Ben-Ami Shillony

The age of Hirohito : in search of modern Japan

This is a reassessment of Emperor Hirohitos reign and a social portrait of the 20th-century transformation of Japan. Hirohito was one of the longest reigning monarchs in world history. Coming to power in 1926, he presided over the disaster of the depression, the total mobilization of World War II, and the fireballs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, followed by more than 40 years of recovery. Unprecedented levels of traffic, smog, and skyscrapers heralded a transformation from a rigidly closed society to a modern paradise of consumption. The one constant through this turbulence was the institution of Emperor. This book examines Hirohito as a source of both adoration and controversy through 60 years.

Universities and Students in Wartime Japan

Japan possessed a sophisticated network of institutions of higher education before World War II. There was repression on the campuses of colleges and universities, but it was less severe than that in the totalitarian countries of the time. The war placed great demands on higher education and forced it to change. New universities, colleges, and research institutes were established; more students were enrolled; and more women entered colleges. The war also spurred a great shift toward science and technology, which was to be instrumental in Japans economic recovery in the postwar era. Mobilization for military duty or for work made the students feel that they were responsible for the fate of their country. However, their youthful outburst of patriotism came to an end with Japans defeat. Feelings of betrayal and disillusionment nurtured the extreme patriotism and militancy of the postwar student movement.

The Jewish Response To The War

The Russo-Japanese negotiations after the conclusion of the war between the two belligerents affected Japans annexation of Korea. This chapter strongly emphasizes the second Russo-Japanese Convention and its surrounding international relations from 1905 to 1910. The Anglo-Russian negotiation was made to alleviate mutual dissatisfaction in Central Asia and the Near East, yet it gave Russia an opportunity to approach Japan in East Asia. The second Russo-Japanese Convention was an expression of their natural response against American penetration into Manchuria. It was also the result of the failure of an American approach toward Russia that attempted to make use of the rival opinions of Izvolskii and Kokovtsov, Russian Minister of Finance. The momentum of the conclusion of the 1910 Convention arose from Russian military-strategic considerations in East Asia. The two Russo-Japanese negotiations revealed the complicated conflict of interests in the international power politics in East Asia, particularly over Manchuria and Korea. Keywords: Anglo-Russian negotiation; Japan; Korea; Manchuria; Russo-Japanese negotiations; second Russo-Japanese Convention

The State and the Mass Media in Japan, 1918-1945.

Gregory Kasza examines state-society relations in interwar Japan through a case study of public policy toward radio, film, newspapers, and magazines.