Rating: 
Summary: Biased book by a prejudiced man
Review: This book is totally typical for Ian Buruma, a man who cannot read Japanese comic books without seeing ghosts of militarism ("Japanese Mirror" 1980) and who has defended British colonialism in his columns for The Guardian. You will find yourself nodding in agreement thoughout the book if you already believe that Japan is intrinsically an evil society populated by people who are a hair trigger away from commiting war atrocities if a gun is handed to them. I cannot imagine what kind of an unhappy childhood he had spent in Japan. This is an entertaining entry level book which is balanced on the surface. But he paints a century of Japanese history as if it was structurally destined to march into militarism. He neglects to mention that Turkey, Ethiopia, Thailand, Nepal and Japan were the only "colored" nations to remain independant until Pearl Harbor. Nor is there any reference to how close Japan was to becoming another opium infested European colony. He downplays that Japan's military build up was driven by fear of being colonized. Like so many historians of the "Evil Japan" school, he misses the fascinating story of how Japan's initially defensive military became a fearsome expansionistic force. Analysis of this development is crucial to keeping such things from happening again. But for Buruma, it was destined to be expansionist to begin with. Japan was always evil. Like all Japan demonizers, he attributes Japan's current ills, both real and imagined, to the fact that Emperor Hirohito was not executed after the Second World War. This bit of scapegoating is as worn out as the Kennedy Assasination. There was supposedly a dark conspiracy that involved Gen. MacArthur and some unnamed Japanese figures (always unnamed) that reached a closed-doors deal to save the Emperor. Like the unknown conspirators of the Kennedy Assasination, these shadowy figures are supposed to be lurking in the back corridors of Japanese power to this day. If they were power brokers in MacArthur's time, they must be quite marvelously venerable by now. He concludes his book with the predictable alarmist dogma that Japan could become a militaristic nation one more time and threaten the Western world if it does not "confront its past". Apparently, 6 trillion yen in "aid" paid to China as unofficial and voluntary war reparations and some more to other nations - all with the consent of Japanese voters - does not count as confronting its past. Shortly after the First Gulf War, Japanese professor Shiro Takahashi asked some 300 college students if they would fight for their country if Japan was ruthlessly invaded as was Kuwait. Only one answered that he would. All others answered that they would either surrender or run. Buruma turns around and calls this an "infantile dependence" on American military strength (which it may be), but I wonder how this reality fits into Buruma's picture of a dangerous nation that could plunge into militarism again. He does not seem to see the contradiction. As long as professional hate mongers like Buruma can pass as experts on Japan, it is prudent that Japan remains in "infantile dependence" and avoid building its own defence capabilities. Who is to say that Japan will not follow the fate of Iraq and be attacked for suspicions of developing "militarist tendancies"? It takes a detached reader to see how books like this are part of the cause of Japan's curious state in the world. Buruma along with Herbert Bix, David Bergamini, Iris Chang, Ivan P. Hall et al compose one view of Japan, but have you ever seen a book from the opposing camp? The overwhelming tidalwave of Japanophobia disguised as academic tretise shapes opinions on Japan around the world, and consequently shapes Japan. This book is worth reading only as an example of such a force.
Rating: 
Summary: Overrated
Review: This book takes us from the arrival of Commodore Perry and the end of the Shogun period to the Tokyo Olympics in the history of Japan. As Buruma emphasizes in his book, Japan has evolved from a feudal society to an industrialized democratic society. This evolution was neither peaceful nor perfect. Buruma describes the wars, rebellions, that were the result of this evolution. Four wars, three emperors, numerous rebellions, and Allied Occupation and by the end of 1964, Japan is still in transition.
One of the reviewers from Japan scorned this book, but Buruma does a nice overview of Japan and its people. Buruma reviews the present status of this country still beset with right wing politicians, corruption, and reliance on the United States. Japan is in evolution, as most nations are. By emphasizing these issues, perhaps the world can better understand this unique nation. This is a solid summary read of Japan.
Rating: 
Summary: From Commodore Perry to the Tokyo Olympics.
Review: This book takes us from the arrival of Commodore Perry and the end of the Shogun period to the Tokyo Olympics in the history of Japan. As Buruma emphasizes in his book, Japan has evolved from a feudal society to an industrialized democratic society. This evolution was neither peaceful nor perfect. Buruma describes the wars, rebellions, that were the result of this evolution. Four wars, three emperors, numerous rebellions, and Allied Occupation and by the end of 1964, Japan is still in transition.
One of the reviewers from Japan scorned this book, but Buruma does a nice overview of Japan and its people. Buruma reviews the present status of this country still beset with right wing politicians, corruption, and reliance on the United States. Japan is in evolution, as most nations are. By emphasizing these issues, perhaps the world can better understand this unique nation. This is a solid summary read of Japan.
Rating: 
Summary: quick, easy and slappy
Review: This nice little read is a helpful introduction to modern japanese history and thought. We learn about the early europeans meeting the xenophobic japanese. We learn of early japanese democracy and early japanese military adventures. We learn about the many tensions in japanese society that led the march to war. We learn oft he emperorors complicity and japanese love of suicide and assasination. We learn about the post war economy and the time of Macarthur. A great and quick read, very accesible.
Rating:
Summary: quick, easy and slappy
Review: This nice little read is a helpful introduction to modern japanese history and thought. We learn about the early europeans meeting the xenophobic japanese. We learn of early japanese democracy and early japanese military adventures. We learn about the many tensions in japanese society that led the march to war. We learn oft he emperorors complicity and japanese love of suicide and assasination. We learn about the post war economy and the time of Macarthur. A great and quick read, very accesible.
Rating:
Summary: Violence
Review: To paraphrase the author: 'If one were to read only one book on the history of modern Japan', then take this one, because it is a perfect summary of the political construction of modern Japan. It is a tale of mimesis of the West (colonialism - Manchuria), xenophobia, clans, despotism, patriotism, brutal wars (Nanking massacre) and violent politics (murders and suicides). This book contains also an excellent bibliography. A perfect introduction to the why's of the past and the present of one of the key players in world matters.
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