Making Common Sense of Japan

by Steven R. Reed

Common misconceptions about Japan begin with the notion that it is a “small” country (it's actually lager than Great Britain, Germany or Italy) and end with pronouncements that the Japanese think differently and have different values-they do things differently because that's the way they are.
    Steven Reed takes on the task of demystifying Japanese culture and behavior. Through examples that are familiar to an American audience and his own personal encounters with the Japanese, he argues that the apparent oddity of Japanese behavior flows quite naturally from certain objective conditions that are different from those in the United States.
    Mystical allegations about national character are less useful for understanding a foreign culture than a close look at specific situations and conditions. Two aspects of the Japanese economy have particularly baffled that Japanese workers have “permanent employment” and that the Japanese government cooperates with big business. Reed explains these phenomena in common sense terms. He shows how they developed historically, why they continue, and why they helped produce economic growth. He concludes that these practices are not as different from what happens in the United States as they may appear.
 

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[Rike · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best book I have read on Japanese culture in the context of political science so far. It is very readable - even funny at times - and explains basic cultural, economic and political facts in accessible, everyday language. One of the major messages is that Japan is a normal country. I had guessed so - but I'm relieved the author confirms my suspicions! Only pity is that despite its new looks (apparently no one had borrowed it from the library so far) it is already 20 years old. Still: Definitely worth the quick read!

[Hots Hartley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overly pedantic.

The writer shares a few anecdotes that brought the writing back down to earth in a positive way, but mostly the book meanders from theoretic musing to comparative politics.

I didn't find much I could apply to everyday Japan; the closest this book came was describing the environment and context that leads many Japanese people to behave the way they do, but the description rarely boiled down to everyday life. There was little to no mention of shopping, popular culture, the life of a schoolboy, and home life. I didn't want to read about "permanent employment" in the general sense; rather, a more concrete, grounded discussion of a salaryman or individual experience would have been more engaging and more applicable.

The book was a struggle to finish, and I didn't walk away with a sense of heightened awareness or understanding.

[Phil Eaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starts out with way too much digression into the author's personal philosophies. It gets good halfway through as you realize the book is actually a critique of market practices. Only in the final chapter is it clarified that the book's fundamental takeaway from Japan is that "government intervention can accelerate economic growth". But the section on business-corporate cooperation is also notable for its clear critique of "MITI and the Japanese Miracle".