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Japan and the Shackles of the Past (What Everyone Needs to Know
Japan is one of the world's wealthiest and most technologically advanced nations, and its rapid ascent to global power status after 1853 remains one of the most remarkable stories in modern world history. Yet it has not been an easy path; military catastrophe, political atrophy, and economic upheavals have made regular appearances from the feudal era to the present. Today, Japan is seen as a has-been with a sluggish economy, an aging population, dysfunctional politics, and a business landscape dominated by yesterday's champions. Though it is supposed to be America's strongest ally in the Asia-Pacific region, it has almost entirely disappeared from the American radar screen.
In Japan and the Shackles of the Past, R. Taggart Murphy places the current troubles of Japan in a sweeping historical context, moving deftly from early feudal times to the modern age that began with the Meiji Restoration. Combining fascinating analyses of Japanese culture and society over the centuries with hard-headed accounts of Japan's numerous political regimes, Murphy not only reshapes our understanding of Japanese history, but of Japan's place in the contemporary world. He concedes that Japan has indeed been out of sight and out of mind in recent decades, but contends that this is already changing. Political and economic developments in Japan today risk upheaval in the pivotal arena of Northeast Asia, inviting comparisons with Europe on the eve of the First World War. America's half-completed effort to remake Japan in the late 1940s is unraveling, and the American foreign policy and defense establishment is directly culpable for what has happened. The one apparent exception to Japan's malaise is the vitality of its pop culture, but it's actually no exception at all; rather, it provides critical clues to what is going on now.
With insights into everything from Japan's politics and economics to the texture of daily life, gender relations, the changing business landscape, and popular and high culture, Japan and the Shackles of the Past is the indispensable guide to understanding Japan in all its complexity.
In Japan and the Shackles of the Past, R. Taggart Murphy places the current troubles of Japan in a sweeping historical context, moving deftly from early feudal times to the modern age that began with the Meiji Restoration. Combining fascinating analyses of Japanese culture and society over the centuries with hard-headed accounts of Japan's numerous political regimes, Murphy not only reshapes our understanding of Japanese history, but of Japan's place in the contemporary world. He concedes that Japan has indeed been out of sight and out of mind in recent decades, but contends that this is already changing. Political and economic developments in Japan today risk upheaval in the pivotal arena of Northeast Asia, inviting comparisons with Europe on the eve of the First World War. America's half-completed effort to remake Japan in the late 1940s is unraveling, and the American foreign policy and defense establishment is directly culpable for what has happened. The one apparent exception to Japan's malaise is the vitality of its pop culture, but it's actually no exception at all; rather, it provides critical clues to what is going on now.
With insights into everything from Japan's politics and economics to the texture of daily life, gender relations, the changing business landscape, and popular and high culture, Japan and the Shackles of the Past is the indispensable guide to understanding Japan in all its complexity.
443 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
April 8, 2016
I read this book as the first in a challenge on the History Book Club's pages here on Goodreads. I wanted to start this challenge with an overview of Japanese history since I know so little of ancient times in Japan. Then I came across this recently published book and decided to check it out. It wasn't quite what I was looking for, but it was fascinating in its own way. The first few chapters do provide a quick look at the last 1500 years or so of Japanese history, but the remaining chapters spend much more time on the last 200. Part of what was fascinating was how some of those early traditions affected Japan after its defeat in WWII.
The author is an economist who has spent much of his life in Japan, so his insight into the "Japanese miracle" - the economic recovery after the devastation of the war was especially fascinating. He also delves into the culture and politics of the country in the past 70 years, and revealed a Japan I never imagined just by reading the headlines in the news.
The author is an economist who has spent much of his life in Japan, so his insight into the "Japanese miracle" - the economic recovery after the devastation of the war was especially fascinating. He also delves into the culture and politics of the country in the past 70 years, and revealed a Japan I never imagined just by reading the headlines in the news.
August 14, 2015
I loved this book. Some authors write novels and short stories in which you fall in love with the characters. R. Taggart Murphy made me fall in love with an entire country, its history, culture, business, art, etc. Nevertheless I found some historic parts a little confusing. This is due that it is a text book, not a novel. And although (at my age) politics are not my interest I found the political chapters "slow"; in the end I understood many of the history phenomenoms. This book not only shows the power of an old nation that launched itself, through wars, revolution and natural disasters, towards the futue: But shows a nation that is strong and represents the economic, cultural, political and artistic evolution of humab beings.I, being from Mexico jumped a gap of cultural differences and understood that humans are different between them, but always have had the same interests.
I highly recommend this book. It doesn't matter what country are you from or what is your profession.
I highly recommend this book. It doesn't matter what country are you from or what is your profession.
December 4, 2020
This is a brilliant work of political science. I have always admired the country of Japan; besides the impressive people and culture -- which I still believe in and the author does too -- I had always been under the assumption that Japan is a nation that "gets it". A homogeneous, cohesive society that seems to take what the West has created (see our political institutions, economic system) and perfects it. I was saddened to see that I was wrong about that.
The book takes us through Japan's history and branches out with the author's educated option. We learn about Japan chronologically, seeing how it developed and how the past binds Japan today. I believe that the book started off as a part of a broader series on the world and getting to know the countries in it. The book is a spin off and it has a huge scope; it talks about the culture, politics, economy, and history. It is THE book to read about Japan.
The book is quite dense and approximately 370 pages of actual reading; I wouldn't say it glides but I did finish it in about <2 weeks of solid reading with no boredom. There are parts on the economy which were barely within my grasp (a small amount remains outside my capacity) but I got the gist. It is a thought-provoking book and you should take your time to write notes and develop your thoughts if you get the chance to read it. It should be taken seriously because if you do, there is so much to be learned.
What are the shackles of Japan's past? There are some broader, cultural issues which are vague so I will try and keep it as specific as possible:
1. Japan's institutions, specifically the bureaucracies. What I did not realize is how much power is wielded by the unelected officials in Japan. The bureaucracy seems to be the closest thing in Japan to a powerful central figure. The Diet (Japanese parliament) is a political machine that is comparable to the old Democrats -- and the modern Democrat party too if you look at one party states like California -- in that it is a system of patronage with duties to constituencies (construction industry, farmers, etc) rather than the voters. The role of the Diet is to legitimize the actions of the bureau, which decides how money is spent (the essence of politics).
Like all bureaucracies, the Japanese bureau's have hit a critical mass and are outside of politics. It is therefore resistant to change and attacks any politician who promotes change. When you consider how much power the Japanese bureau's have, you can see why there is never serious reform in Japan.
2. This one is harder to define than the first, but I'd say the Meiji Restoration, which was largely a reaction to Western imperialism, still influences Japan today and in the worst way. The author put it well when he said (paraphrasing here) that the tragedy of Japan is that it threw away everything that makes it Japan in order to save itself. In order to survive in the open world, Japan "modernized"; it brought in foreign institutions and grafted them onto its system. In doing so it threw away its old religions and replaced it with some kind of nationalism-spiritualism where the Emperor and the nation reign supreme. This nationalism is still around even today and affects Japan's ability to reconcile with the rest of Asia. And of course you have the example of Japan entering the imperial race, becoming a fascist state, and getting blown out by America -- all because it feared getting picked clean like Qing China.
I won't go into the rest here but I would absolutely recommend that you read and find out for yourself. I do wish that there was a book like this on every country, explaining how it is and what makes it so.
Some weaknesses:
-The author doesn't really go into geopolitics much. I don't think he understands it well either. The book was written in the mid 2010's so like most people he thought that China would usurp America as the world power, or that America as the world power is crumbling. Anyone who thinks so should read The Absent Superpower by Peter Zeihan.
-The author is anti-nuclear energy. I am willing to bet that the author is an environmentalist who believes we should transition away from fossil fuels. If you think you can do that without nuclear energy, you couldn't be more wrong.
-This isn't a weakness per se but like all books on politics, it gets dated quickly. I would love to know the author's thoughts on the Japan-America relationship in the Trump era.
The book is still strong and an excellent piece of work.
The book takes us through Japan's history and branches out with the author's educated option. We learn about Japan chronologically, seeing how it developed and how the past binds Japan today. I believe that the book started off as a part of a broader series on the world and getting to know the countries in it. The book is a spin off and it has a huge scope; it talks about the culture, politics, economy, and history. It is THE book to read about Japan.
The book is quite dense and approximately 370 pages of actual reading; I wouldn't say it glides but I did finish it in about <2 weeks of solid reading with no boredom. There are parts on the economy which were barely within my grasp (a small amount remains outside my capacity) but I got the gist. It is a thought-provoking book and you should take your time to write notes and develop your thoughts if you get the chance to read it. It should be taken seriously because if you do, there is so much to be learned.
