Japan's Postwar History

by Gary D. Allinson

Japan's Postwar History presents the first integrated analysis of the social, economic, and political changes that Japan has experienced since 1945. Drawing on more than three decades of firsthand experience with the country, Gary D. Allinson depicts a dynamic, often turbulent history and illuminates its impact on individuals, families, and communities.Between 1932 and 1952, war, devastation, and foreign occupation caused significant changes in Japan. However, the society that emerged during the 1950s still resembled its prewar predecessor in many ways, according to Allinson. Thereafter, by exploiting a fortunate combination of domestic and international conditions the Japanese people ushered in twenty years of extensive development.

Growth created problems as well as profits and imposed some wrenching adjustments after the world economic crises of 1973 and 1979. Nonetheless, Japanese society steadily assimilated the benefits of affluence, Allinson argues. Until worldwide recession drew Japan into a severe economic downturn in the late 1980s, it continued to adapt to the social and political demands of a rich nation enmeshed in a global economy.

By the mid1990s, Japan had reached the end of a cycle of historical change. Plagued with uncertainty and striving to find a formula for regeneration, Japan once again found itself confronting the dilemmas of inequality, instability, and insecurity.

Author BioRGary D. Allinson is Ellen Bayard Weedon Professor of East Asian Studies at the University of Virginia. He is the author of Political Dynamics in Contemporary Japan (also from Cornell), The Columbia Guide to Modern Japanese History, Suburban Tokyo, and Japanese Urbanism.

Genres: Japan, History, Asia, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

Reviews

[Jess hartford]

read for a class

[Ashmeet]

like? it's an easy read (which i appreciate out of mandatory readings btw) but that's mostly bc of how surface level it is? it just breezes over the most salient points

[Yifan (Evan) Xu (Hsu) · Rating 4 out of 5]

　It is condensed and comprehensive synthesis of the first half-century of Japan's postwar history. It covers the period from 1932 to 1989 and onwards.
　　
　　For politics, the book addresses local as well as national politics focusing on both citizenry and political elites, so as to demonstrate the nature of political relationships, institutions, and behaviors. It also examines policy making process, interest-group behaviors, some military affairs and civil administration.
　　
　　For economy, the book underlines the dramatic changes in agriculture, manufacturing and service industries in a broad context of international upheaval. Domestically, it discussed both corporate
　　giants as well as SMEs on the supply chain; Internationally, it adequated address Japan's involvement in global trade.
　　
　　Japan's social history involves the rise of consumerism, which can be broken down to higher incomes, improved diets, better health and housing. Demographical changes such as increasing elder populace and the amount of leisure activities are also discussed.
　　
　　Finally, there are some take-aways insights that I am personally interested in and thus concluded from the book:
　　
　　1. The nature of Japan's politics is not domecracy, because there is no ambivelance about LDP's political dominance over the post-war period.
　　
　　2. The tranformation from economic inequalities to relatively equalities is not a result of democracy but a result of overall national economic uplifting, which was given rise to Japan's calculated positioning of her economy in the global village.
　　
　　3. China is undergoing the process of urbanization similiar to Japan's urbanization occurred post war. The later provides such fresh and vivid prior experience for China to learn from.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and interesting. The book looks at what life was like for the average family in Japan in 20 year periods 1935, 1955, 1975, and currently. Covers the tremendous transformation of poor agrarian society in 1955 with ~70% agriculture to about %20 by 1975. Talks about positives and negatives of US occupation post WWII. Answered some questions in my mind about how Japanese can have such longer working hours and savings rates compared to USA.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gary Allinson delivers an excellent summary of the post war history of Japan and the major trends that occurred following World War II. Overall it is a quick read with a focus on the societal and economic changes. He also touches on cultural and political changes but does not go into a great deal of detail. If you know very little about post war Japan this is a great place to start but not for the experienced reader in those areas.

[Jimmy Cline · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pretty unremarkable text on Japan's prewar to postwar development. Allinson's focus is almost narrowly economic, but there are some brief cultural asides, mostly related through literature of the immediate postwar era.

[Anela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise yet comprehensive, with just the right level of examples and details for an introductory book. Accessibly written (i.e. very readable) yet sophisticated. Considers interlocking trends and phenomena in economics, politics and society and also gives literary examples to illustrate ethos.