Andrew Gordon Bücher

This book presents a nuanced portrait of Japan's last two centuries, starting from the Tokugawa shogunate to the present. It explores the modernization revolution initiated by midlevel samurai in the late 19th century, including the adoption of Western styles and the emergence of mass democracy post-World War I. The author, Andrew Gordon, provides a comprehensive synthesis of Japan's journey through militarism, World War II, the American occupation, and its economic fluctuations. Notably, Gordon emphasizes the experiences of non-elite groups, showcasing how external ideas and culture influenced various aspects of life, including labor, politics, gender relations, and entertainment. The book delves into Japan's quest to define modernization across diverse settings, from rural villages to urban neighborhoods and workplaces, while highlighting the interconnectedness of Japanese history with global events. This second edition expands on Japan's role in East Asia, particularly concerning China, Korea, and Manchuria, and enhances discussions on cultural and intellectual history. With a focus on a comparative and global context, this work is well-suited for undergraduate courses in modern Japanese history, politics, society, or culture.

Andrew Gordon goes to the core of the Japanese enterprise system, the workplace, and reveals a complex history of contest and confrontation. The Japanese model produced a dynamic economy that owed as much to coercion as to happy consensus. Managerial hegemony was achieved only after a bitter struggle that undermined the democratic potential of postwar society. The book draws on examples across Japanese industry, but focuses in depth on iron and steel. This industry was at the center of the country's economic recovery and high-speed growth, and was a primary site of corporate managerial strategy and important labor union initiatives.