What are the shackles of Japan's past? There are some broader, cultural issues which are vague so I will try and keep it as specific as possible:
1. Japan's institutions, specifically the bureaucracies. What I did not realize is how much power is wielded by the unelected officials in Japan. The bureaucracy seems to be the closest thing in Japan to a powerful central figure. The Diet (Japanese parliament) is a political machine that is comparable to the old Democrats -- and the modern Democrat party too if you look at one party states like California -- in that it is a system of patronage with duties to constituencies (construction industry, farmers, etc) rather than the voters. The role of the Diet is to legitimize the actions of the bureau, which decides how money is spent (the essence of politics).
Like all bureaucracies, the Japanese bureau's have hit a critical mass and are outside of politics. It is therefore resistant to change and attacks any politician who promotes change. When you consider how much power the Japanese bureau's have, you can see why there is never serious reform in Japan.
2. This one is harder to define than the first, but I'd say the Meiji Restoration, which was largely a reaction to Western imperialism, still influences Japan today and in the worst way. The author put it well when he said (paraphrasing here) that the tragedy of Japan is that it threw away everything that makes it Japan in order to save itself. In order to survive in the open world, Japan "modernized"; it brought in foreign institutions and grafted them onto its system. In doing so it threw away its old religions and replaced it with some kind of nationalism-spiritualism where the Emperor and the nation reign supreme. This nationalism is still around even today and affects Japan's ability to reconcile with the rest of Asia. And of course you have the example of Japan entering the imperial race, becoming a fascist state, and getting blown out by America -- all because it feared getting picked clean like Qing China.
I won't go into the rest here but I would absolutely recommend that you read and find out for yourself. I do wish that there was a book like this on every country, explaining how it is and what makes it so.
Some weaknesses:
-The author doesn't really go into geopolitics much. I don't think he understands it well either. The book was written in the mid 2010's so like most people he thought that China would usurp America as the world power, or that America as the world power is crumbling. Anyone who thinks so should read The Absent Superpower by Peter Zeihan.
-The author is anti-nuclear energy. I am willing to bet that the author is an environmentalist who believes we should transition away from fossil fuels. If you think you can do that without nuclear energy, you couldn't be more wrong.
-This isn't a weakness per se but like all books on politics, it gets dated quickly. I would love to know the author's thoughts on the Japan-America relationship in the Trump era.
The book is still strong and an excellent piece of work.
September 23, 2019
Frustrating at times, but ultimately rewarding. What I wished for with this book was a clear argument; at times it seemed like a collection of chapters that didn't build to a particular thesis. The coverage of topics was pretty good. I think part of the difficulty is that this is genuinely a very difficult topic to write engagingly about for all but a select academic audience. It ultimately left me with more questions than answers.
The author repeatedly states that Japanese is among the most complicated written languages ever devised; this doesn't seem to impinge on his suggestion near the end of the book that Japan could do well to encourage more immigration to fix underperforming sectors of the economy. Similarly, the author will indicate at issues with women not having full economic freedoms and the effect that has on productivity in general, but he doesn't spend enough time on the root causes or potential solutions to such a problem.
This book is best in the sections that give a general overview of Japanese economic history, and weakest on social and cultural history, as well as when it actually comes to policy proposals and forecasts for what lies ahead.
“Both the Japanese Marxists and their intellectual opponents in the United States were correct that during the centuries after the collapse of the Heian order, Japan evolved a political setup that in some key respects did resemble European feudalism.”
“The collective nature of the Japanese economic juggernaut – famously labeled “Japan, Inc.” – suggests that Japan's was more akin to a socialist than a capitalist economy, and indeed Japan has been called the most successful socialist economy ever.”
“Japanese women have never, unlike their Western counterparts, been placed on pedestals. [...] Every public gesture she made, every word she uttered (and the language with its separate verb endings and pronouns for women almost made this automatic) was expected to demonstrate submissiveness and a consciousness that she stood lower in the vast Japanese hierarchy than men of her age, breeding, and class.”
“Japan's “bubble economy” of the late 1980s was, in many respects, the greatest financial bubble ever, even when measured against the recent housing and derivatives bubble in the United States.”
“Japan's original sin lies in its attempts to separate itself from Asia. The sin is understandable but the repercussions have been horrendous. When Japan was shaken awake from its self-imposed 'sakoku' (“isolation”) in the mid-nineteenth century, it discovered a world that had been turned upside down. The China that had always loomed as the origin of power, culture, and technology in the Japanese conceptual universe had been reduced to a stuck pig being butchered by barbarians from distant lands who turned out not to be barbarians at all but the avatars of modernity.”
