Straitjacket Society: An Insider's Irreverent View of Bureaucratic Japan [Hardcover]

Masao, M.D. Miyamoto (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

Masao Miyamoto presents a critique of the "closed society" of the Japanese bureaucracy.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Miyamoto, a Tokyo-born psychiatrist who spent 10 years in the U.S. as a postdoctoral student at Yale and as a Cornell Medical College professor, returned to Japan in 1986 to join the Ministry of Health and Welfare. His years in the West ill-prepared him to accept Japanese group-think, which he perceives as an adolescent syndrome and a form of institutionalized masochism. He refused to sacrifice his personal life to it; chafed against the officially sanctioned gold-bricking that constituted much of his job; argued with his supervisors; and became isolated from his peers. Far worse, he shocked the bureaucracy by publicly criticizing it in articles and in this book, which was published in Japan this past September and became a bestseller. While Western observers have made similar criticisms of Japanese society, none have offered the same insider's detail and credentials. Miyamoto's account of his absurd experiences is streaked with outrage, but his descriptions of how laws are written, how budgets are made, how careers proceed and how workers behave contribute valuable social and psychological insights into Japanese society.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Japanese

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha Amer Inc; 1st edition (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770018487
• ISBN-13: 978-4770018489
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,755,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare and excellent glimpse from an insider, December 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Straitjacket Society: An Insider's Irreverent View of Bureaucratic Japan (Hardcover)

The term insider might seem sensationalistic, but those who understand Japan know that uchi (in the group) and soto (outside the group) are major forces in the Japanese mind. Airing the uchi's deficiencies to the outside simply isn't done. For this reason, most foreigners in Japan are relegated to reading between the lines, overheard conversations, and puzzle-assembling to figure out what makes the Japanese tick. It really is that tight, which makes Miyamoto's book such a goldmine.

During Japan's bubble years, we all heard the stories of carbon copy executives, death from overwork, and fathers who don't know their families. This is Miyamoto's main concern: that Japan, despite its modern veneer and seemingly international flavor, is far behind other industrial nations in terms of lifestyle. He uses his insight as a psychiatrist to show that avoidance of provoking envy, preservation of the status quo, and demonstrations of masochism are the linch pins that hold this seemingly impossible system together.

Readers in Japan will no doubt hear the ring of truth in Miyamoto's words. Since I've been in Japan for nine years, I can no longer identify with how those without experience with Japanese culture will read this book. To the latter group, I can only suggest that you read this book as a true, modern-day account of how a society can be pressed into psychological subjugation. That's just one of the angles from which Straitjacket Society is a fascinating read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!, March 11, 2003

By 

jcn50 (Nagoya, JAPAN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Straitjacket Society: An Insider's Irreverent View of Bureaucratic Japan (Hardcover)

Everyone who is interested in Japanese society must read this book: it's not only on the government but also on Japanese mind and way of think (that can be found today in some companies too). For me, Japan was a peaceful paradise, but inside the building's walls a lot of "customs" is happening... This is the only book of this kind (written by a Japanese).

To correct the previous person who reviewed this book, the author didn't commit suicide but died of cancer at a hospital near Paris in July 1999 (source: Kyodo News).

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On the Money, June 11, 2010

By 

ukguyjp "ukguyjp" (Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Straitjacket Society: An Insider's Irreverent View of Bureaucratic Japan (Hardcover)

As a westerner who has lived in Japan for 9 years, and who worked for a long period in a civil service environment, I can attest that this book is right on the money. It's a little out of date now, but not much has changed.