A Genealogy of Japanese Self-Images

More about the book

Challenging the notion of Japanese ethnic homogeneity, Eiji Oguma traces the origins of this myth to the post-World War II era rather than the Meiji period or the Pacific War. The book explores diverse fields such as archaeology, linguistics, and anthropology to analyze how various authors approached ethnicity. It also delves into pre-war perceptions of Japanese colonies like Korea and Taiwan, providing a comprehensive view of ethnic identity in Japan. This work is the first English translation of a celebrated study that won the Suntory Culture Award in 1996.