“(Among other things, the current president of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, is the daughter of Park Chung-hee who, more than any other single person, can be credited with Korea's own economic miracle. His socialization and thinking about issues of power and development were almost entirely Japanese; he was educated in colonial Manchuria, studied at Japan's top military academy, served in the Japanese army, adopted a Japanese name, and, when he seized power in 1961, proceeded to force-march his country into the ranks of the world's industrialized nations with a rule book that could have been written by Japan's 'kakushin kanryō' [“Reform Bureaucrats”] – the men we meet back in Part One who put the Japanese economy on a war footing in the 1930s, administered Manchuria and would, in the postwar world, form the nucleus of MITI.)”
“Finally, the kind of leader Japan needs would recognize that it is not enough, as Abe has done, to call for the tapping of what many label Japan's greatest underutilized resource: its women. Large numbers of women will not become more economically productive until something is done to alleviate the burdens of elder and child care that fall disproportionately on their shoulders. [...] In the meantime, a good Japanese leader would encourage some carefully controlled immigration to relieve labor shortages in fields such as construction and nursing.”
The author repeatedly states that Japanese is among the most complicated written languages ever devised; this doesn't seem to impinge on his suggestion near the end of the book that Japan could do well to encourage more immigration to fix underperforming sectors of the economy. Similarly, the author will indicate at issues with women not having full economic freedoms and the effect that has on productivity in general, but he doesn't spend enough time on the root causes or potential solutions to such a problem.
This book is best in the sections that give a general overview of Japanese economic history, and weakest on social and cultural history, as well as when it actually comes to policy proposals and forecasts for what lies ahead.
“Both the Japanese Marxists and their intellectual opponents in the United States were correct that during the centuries after the collapse of the Heian order, Japan evolved a political setup that in some key respects did resemble European feudalism.”
“The collective nature of the Japanese economic juggernaut – famously labeled “Japan, Inc.” – suggests that Japan's was more akin to a socialist than a capitalist economy, and indeed Japan has been called the most successful socialist economy ever.”
“Japanese women have never, unlike their Western counterparts, been placed on pedestals. [...] Every public gesture she made, every word she uttered (and the language with its separate verb endings and pronouns for women almost made this automatic) was expected to demonstrate submissiveness and a consciousness that she stood lower in the vast Japanese hierarchy than men of her age, breeding, and class.”
“Japan's “bubble economy” of the late 1980s was, in many respects, the greatest financial bubble ever, even when measured against the recent housing and derivatives bubble in the United States.”
“Japan's original sin lies in its attempts to separate itself from Asia. The sin is understandable but the repercussions have been horrendous. When Japan was shaken awake from its self-imposed 'sakoku' (“isolation”) in the mid-nineteenth century, it discovered a world that had been turned upside down. The China that had always loomed as the origin of power, culture, and technology in the Japanese conceptual universe had been reduced to a stuck pig being butchered by barbarians from distant lands who turned out not to be barbarians at all but the avatars of modernity.”
“(Among other things, the current president of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, is the daughter of Park Chung-hee who, more than any other single person, can be credited with Korea's own economic miracle. His socialization and thinking about issues of power and development were almost entirely Japanese; he was educated in colonial Manchuria, studied at Japan's top military academy, served in the Japanese army, adopted a Japanese name, and, when he seized power in 1961, proceeded to force-march his country into the ranks of the world's industrialized nations with a rule book that could have been written by Japan's 'kakushin kanryō' [“Reform Bureaucrats”] – the men we meet back in Part One who put the Japanese economy on a war footing in the 1930s, administered Manchuria and would, in the postwar world, form the nucleus of MITI.)”
“Finally, the kind of leader Japan needs would recognize that it is not enough, as Abe has done, to call for the tapping of what many label Japan's greatest underutilized resource: its women. Large numbers of women will not become more economically productive until something is done to alleviate the burdens of elder and child care that fall disproportionately on their shoulders. [...] In the meantime, a good Japanese leader would encourage some carefully controlled immigration to relieve labor shortages in fields such as construction and nursing.”
May 19, 2015
A good review of Japanese history, useful even if you don't buy his (fairly standard liberalish-leftish) background views completely.
His explanation for why Japan expanded it's China war and got into a losing struggle with America in world war two in spite of the planners of Pearl Harbor being less than optimistic about the final outcome is interesting and seems legit (because Japan had not evolved an effective political system and had no way to control it's army in China or the right-wing crap bubbling up from below... "not a concentration of power in the hands of a usurper but a diffusion of power that had slipped out of control"..)
By the way, the thought of Pakistan did cross my mind while reading that chapter ..but my next thought was "We may be saved by the fact that we are not as efficient or productive as the Japanese". Soft landings are usually better. 1945 was not a soft landing.
