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Shadows of the Rising Sun
An expert on Japanese social mores and business practices demonstrates the futility in applying Japanese principles to American business, basing his argument on social, corporate, cultural, and psychological grounds
- GenresJapanSociologyNonfiction
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
6 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Jared Taylor
16 books169 followersJared Taylor was born in Japan, where he lived until he was 16 years old. He has a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Yale University and a master's degree in international economics from l'Institut d' Etudes Politiques de Paris.
He has worked as an international lending office for a major New York bank and as a consultant to companies doing business in Japan. For three years he was the West Coast Editor of PC (Personal Computing) Magazine, and has published articles and essays in the following publications:
Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Washington Star, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, National Review, Chronicles.
Since 1994, Jared Taylor has been the president of New Century Foundation, which publishes American Renaissance, a monthly magazine devoted to issues of race and immigration (AmRen.com).
He has worked as an international lending office for a major New York bank and as a consultant to companies doing business in Japan. For three years he was the West Coast Editor of PC (Personal Computing) Magazine, and has published articles and essays in the following publications:
Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Washington Star, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, National Review, Chronicles.
Since 1994, Jared Taylor has been the president of New Century Foundation, which publishes American Renaissance, a monthly magazine devoted to issues of race and immigration (AmRen.com).
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 3, 2016
This is the most excellent and brilliantly written book I've ever read! From race characteristics to cultural habits to spiritual heritage to educational environment to social structure to political outlook to economic welfare, etc., etc., etc., the author defines Japan to a T!! He reminded me the reasons why I wanted to leave Japan but at the same time, he showed me what makes me Japanese even after living in America longer than Japan.
This book was published in 1983 when Japan was getting noticed by the rest of the world for her industrial capability. I remember the "Japan boom". So many Americans and Europeans came to Japan to learn about the sensational country, and so many of us Japanese went to America to find out what made America so great. I was one of them. Those of us, who came here with that agenda, planned to make ourselves stand out with a U.S. college degree in our hand. We hoped to somehow contribute in upgrading a nation so culturally secluded to a different level by bringing back the system that worked in America. The fact is, many of us found ourselves to be more marketable and well accepted as one 'advanced' individual in the Land of Opportunity than the country which was so eager to catch up with the rest of the world. The reasons for that are also related to what's discussed by the author throughout this book.
This book contains the most exceptional critiques of Japan and exposes her from all angles. I've never met or known of a person who not only understands but also expounds Japan's complex world of rat races, hierarchy and conformity that silently yet powerfully exist among the Japanese so well, let alone an American who grew up in Japan as the son of a missionary!
I love this book. I felt as if someone finally understood where I come from.
In the last chapter "Lessons for America", the author adduces the strength of the Red White and Blue. It reassured my notion for wanting to come to America.
What a remarkable book! I enjoyed it immensely!
This book was published in 1983 when Japan was getting noticed by the rest of the world for her industrial capability. I remember the "Japan boom". So many Americans and Europeans came to Japan to learn about the sensational country, and so many of us Japanese went to America to find out what made America so great. I was one of them. Those of us, who came here with that agenda, planned to make ourselves stand out with a U.S. college degree in our hand. We hoped to somehow contribute in upgrading a nation so culturally secluded to a different level by bringing back the system that worked in America. The fact is, many of us found ourselves to be more marketable and well accepted as one 'advanced' individual in the Land of Opportunity than the country which was so eager to catch up with the rest of the world. The reasons for that are also related to what's discussed by the author throughout this book.
This book contains the most exceptional critiques of Japan and exposes her from all angles. I've never met or known of a person who not only understands but also expounds Japan's complex world of rat races, hierarchy and conformity that silently yet powerfully exist among the Japanese so well, let alone an American who grew up in Japan as the son of a missionary!
I love this book. I felt as if someone finally understood where I come from.
In the last chapter "Lessons for America", the author adduces the strength of the Red White and Blue. It reassured my notion for wanting to come to America.
What a remarkable book! I enjoyed it immensely!
September 9, 2020
Very lucid analysis by Taylor, with some humoristic anecdotes.
January 3, 2012
Definitley one of my top five reads in 2011. This was one of those rare books whose pages seem to turn themselves.
One wouldn't know it if they happened upon it on a bookshelf, though. It appears to be just another one of those dozens upon dozens of books from the 1980s about the economic renaissance and possible rivalry from Japan. These are mostly historical curiosities now, but this book is an intriguing mix of cultural anthropology, sociology and history written by an American who had the very unique experience of growing up in Japan, truly bilingual. The author really outlines the Japanese, what makes them different from Westerners, what makes them different from everyone else in general, all the while peppered with amusing anecdotes, some from his life in Japan.
This is a truly great book that should be read by anyone interested in Japanese culture. It would dispel many romantic notions, and at the same time make this people seem more interesting and give better understanding to readings into Japanese history.
One wouldn't know it if they happened upon it on a bookshelf, though. It appears to be just another one of those dozens upon dozens of books from the 1980s about the economic renaissance and possible rivalry from Japan. These are mostly historical curiosities now, but this book is an intriguing mix of cultural anthropology, sociology and history written by an American who had the very unique experience of growing up in Japan, truly bilingual. The author really outlines the Japanese, what makes them different from Westerners, what makes them different from everyone else in general, all the while peppered with amusing anecdotes, some from his life in Japan.
This is a truly great book that should be read by anyone interested in Japanese culture. It would dispel many romantic notions, and at the same time make this people seem more interesting and give better understanding to readings into Japanese history.
March 20, 2013
Good overall summary on bad aspects of Japan and Japanese society. More educational rather then critical.
August 19, 2021
Jared makes some good points, but he adds his prejudice and racism to for good measure!
July 9, 2025
A 1980s book analysing Japanese traits and successes and whether the US should adopt them. It's very much of the moment when Japan was the global economic miracle and the US was somewhat in the doldrums - and it's all the more interesting for it.
There are modern parallels of course in the rise of China, ongoing unrest in the US middle class and European fears over US big tech and Chinese big factories. And yeah the business lessons are quite interesting, but they're (admirably) commonsensical.
More interesting are the sociological observations of a Japanese society that increased its per capita GNP tenfold in a generation due to - in part at least - an almost uniform national drive, determination and sense of inferiority.
When the book was written, this drive was already beginning to decline, with Japanese youth seeking more work-life balance.
Perhaps the strongest lesson of the book is that it is silly to extrapolate phenomenal economic growth too far into the future. Once a country becomes a technological leader, its rate of improvement will undoubtedly slow as further innovation becomes harder and other countries copy its successes.
A final shoutout for the pocket-size format, which was as ever super handy.
There are modern parallels of course in the rise of China, ongoing unrest in the US middle class and European fears over US big tech and Chinese big factories. And yeah the business lessons are quite interesting, but they're (admirably) commonsensical.
More interesting are the sociological observations of a Japanese society that increased its per capita GNP tenfold in a generation due to - in part at least - an almost uniform national drive, determination and sense of inferiority.
When the book was written, this drive was already beginning to decline, with Japanese youth seeking more work-life balance.
Perhaps the strongest lesson of the book is that it is silly to extrapolate phenomenal economic growth too far into the future. Once a country becomes a technological leader, its rate of improvement will undoubtedly slow as further innovation becomes harder and other countries copy its successes.
A final shoutout for the pocket-size format, which was as ever super handy.
June 13, 2018
This book made me feel like the authors clearly don’t believe in God and must enjoy mocking Him.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews