{"product_id":"japan-patrick-smith-9780679745112","title":"Japan: A Reinterpretation","description":"Current Affairs\/Asian Studies \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWinner of the Overseas Press Club Award for the best book on Foreign Affairs\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Book of the year \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"A stimulating, provocative book . . . fresh and valuable.\" \u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn 1868, Japan abruptly transformed itself from a feudal society into a modern industrial state. In 1945, the Japanese switched just as swiftly from imperialism and emperor-worship to a democracy. Today, argues Patrick Smith, Japan is in the midst of equally sudden and important change. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this award-winning book, Smith offers a groundbreaking framework for understanding the Japan of the next millennium. This time, Smith asserts, Japan's transformation is one of consciousness--a reconception by the Japanese of their country and themselves. Drawing on the voices of Japanese artists, educators, leaders, and ordinary citizens, Smith reveals a \"hidden history\" that challenges the West's focus on Japan as a successfully modernized country. And it is through this unacknowledged history that he shows why the Japanese live in a dysfunctional system that marginalizes women, dissidents, and indigenous peoples; why the \"corporate warrior\" is a myth; and why the presence of 47,000 American troops persists as a holdover from a previous era. The future of Japan, Smit suggests, lies in its citizens' ability to create new identities and possibilities for themselves--so creating a nation where individual rights matter as much as collective economic success. Authoritative, rich in detail, \u003ci\u003eJapan: A Re-interpretation\u003c\/i\u003e is our first post-Cold War account of the Japanese and a timely guide to a society whose transformation will have a profound impact on the rest of the world in the coming years. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Excellent . . . a penetrating examination.\"\u003cbr\u003e--\u003ci\u003eInternational Herald Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Patrick Smith\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0679745114\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780679745112\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Vintage\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/29\/1998\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 400\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.66lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.30w x 0.85d","brand":"Patrick Smith","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43925576089855,"sku":"9780679745112","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/products\/img_b299dfa6-cf00-4b2f-8b2e-988b288770f3.jpg?v=1681078089","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/japan-patrick-smith-9780679745112","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}