Post 1945 is the heart of the book, but I just skimmed through it. I was more interested in history, less in his theories about why the dysfunctional Japanese political system seems to have managed better or worse than, say, the more democratic and pro-people British system (he doesn't explicitly make that comparison by the way. That was my thought, while reading his takedown of the Japanese elite. The thought: "compared to what"?)
I guess it all depends on how much weight you want to give to happiness and the urge to have babies. It may well be that the Japanese are in fact very unhappy compared to (say) the British. But I am not sure the claim has been unequivocally proven. They are, it seems, about equally rich and somewhat safer. And I had the nagging suspicion that if they had followed the author's (mostly implied) advice, they may have been happier, but not necessarily richer or safer. Suffice it to say that the author is very unimpressed with the Japanese state and it's political culture..and with the role of the United States in infantilizing Japan. His observations are always interesting and informative even as you start imagining alternative histories that look worse rather than better... Next time I get it from the library, I will re-read the last quarter of the book :)
Fun fact i learned while reading this book: Tempura came to Japan via the Portuguese and may even be derived from a Portuguese word. There do not seem to have been any deep fried Japanese foods prior to Portuguese contact.
His explanation for why Japan expanded it's China war and got into a losing struggle with America in world war two in spite of the planners of Pearl Harbor being less than optimistic about the final outcome is interesting and seems legit (because Japan had not evolved an effective political system and had no way to control it's army in China or the right-wing crap bubbling up from below... "not a concentration of power in the hands of a usurper but a diffusion of power that had slipped out of control"..)
By the way, the thought of Pakistan did cross my mind while reading that chapter ..but my next thought was "We may be saved by the fact that we are not as efficient or productive as the Japanese". Soft landings are usually better. 1945 was not a soft landing.
Post 1945 is the heart of the book, but I just skimmed through it. I was more interested in history, less in his theories about why the dysfunctional Japanese political system seems to have managed better or worse than, say, the more democratic and pro-people British system (he doesn't explicitly make that comparison by the way. That was my thought, while reading his takedown of the Japanese elite. The thought: "compared to what"?)
I guess it all depends on how much weight you want to give to happiness and the urge to have babies. It may well be that the Japanese are in fact very unhappy compared to (say) the British. But I am not sure the claim has been unequivocally proven. They are, it seems, about equally rich and somewhat safer. And I had the nagging suspicion that if they had followed the author's (mostly implied) advice, they may have been happier, but not necessarily richer or safer. Suffice it to say that the author is very unimpressed with the Japanese state and it's political culture..and with the role of the United States in infantilizing Japan. His observations are always interesting and informative even as you start imagining alternative histories that look worse rather than better... Next time I get it from the library, I will re-read the last quarter of the book :)
Fun fact i learned while reading this book: Tempura came to Japan via the Portuguese and may even be derived from a Portuguese word. There do not seem to have been any deep fried Japanese foods prior to Portuguese contact.
September 4, 2022
Taggart Murphy is incredibly thorough and painstakingly detailed in his treatment of Japan and Japanese history, if a little long-winded in finally arriving at a prognosis and proposed treatment for Japan's malaise.
His central thesis may be reduced, in a Procrustean manner, that:
1. Japan does not acknowledge or deal with its past,
2. It has an out of control bureaucracy that the polity is unable to check,
3. It has a subservient rather than equal relationship with America.
It is fascinating to get a more critical look at leaders which are generally held in high regard in the West like Abe Shinzo, and to slowly have layer of historical detail build up over time. This book is certainly a well worthwhile stop on the way to understanding Japan.
His central thesis may be reduced, in a Procrustean manner, that:
1. Japan does not acknowledge or deal with its past,
2. It has an out of control bureaucracy that the polity is unable to check,
3. It has a subservient rather than equal relationship with America.
It is fascinating to get a more critical look at leaders which are generally held in high regard in the West like Abe Shinzo, and to slowly have layer of historical detail build up over time. This book is certainly a well worthwhile stop on the way to understanding Japan.
July 20, 2019
An enthralling, emotional, and powerful look at how Japanese history, culture, and politics has shaped what it has become, for better and for worse, in the world of today.
January 5, 2023
Possibly the best book on Japan that I have read — and I’ve read many. I lived in the country from 1990 to 1999, then for shorter periods in 2005 and 2013. My wife is Japanese and we follow closely all matters Japanese and visit when we can. This is a sprawling book but the lengthy forays into history and culture truly help to explain the “shackles of the past.” A very insightful treatise based on a thorough knowledge of the country. Also the analysis of contemporary politics, that is ultimately the focus of the book, and the relationship with Japan’s neighbors and the USA is penetrating. It makes one simmer with anger at the machinations of the LDP (not least the late right wing leader Abe) and the all powerful bureaucracy — and the meddling of the bullying USA in Japan’s affairs.
