During 2006,
Trevor W. Harrison lived, worked, and travelled in
Japan. Written on the cusp of several notable events
that shook Japan while he was there, this work begins
with an overview of Japan's history and politics,
from post-world War II up until the present day, then
examines Japan's role in the 21st century.
Topics include:
the coming to power of a new and fervently
nationalist right-wing government dedicated to
changing Japan's constitution, including the role of
its military; a series of political scandals that
rocked the establishment; the increased threat of a
nuclear North Korea; and external pressures wrought
by Japan's long-time mentor, the United States.
As a result of
these events, Japan's government, and the country
itself, is increasingly caught between a series of
obdurate, sometimes hostile, choices: on the one
hand, its geographic location within Asia, and on the
other, its political and economic relationships with
the West. But these events are important not only for
Japan; they also present challenges and opportunities
for the rest of the world.
"Thanks
to this work, we Japanese now have an alternative
way of recomposing our own history, society, and
culture. Some may say it is a Canadian scholar's
point of view. I would like to say, rather, that
this book presents a pro-Japanese futurist point
of view." --Hironori Tarumi, Professor of
Public Policy, Hokkai-Gakuen University, Sapporo,
Japan
Also included
is a selection of Haiku-inspired poems written during
the author's stay, many of which are political or
cultural in nature.
Table of Contents
TREVOR W.
HARRISON is currently Professor and Chair of the
Department of Sociology at the University of
Lethbridge. In addition to numerous journal articles
and book chapters, he is the author, co-author, or
co-editor of six books dealing with Alberta and
Canadian politics and public policy, including The
Trojan Horse: Alberta and the Future of Canada, Requiem
for a Lightweight: Stockwell Day and Image Politics and
The Return of the
Trojan Horse: Alberta, Canada, and the New World
(Dis)Order.
200 pages, 6x9,
16 b&w photographs, bibliography, index
Paperback
$19.99
13 digit ISBN: 978-1-55164-306-9
10 digit ISBN: 1-55164-306-5
Hardcover
$48.99
13 digit ISBN: 978-1-55164-307-6
10 digit ISBN: 1-55164-307-3
History/Asian
Studies
February
2008
