Historical Dictionary of Postwar Japan

By (author) William D. Hoover

Hardback - £127.00

Publication date:

15 December 2018

Length of book:

652 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781538111550

Japan is a mix of the old and the new, traditional and modern, and old fashion and innovative. It has traveled the road to a modern destination without totally losing sight of its traditions and values. Although some in Japan lament the passing of old ways, Japan has held on to a reasonable amount of its traditions and values. This is easier to find in its arts and crafts and its literature and films as well as in its social habits. This book will introduce the broad sweep of people, events, and trends, including the successes and failures, of postwar Japan.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Postwar Japan contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Japan.

Recommended: The second edition of this dictionary does a fine job of expanding on the original and updating relevant sections (the first edition came out eight years ago). The new addition adds entries on the Great East Japan Earthquake and the upcoming 2020 Olympics, as well as others. The dictionary was clearly reviewed cover to cover, resulting in many revisions. Rarely, a general entry may be a little flat and may not highlight any recent developments or changes, such as the entry on kabuki. But overall, from entries on broad topics such as energy to specific entries such as Nintendo, there are updates and revisions throughout. The chronology and general introduction were brought up to the present.The rich bibliography provides a clear entry into further scholarship on aspects of postwar Japan. It includes internet sites, journals, and (mostly) Japanese newspapers that are valuable for exploring Japan. The appendixes have numerous statistical overviews of the country, although these statistics do not provide their source. The dictionary is easy to use with entry words highlighted, cross-references, and see also entries, although some additional see also references would be helpful. In total, this is a useful one-volume dictionary covering a broad spectrum of topics.