July 20, 2021
Incredibly insightful. As a student of the Japanese language I found this really useful for understanding contemporary Japan
February 5, 2016
The first thing that I realized was that this book took me a long time to read. most times I have two or three weeks at most on a book. however with Taggart Murphy's great work it really was time-consuming because I read every word.
i spent six weeks with this book.
I actually found this book in a bookstore in Kanazawa Japan. I was traveling on vacation in Japan for three weeks and was very curious about this unique country it's culture and its people. The history that Taggart explores is a summary. however the final chapters of the book help explain a unique dilemma that Japan finds itself in today. I am so accustomed to the western way of economy and finance. reading about the miracle years and why it happened in Japan is like a suspense novel. after you read this book you will want to meet Taggart Murphy and talk about what it is that motivated him to write such a compelling historical account of Japan. in fact the next time I go back to Japan I hope that I can go to the University of Tokyo and
i spent six weeks with this book.
I actually found this book in a bookstore in Kanazawa Japan. I was traveling on vacation in Japan for three weeks and was very curious about this unique country it's culture and its people. The history that Taggart explores is a summary. however the final chapters of the book help explain a unique dilemma that Japan finds itself in today. I am so accustomed to the western way of economy and finance. reading about the miracle years and why it happened in Japan is like a suspense novel. after you read this book you will want to meet Taggart Murphy and talk about what it is that motivated him to write such a compelling historical account of Japan. in fact the next time I go back to Japan I hope that I can go to the University of Tokyo and
January 11, 2016
Amazingly detailed, full of information and explanations. If you want to read one serious (history & economics) book about Japan, please make this one it. In-depth knowledge about internal workings of this country, its deep history and its complicated micro and macroeconomics, as well as its place in today's world. Mostly focused on macroeconomic workings, clearly explaining the complex machinations specific for Japan, this book might be best fitted for an economist or someone with interest and understanding of the matter. Written by an accomplished American expert of both Japan and economics. I was luck enough to pick this book up randomly while searching to read about Japan during my first trip there; it was the best companion during my visit!
September 2, 2019
A thoroughly educational book on the economic and political history of Japan. The author is opinionated - especially towards the final part regarding modern Japanese politics - but it doesn't detract from the value this work gave me. Highly recommended!
May 20, 2021
For a book published by Oxford University Press, there were a shocking number of typos, including the misspelling of Yasukuni Shrine (seems important to not misspell place names). That was probably the most frustrating thing. Like, bro. Bro. I could have edited this for you, no prob. Happy to help. Lemme know.
Aside from the obvious editing errors, Murphy presented a view of Japan pretty divergent from what policy makers will tell you, which he does address why. Man oh man, though, it's frustrating. Makes you really hate pretty much everyone in power always and wish they could pull their heads out of their asses for like a SECOND. In some areas I felt he was being too broad, when I think the last two chapters were what he really wanted to talk about. Also, there were some points that I vehemently disagreed with his presentation of the issue. Once again we seem to be suffering from old white man syndrome. Sometimes counter culture is a GOOD thing my dude, no need to use disparaging language and call all modern Japanese men weak, dang.
I'm going to be honest here about content as well - I am not big finance brain. I do not firmly grasp interest rates, monetary vs fiscal policy, bonds, etc. Murphy is a professor of business/finance. So this is his specialty. I didn't 100% understand all the words he was talking about or the financial processes, but in broad strokes it did make sense. For someone who understands these things I'm sure it was much more comprehensible.
Aside from the obvious editing errors, Murphy presented a view of Japan pretty divergent from what policy makers will tell you, which he does address why. Man oh man, though, it's frustrating. Makes you really hate pretty much everyone in power always and wish they could pull their heads out of their asses for like a SECOND. In some areas I felt he was being too broad, when I think the last two chapters were what he really wanted to talk about. Also, there were some points that I vehemently disagreed with his presentation of the issue. Once again we seem to be suffering from old white man syndrome. Sometimes counter culture is a GOOD thing my dude, no need to use disparaging language and call all modern Japanese men weak, dang.
I'm going to be honest here about content as well - I am not big finance brain. I do not firmly grasp interest rates, monetary vs fiscal policy, bonds, etc. Murphy is a professor of business/finance. So this is his specialty. I didn't 100% understand all the words he was talking about or the financial processes, but in broad strokes it did make sense. For someone who understands these things I'm sure it was much more comprehensible.
