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Issue 50 (April 2014, Volume 9, Number 2)

Issue 50 (April 2014, Volume 9, Number 2)

In this issue we are in a self-reflective mood with our main theme actually being our regular reviewers and the Japan Society Review itself. We have now reached the milestone of 50 issues since first appearing in January 2006. To mark the occasion, we have an article by each of our current key contributors with pieces mainly focusing on contemporary issues.

For those who wonder how we reached this landmark, here’s a very brief history of our first 50 issues. It all started back in 2005 when we decided to start posting out collected book reviews with the Japan Society mail-shots. This idea was strongly supported by Mike Barrett and Sir Hugh Cortazzi. These newsletter type reviews were extremely popular, so at the beginning of 2006, we launched Japan Society Book Review as a regular bimonthly publication. This would not have happened without the fantastic energy of Clare Barclay, our first managing editor from issues 1 to 12, and the superb support of Sharon Kelly and Robert Guy of the Japan Society team. Our most loyal and dedicated reviewer from the very beginning has been Sir Hugh Cortazzi whose amazing enthusiasm for the project has been limitless. In the early years we also greatly benefited from regular contributions from Professor Ian Nish, Fumiko Halloran, Susan Meehan, Ben-Ami Shillony and Takahiro Miyao. Their ranks were later added to by regular reviewers Mike Sullivan, Lucy Searles, Chris Corker and Ali Muskett. When Heidi Potter and John Toppon joined the Japan Society team, they injected new energy and direction into the publication. Heidi and John gave us a great makeover and we shortened our name to Japan Society Review. John was our dynamic managing editor from issue 13 to 33 during which time JSR really developed. After John left the team, Jennifer Anderson briefly held the reins before handing over to our current dedicated managing editor Jack Cooke, who joined us with issue 35. Jack has worked tirelessly to improve the publication, making us a more visually appealing and slick production.

Fifty issues and nine years makes it impossible to personally thank everyone involved, but I must mention a number of other individuals. We benefited greatly from the support of Sir John Whitehead, Christopher Purvis, Paul Diamond and Sir David Warren and the contributions of Mikihiro Maeda, Tomohiko Taniguchi, William Farr, Simon Cotterill and Anna Davis. I would also like to thank our excellent layout & production support staff, especially Arthur Comets and Abbie Martin. Finally, thanks to all reviewers who contributed one or two articles, especially Sir Graham Fry, Jason James and Mike Barrett and every other reviewer who has kindly contributed a review and who I have not been able to name in person. Here’s to the next 50 issues!


Contents

Contributors

Editor
Sean Curtin
Managing Editor
Jake Cooke
Special Reviewer
Sir Hugh Cortazzi

Reviewers
Mike Sullivan, Chris Corker, Susan Meehan, Ian Nish and Sean Curtin

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