Books etc

The significance and reverberations of the Russo-Japanese War, the first in which a Western power had been defeated by an Asian nation, is the focus of this chapter. The war is viewed from both geopolitical and racial perspectives, with the ‘Great Game’ between Russia and Britain serving as a backdrop. It was a harbinger of the total wars of the twentieth century to come, the demise of the Russian Empire, and the rise of nationalism around the world.

This Open Access book includes chapters on the key turning points in modern Japanese history from the Meiji Restoration to Japan-China diplomatic normalization in the 1970s and beyond. The topics covered include the First Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, the First and Second World Wars, the Manchurian Crisis, the US Occupation, postwar Japan-China relations, and postwar decolonization. Readers will learn how new research by Japanese historians has led to the revision of conventional views on the turbulent history of Japan, once the enemy of the United States in the war in the Asia-Pacific and now the US’s closest ally in the region. Historical research on the modern history of Japan has been constantly updated. From the Meiji Restoration to the present day, Japan has experienced the effects of modernization and globalization. Recent historical inquiries in Japan tend to focus on the merging of modern history with global history. During the past 150 years, Japan has never been separated from events in international affairs. Scholars and general readers will appreciate the new factual details and philosophical perspectives that this volume provides drawing on the work of fourteen authors who are recognized leaders in their fields.

Since its accession to the UN, Japan has consolidated its national identity as a bridge between the East and the West in various ways. The United States has long recognised Japan’s value as an ally with strong connections in Asia and Africa, with the establishment of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 1966, as a result of Japanese policy, being one of the most obvious examples of this. Together with the publication of the first Diplomatic Bluebook, in which the Three Basic Principles were defined, Kishi successfully formulated Japan’s defence policy by publishing Japan’s first Basic Policy on National Defense in May 1957. A new generation of Japanese strategic thinkers emerged in the 1960s. Before this, Japanese academia was overwhelmingly dominated by leftist intellectuals, many of whom energetically argued for the abolition of both the Self-Defense Forces and the US-Japan security alliance.