December 6, 2022
Murphy described his perfect reader as a person who knew little of Japan but hungered for more. This is a very exact sentiment. It is very in depth for a history primarily focusing on some 80 odd years. It's also obvious any one of his headings could spawn countless more in-depth books, creating a fascinating topic with each new section. I appreciated him offering so much supplementary reading material as he went on, making the more in-depth discovery of Japanese culture a clear path.
Murphy puts the hyphen in socio-economical. The way he bounces back and forth between economy influencing culture and culture influencing economy is a beautiful thing. His writing does not fail to marvel at the Japanese miracle while also finding the grittiness behind its reality. True master of his craft of both research and communication.
My only criticism is that this book can often be far too wordy. Oftentimes when you just want the idea, he holds it back from the reader with an overtly long sentences, followed by several more. This turns a thesis into a paragraph, a paragraph into a page and so on. This book could be at least 50 pages shorter if it were written in a concise manner but then perhaps I wouldn't have enjoyed as much as I did. I'll leave it to the writer how much frill he wishes to add to sentences but in my opinion, he pushed his luck at far too many points.
Murphy puts the hyphen in socio-economical. The way he bounces back and forth between economy influencing culture and culture influencing economy is a beautiful thing. His writing does not fail to marvel at the Japanese miracle while also finding the grittiness behind its reality. True master of his craft of both research and communication.
My only criticism is that this book can often be far too wordy. Oftentimes when you just want the idea, he holds it back from the reader with an overtly long sentences, followed by several more. This turns a thesis into a paragraph, a paragraph into a page and so on. This book could be at least 50 pages shorter if it were written in a concise manner but then perhaps I wouldn't have enjoyed as much as I did. I'll leave it to the writer how much frill he wishes to add to sentences but in my opinion, he pushed his luck at far too many points.
September 9, 2017
Unusually for an OUP book, this is well-written and breezily readable (for all its considerable length), and, even more unusually for a book about Japan, forthright and opinionated as well as informative. This isn't a dry and neutral history, but a really quite punchy and argumentative evisceration of modern Japanese politics and foreign policy - with a good kicking also directed at the US too. I'm not sure I agree with the central argument entirely; at various stages the author seems to be congratulating successive Japanese governments for using Keynesian deficit spending to avoid depression for *three decades*, which is a situation Keynes himself surely would never have defended, and which more to the point seems to conflict with the author's central thesis that the Japanese economy and society need a shake-up rather than perpetual muddling-through. That said, the chapters on Japanese culture and society are simply excellent, by far the most perceptive on those topics that I've read, and with a lot to say by comparison about Western or "Anglo-Saxon" culture too.
October 8, 2019
The author, R Taggart Murphy has lived in Japan for fifteen years as a professor in the MBA program of Tsukuba University. He has a great appreciation of Japanese culture, and an impressive expertise in the country’s economics and history.
Japan and the Shackles of the Past, written in 2014 is an extremely insightful description of modern Japan. It begins with the country’s history to provide a context for Japan’s current state and it’s basic dilemma— it jealousy guards its culture and economy, of which it is understandably proud, but politically it is still a protectorate of the U.S. I am of course vastly over-simplifying. But I would highly recommend Murphy’s book for a greater understanding of this fascinating country.
Japan and the Shackles of the Past, written in 2014 is an extremely insightful description of modern Japan. It begins with the country’s history to provide a context for Japan’s current state and it’s basic dilemma— it jealousy guards its culture and economy, of which it is understandably proud, but politically it is still a protectorate of the U.S. I am of course vastly over-simplifying. But I would highly recommend Murphy’s book for a greater understanding of this fascinating country.
January 12, 2022
I was certainly *not* the target audience for this book, but for some reason, I picked it up in an indie bookstore a few years ago and decided to read it last year. Six months later...I finally made it.
I expected it to be much more of a history book than an economics book. While R. Taggart Murphy does start his story before the Edo period and goes into subsequent history and culture, there's a heavy emphasis on politics and finance. This is clearly written for those with a more academic approach – I wish I had read this as a textbook in a college class. I will say that despite it taking so long to get through and felt like work to read, I did feel like I learned a lot and have a much better grasp on where Japan is today and how that came about.
I expected it to be much more of a history book than an economics book. While R. Taggart Murphy does start his story before the Edo period and goes into subsequent history and culture, there's a heavy emphasis on politics and finance. This is clearly written for those with a more academic approach – I wish I had read this as a textbook in a college class. I will say that despite it taking so long to get through and felt like work to read, I did feel like I learned a lot and have a much better grasp on where Japan is today and how that came about.
