Modern Japanese Thought [Paperback]

Bob T. Wakabayashi (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521588103 | ISBN-13: 978-0521588102 | Publication Date: March 28, 1998 | Edition: 1st Publ., 1998

Over the past two centuries, Japan has undergone Westernization not only in the external realm of material culture and sociopolitical organization, but also in the inner realm of thought and morals. This comprehensive intellectual history, consisting of chapters from Volumes Five and Six of the Cambridge History of Japan, plus a new Introduction and chapter on postwar intellectual trends, describes the forces that made Japanese thinkers both receptive and hostile to Western ideas and values from the 1770s to the 1990s.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'A valuable contribution to the history of ideas ...'. Mutations Asiatiques

' ... a balanced, full and remarkably objective view of the intellectual basis of modern Japan'. Contemporary Review

'This volume is certainly a welcome addition to the body of writing on Japanese intellectual history in English ... Overall, Modern Japanese Thought is probably the most thorough and accessible overview, not only of Japanese thought, but also of modern Japanese cultural history currently available ... this volume must surely constitute an indispensible addition to a personal or university library collection.' New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies

Book Description

Over the past two centuries, Japan has undergone Westernization not only in the external realm of material culture and sociopolitical organization, but also in the inner realm of thought and morals. This comprehensive intellectual history, consisting of chapters from volumes five and six of the Cambridge History of Japan, plus a new Introduction and chapter on postwar intellectual trends, describes the forces that made Japanese thinkers both receptive of and hostile to Western ideas and values from the 1770s to the 1990s.

Product Details

• Paperback: 414 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1st Publ., 1998 edition (March 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521588103
• ISBN-13: 978-0521588102
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,050,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exremely resourceful!, June 20, 2000

By 

Mai Hariu (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Modern Japanese Thought (Paperback)

It addresses and illuminates the various thought patterns and movements after the fall of the Tokugawa Bakufu and covers the time period from 1800's-1990's. It starts by viewing the early Meiji pro-Westernization thought and then discusses the late Meiji Conservatism that birthed in response to such extreme Westernization. From there the book moves ultimately to thought in Post-War Japan and her love/hate relationship with the US. In between, the book covers such issues as Socialism, Culturalism, the effects of English book translations to thought patterns, Anpo Watershed, etc. This book is an excellent resource because the editor has truly conglomerated a diverse group of professors of various academia to cover many angles that molded thought during these changing times. The title is a bit misguiding in the sense that "Modern Japanese Thought" is very broad and vague. I think that the book needs a subtitle, "Japanese socio-political thought in relationship with the West." Things that I felt were lacking were that only one chapter was dedicated to Socialism, Liberalism, and Marxism. Those are grandiose issues that I found it hard to have fully illuminated in just one chapter. I found the same limitation in the final chapter of the book that attempts to cover post-WW2 to 1990's. What about Japan's socio-political thoughts about China, future Sino-Japan relationship, or the controversial issue of Japan's atrocities in Nanking? Overall it is an easy read and extremely resourceful.