This book review was written by Eugene Kernes
“The challenge was not only understanding European political and social institutions and the worldviews they reflected, but adapting them to fit the contours of Japanese society. Establishing an authentic sense of national self and purpose in the modern world required the merging of two disparate and often irreconcilable cultures, one native, inherent, grounded in history, the other founded on concepts such as individualism and intractably foreign. This exercise in cultural synthesis continues to tax and trouble the Japanese imagination.” – John Nathan, Introduction, Page 8
“The pressure was intense, but diligence and high achievement paid off: graduation from a preferred college guaranteed a fast-track job in government or industry, and lifetime employment. School was a ticket to a successful life; teachers were trusted and respected. | But by the early 1980s, as the postcollege job market constricted, students began to show signs of stress.” – John Nathan, Chapter 1: Monsters in the House: Japan’s Bewildered Children, Page 32
“The fact remained, in a society that valorized individualism, that many people were not content to work for others: alienation, and the consequent loss of productivity, were inchoate in the moment of hiring. The Japanese never resented sacrificing individuality in the interest of the group; on the contrary, discovering one’s place in a vertically integrated group, belonging harmoniously, was the basis for gratification and, beyond that, self-certainty.” – John Nathan, Chapter 3: The Culture of Arithmetic, Pages 72-73
Is This An Overview?
Japan has been influenced by various
cultures. Cultures with different
values, which challenged their fusion.
Tension formed between perceived unique traditional values, and the
alternative values that are often foreign.
Threatening Japanese identity, their sense of self. A cultural change that effects how people
live. Changing how people behave, find
meaning, and find belonging within school, family, work, society, and politics.
A society in which people tend to be willing to defer to the
community. People found belonging being
part of the community, but communities are becoming isolating experiences. The changing family structure and the
traumatic school experiences, prevent people from building friendships and
developing communication skills. School
and working hard used to provide people with an appropriate work and rewards,
but the state of the economy led to a loss of jobs, a lack of potential reward
to look forward to. Various people are
seeking differing ways to resolve the economic and social challenges facing
Japan.
Caveats?
This book provides an introduction
to the changing society in the late 20th century. For a deeper political, cultural, and
historic understanding of Japan would require more research.
