationThe Japanese are in the process of re-creating themselves--an endeavor they have undertaken at intervals throughout history, always prompted by a combination of domestic and global forces. In this landmark book, Patrick Smith asserts that a variety of forces--the achievement of material affluence, the Cold War's end, and the death of Emperor Hirohito--are now spurring Japan once again toward a fundamental redefinition of itself. As Smith argues, this requires of the West an equally thorough reevaluation of the picture we have held of Japan over the past half-century. He reveals how economic overdevelopment conceals profound political, social, and psychological under-development. And by refocusing on "internal history" and the Japanese character, Smith offers a new framework for understanding Japan and the Japanese as they really are. The Japanese, he says, are now seeking to alter the very thing we believe distinguishes them: the relationship between the individual and society. Timely, measured, and authoritative, this book illuminates a new Japan, a nation preparing to drop the mask it holds up to the West and to steer a course of its own in the world. Jacket image: The Great Wave of Kanagawa, from 36 Views of Mount Fuji (detail) by Katsushika Hokusai. Private collection. |
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Page 85
... waiting at some subway stairs in the Roppongi bar dis- trict for a rock singer no one had heard of for years . Each one carried a rose . What were they expecting , I asked . They were sure he would emerge from the next train , at ...
... waiting at some subway stairs in the Roppongi bar dis- trict for a rock singer no one had heard of for years . Each one carried a rose . What were they expecting , I asked . They were sure he would emerge from the next train , at ...
Page 160
... . " Ohiwa had a waiting list of a hundred clients . Each would pay 120,000 yen , not quite $ 1,200 , for an initial visit ( of five hours ) , and then less for two or three visits per month . As a business 160 Patrick Smith.
... . " Ohiwa had a waiting list of a hundred clients . Each would pay 120,000 yen , not quite $ 1,200 , for an initial visit ( of five hours ) , and then less for two or three visits per month . As a business 160 Patrick Smith.
Page 324
... waiting at the Heian court , completes Genji Monogatari , the Tale of Genji . KAMAKURA PERIOD Military rule begins . The culture of daimyo ( liter- ally " great names , " feudal lords ) takes its place as the " great tradition . " The ...
... waiting at the Heian court , completes Genji Monogatari , the Tale of Genji . KAMAKURA PERIOD Military rule begins . The culture of daimyo ( liter- ally " great names , " feudal lords ) takes its place as the " great tradition . " The ...
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