The Culture of the Meiji Period

by Daikichi Irokawa, Marius B. Jansen (Editor)

The description for this book, The Culture of the Meiji Period, will be forthcoming.

Genres: Japan, History, Japanese History, Japanese Literature, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1985

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book offered a very different, almost counter cultural portrayal of the Meiji Restoration period of Japan. It did not focus on its aready well known 'heroes:' the former samurai, intellectuals, and other elite figures who led the country in its determined efforts to gain acceptance by the Western powers in the late 19th and very early 20th centuries. Instead, Irokawa provides an analysis of the ways and extent to which this massive reorganization of Japanese society negatively affected the average Japanese citizen and his/her life. He did this via lengthy, descriptive narratives of people who had up until the time the book was written (1970) had remained largely unknown. Other chapters on things like Chinese poetry and other elements of Japanese culture were also done to make his point. He concluded with a chapter describing how the elite promoted and then used the people's faith in and loyalty to the Emperor to gain their compliance for policies and doctrines which ultimately led to the fascist militarism and the tragic, costly defeat that the country suffered in WW II.

The research that Irokawa and his students did on diaries, letters, and other obscure documents is admirable. His thesis is equally worthwhile considering: these 'great' leaders were as much ruthless and self serving as they were saviors of Japan from Western powers looking to colonize the country as was done to China.

Unfortunately, the reader may find that the extensive, at times rambling, detail with which Irokawa describes some of these points gets to be tedious at times. The reader may also find that his references to people and/or places are so unfamiliar as to be hard to follow at times.

It is for these latter reasons that I would give the book a 3.5 rating. IF the reader has a lot of interest in and some knowledge already of the Meiji Restoration, he will find that is is worth the effort needed to read this book. But be prepared for some 'slow going' at times.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a reason The Culture of the Meiji Period is assigned to many students, myself included, in their first year of Japanese Studies at university (that was assigned reading, this is my first time reading it fully). It is a seminal work on Meiji period history, within the lens of a ‘people’s history’. Taking us through everything from draft constitutions of peasants, the hardships in mountain villages, the similarities between soldiers and prostitutes that were seen at the time, and many more elements, it is an incredibly significant work in Japanese history. Jensen and his team’s translation (a veritable who’s who of Japanese scholars, Carol Gluck comes to mind for one) makes it more approachable although it definitely retains an academic character of prose.

Why knock off a star? Well, some of the language and terms are pretty dated. Irokawa loves speaking in absolutes, and making strong assertions based on the evidence at hand. I’m not criticising this tendency, Lord knows he’s far more knowledgeable on the subject than myself, but I would say it does leave a bit to be desired from a modern historian’s perspective. Presenting the information and allowing the reader to reach their own conclusions fits better for me.

All in all, a solid 4 stars and a recommend.

[Ken Moskowitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A history largely written from the study of newly discovered sources from the Tama and other areas north and west of Tokyo. There is an effort to describe rural values, revolutionary or progressive ideas, and "conventional mortality" of the villagers. Most of them are wealthy landowners but one is still impressed by their command of classical Chinese. There are chapters on the rebellions, draft constitutions, realist literature, and Meiji-imposed textbooks.