Thomas R. H. Havens Book order

Nishi Amane, a pivotal figure in nineteenth-century Japan, championed the adoption of Western culture and intellectual values during a transformative period. After studying in Europe, he returned to Japan before the Meiji Restoration, advocating for the abandonment of Confucian principles in favor of utilitarianism and positivism. His commitment to empirical scholarship and self-improvement shaped Japan's modernization efforts. As a teacher, writer, and government administrator, Nishi played a crucial role in redefining Japan's intellectual landscape at a critical historical juncture.

Focusing on agrarian thought in prewar Japan, the book explores the growing divide between official and rural nationalistic views in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Professor Havens examines how Japanese farmers and their representatives reacted to modernization efforts during the Meiji and Taisho periods, highlighting the complexities of their perspectives on nationalism amid societal changes.

Focusing on Japanese antiwar organizations, the study delves into their attempts to redefine the war's impact and foster new activism in a traditionally passive society. It explores the strategies employed by protesters and highlights the challenges faced by Japanese officials who must navigate a delicate balance between public dissent and international treaty commitments to the U.S. This analysis provides insight into the evolving landscape of protest and governmental response in Japan.

The book delves into the growth of Japan's vibrant community of professional dancers, musicians, production companies, and visual artists, which has nearly tripled in size over the past 25 years. It explores the cultural, economic, and social factors that contribute to this flourishing artistic landscape, highlighting the nation's support systems and the impact on both artists and audiences. Through in-depth analysis, it reveals the significance of this expansion in the context of Japan's broader cultural identity.

This volume traces the manner in which, through perceptions of and interaction with both China and the states of the West, Japan's self-perception as an Asian nation, as a member of the international community, and as a product of its own history and current situation and goals, evolved during the period between mid-19th century and the end of World War II. Rival States on a Loose ReinóThe Neglected Tradition of Appeasement in Late Tokugawa Japan, Building the National Communications SystemóAdopting and Adapting Western Organizational Models in Meji Japan, Meji Japan and the Educational and Language Reforms in Late Ch'ing China, Shimazaki Toson's Before the DawnóHistorical Fiction as History and as Literature, Forecasting a Pacific War, 1912-1933óThe Idea of Conditional Japanese Victory, Japanese Policies and Concepts for a Regional Order in Asia, 1938-1940, Prophet Without HonoróKiyosawa Kiyoshi's View of Japanese-American Relations, Friend or FoeóThe Ambivalent Images of the U.S. and China in Wartime Japan, A Matter of TranscendenceóWar Experiences and the Transformation of Japanese and American Fighter Pilots, EpilogueóNational Identity, National Past, National Isms.