The Japan Society Review

By Ronald Searle In 1939, as an art student, Ronald Searle volunteered for the army. Called up in September, he embarked for Singapore in 1941, where, within a month of his arrival, he was taken as a prisoner of the Japanese. After fourteen months in a prisoner-of-war camp Ronald Searle was sent north, to work camp on the Burma Star. In May 1944 he was sent to the notorious Changi Gaol in Singapore and was one of the few British soldiers to survive imprisonment there. Throughout his captivity, despite the risk, Ronald Searle made drawings, determinded to record his experiences. He drew his fellow prisoners, and their Japanese guards and he recorded historic moments. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Herbert Plutschow Largely ignored hitherto by Western scholars, Plutschow's Edo Period Travel provides the first in-depth study of the subject which is centred on fifteen of the period's most notable travellers, some of whom are well known in other fields - as intellectuals, artists, poets, folklorists and natural scientists , for example - but rarely, if at all, as travellers. This important research on how the Japanese discovered their own country and cultural identity has considerable interdisciplinary appeal. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Nils-Johan Jørgensen Based in part on the author's first-hand experience during his diplomatic postings to Tokyo and Bonn (1984-93), and supported by significant primary research, this parallel study of the post-war "resurrection" of two defeated nations provides a striking new and insightful analysis into the nature of Germany and Japan's recovery, highlighting in particular the shared cultural, linguistic, moral and technological factors that were essential for this "phoenix" phenomenon to take place. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

By Kevin J. Cooney The sudden end of the Cold War took the Japanese foreign policy community by surprise. The Yoshida Doctrine which served Japanese foreign policy so well during the Cold War is no longer a viable foreign policy option. This dissertation examines the restructuring of Japanese foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. Through a series of 56 interviews with Japanese foregin policy elites, the changes in Japanese foreign policy are put into the context of the foreign policy literature. Review by J. Sean Curtin

Edited by Philip Towle and Nobuko Margaret Kosuge This ambitious examination of Anglo-Japanese relations over the course of the 20th century charts the fascinating history of how both nations overcame many years of prejudice and bitter conflict to form a bond fused by financial, political and military cooperation. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

Edited by Ruth Taplin Innovation and Business Partnering in Japan, Europe and the United States (Taplin, 2007) is an edited volume that shows how innovation and economic growth are becoming less determined by silos of research funded and managed by governments or large corporations, and more influenced by multiple actors of different types. Review by Christopher Williams

By John Mock Less than half a century ago, a powerful sense of local identity was an integral part of Japanese life. Today, the basic composition of most communities has been significantly altered by seismic population shifts, relentless urban expansion and vastly improved transportation networks. By blending contemporary ethnography with accounts of local history, John Mock's new book attempts to convey some of the massive social changes which occurred in local Japanese living patterns over a period of six decades. The mighty northern island of Hokkaido forms the dramatic backdrop for Mock's research. Review by Sean Curtin

By Rena Krasno The author's unusual talent brings the readers back to Setonaikai (Seto Inland Sea) and Karatsu (in Saga Prefecture), in the short summer of 1939, letting them see what she saw, smell what she smelled, and feel the way that she felt toward a handsome young Japanese student she spent time with on the beach. Readers will find themselves seeing pre-war Japan through the eyes of a 16-year old Jewish girl. If traversing history is part of the joy of reading, then this small book is a shining jewel. Review by Tomohiko Taniguchi

By Tatsuo Kobayashi This is an introduction to the archaeology of the Jomon period in Japan which explores the complex relationships between Jomon people and their rich natural environment. From the end of the last Ice Age 12,000 years ago to the appearance of rice agriculture around 400 BC, Jomon people subsisted by hunting, fishing and gathering; but abundant and predictable sources of wild food enabled Jomon people to live in large, relatively permanent settlements, and to develop an elaborate material culture. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi

Edited by Rikki Kersten and David Williams Leftist thought and activism stands as a defining force in the articulation of political culture and policy in modern Japan. Operating from the periphery of formal political power for the most part, the Japanese Left has had an impact that extends far beyond its limited success at the ballot box. Review by Sir Hugh Cortazzi