September 16, 2022
A strange book, which feels a little cobbled together. The author offers a readable whirlwind history of Japanese politics, stapled to a cogent, if long and loose treatise on the very real moral and strategic deficiencies of the US' continued occupation and domination of Japan. To provide padding, he includes discursive tidbits on gender norms and corporate culture, revealing a romantic, at times infantilising, progressive perspective on Japanese society, and especially women. I greatly appreciated the tour of prime ministers and economic policies. Murphy skillfully dissects the dissembling, unexcised strains of fascism and obscurantism in Japanese elite public life. But I don't think he delivers on the title.
February 18, 2019
The words "masterful" and "erudite" were the first that came to mind when I finished reading "Shackles." As someone who has been studying Japan for almost 30 years, I can confidently say that "Shackles" provides the best overview of Japanese history, culture, politics and economy. This is a book written by someone with deep knowledge of and affection for Japan, but also someone troubled by Prime Minister Abe's inability to come to grips with Japan's wartime crimes and make peace with its neighbors. A must-read for any student of modern Japan.
January 18, 2021
Parts of the book went over my head -- especially the political and economic events (but those were always my weaknesses), but it still made for an informative read. This gave me a brush up on what I knew about Japanese history, but it went into further details that taught me a lot on the Japanese history and culture and how they are perceived from an international perspective. Most interesting was how the author compared parts of Japanese history similar to its western counterpart, for that assisted in understanding the historical events.
September 2, 2017
Apparently I spent 16 days reading this book, and this does not surprise me because this book was like a giant cheesecake without making you fat afterwards: rich, dense, and even though you know you want to tackle more of it after the piece you struggled to finish, it's just best to rest and get another helping the next day. Just because it took a long time, though, this is not me saying the book wasn't good, or that it was painstakingly boring -- it was incredibly insightful and loaded with information to explain some of the reasons why things are the way they are in Japan.
February 6, 2023
The author expertly weaves stories with insightful analyses of the cultural progression of Japanese society. It elaborates on how historical events have shaped modern Japanese self-perception and view of the rest of the world. I only skimped through the economy part of the book because it seems to be filled with hindsight biases. Overall I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in gaining a general perspective of Japanese culture.
September 10, 2017
Having read several books on the making of modern Japan, this is absolutely the best of one of its kind. The book touches upon every major period in Japanese history and highlights key historical events, cultural values and religious beliefs that provide great insight into Japan. Highly recommended as an introductory book for anyone looking to learn about Japan.
May 7, 2019
Very interesting and great follow-up to "The enigma of Japanese power". Regrefully, a lot of the history in the last two chapters is too recent, and its sources can't be as good as they should be. All in all, a great view on Japan and its political system, which raises a lot of interesting theoretical questions, makes me wonder what Fukuyama's thought on it would be.
September 4, 2023
Book was good but dry. Gave a very thorough background on Japanese culture — i.e. salaryman culture, lifetime employment at one firm, how companies optimize for profits by trying to make employees happy, geisha culture, how university life is mostly for networking, and the role of the emperor and religion historically. The history was sped through and I wish it went more deep there. Overall ok.
February 17, 2018
Somewhat repetitive at times, but I really enjoyed it. Particularly the last couple of chapters on recent Japanese history.
February 6, 2024
Great explanation in detail regarding post-1945 Japanese politics.
August 11, 2023
This book is interesting in terms of Japan's history impacting on its present day. It focused more on economics than I expected which I found quite dry but I could follow it along despite my lack of knowledge.
The cardinal sin of this book however is that it has no references in the main text at all, at one point he makes at times massive broad claims with no citation. He does make an attempt to justify this book at the end saying the scope grew as it was written but there really is no excuse. Casing point he talks frequently about how common Pederasty was in Japan at various points and its impact on work culture. It's made more annoying as he never discusses modern queer relationships. Also without citations, I'm not convinced by his massive sweeping claims about gender roles.
The cardinal sin of this book however is that it has no references in the main text at all, at one point he makes at times massive broad claims with no citation. He does make an attempt to justify this book at the end saying the scope grew as it was written but there really is no excuse. Casing point he talks frequently about how common Pederasty was in Japan at various points and its impact on work culture. It's made more annoying as he never discusses modern queer relationships. Also without citations, I'm not convinced by his massive sweeping claims about gender roles.
March 4, 2017
Good analysis of Japan looking at the inside.
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