Tokyo Rising: The City Since the Great Earthquake (Paperback)

by Edward Seidensticker (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
As this vibrant, intimately detailed volume opens in September 1923, Tokyo is rebuilding after a devastating earthquake and fires; Japan is run by the Taisho emperor, a mentally incapacitated figurehead. Tokyo would rebuild a second time: after the Allied bombing raids of WW II and the typhus plague of 1945-46. By the book's close, the city is the hub of a contemporary Japan that has largely overcome strong feelings of inferiority; yet it is still a very insular town, one that effectively excludes foreigners from much of its pulsating life. This sequel to Low City, High City is much more than a portrait of Tokyo; in good measure, it is a serendipitous social history of modern Japan. Interwoven with 72 photographs, the narrative covers sundry topics from nightlife to the arts, all set in the context of Japan's metamorphosis from 1930s jingoistic, repressive state to its emergence as the world's chief creditor nation.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review
Instead of an economic or sociologic determination, [Seidensticker] focuses on the effect upon society of the disappearance of this theater building, that cafe, those geisha houses, markets, and other landmarks, and their replacement stores, subways, and so on... Packed with original material and insights, [this book is] invaluable to scholars, students, and Tokyophiles.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 362 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (September 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674894618
• ISBN-13: 978-0674894617
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,075,748 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Modern Social History of Tokyo, April 11, 2000

By	"kumachan" (Tokyo JAPAN) - See all my reviews

Compared to "High City, Low City", this book is not nearly as enjoyable, only because the post-war history of the city is slightly less enjoyable to read.My only gripe with the book is that Sidensticker has an annoying tendency to translate some place names into English. They would be better left in Japanese romanization.

The book is beginning to show it's age, but it is a tall order to keep up with changes in Tokyo.I would suggest reading Peter Poham's "Tokyo: The City at the End of the World" as a companion volume to what Seidensticker writes of.Both are great books, but Seidensticker concentates on the people and events that shaped the post war history of the city. Popham's strength is in the architecture and town planning of the city.

It's a very enjoyable read, though : think of it as a biography.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent companion volume to "Low City, High City", March 24, 2000

By A Customer

"Tokyo Rising" is a must-read for those wishing to understand the historical development of a city which Americans need to know better. The author's affection for and comprehension of Tokyo's qualities, both positive and negative, comes through in this highly readable descriptive analysis of how the city evolved from the time of the 1923 earthquake through the firebombings of World War Two up to the present. What comes through most strikingly is the transitional nature of the city, which has constantly undergone change in its rapid evolution to world-class status, and how these changes have affected the everyday lives of its inhabitants. The inclusion of accounts from the memoirs of Tokyo residents who lived through the period under discussion gives a sense of personal immediacy rare in urban histories. Affectionate and often humorous, this book both describes and humanizes an often bewildering metropolis which challenges the visitor to discover its hidden beauty. "Tokyo Rising" is a great help in finding it.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Tokyo Out of Focus, November 19, 2000

By A Customer

I read a great deal of history and have seldom found a book less coherent. The author doesn't seem able to stay with a consistent theme other than in the most general way. His prose wonders aimlessly through chapters, even losing itself sometimes within a single sentence. His announced intentions for the book are intriguing, but the execution is deflating.