Economic success in Japan has been attributed to the existence of harmonious labour-management relations. This book, first published in 1991, argues that this unique ‘culture of harmony’ was consciously invented and developed over the last century. A semi-bureaucratic organization called the Kyochokai was established in 1919 to meet the needs of an emerging industrial society. It took the lead in trying to define the values which would be suitable for a new Japanese-style industrial culture. The resulting ‘invented’ tradition has played an important role in the evolution and character of Japanese economic values and behaviour.
Monograph on the trend towards workers participation in Japan - examines changes in management attitudes and employees attitudes in response to technological change, and includes survey data on workers' motivation, job satisfaction and leisure activities, etc. Bibliography pp. 215 to 221 and statistical tables.
This book denies the cultural uniqueness of Japanese industrial relations and economy, characterised by permanent employment, seniority wages and enterprise unionism. The author provides an entirely new explanation of Japanese workers' high morale and Japan's impressive economic performance which, he argues, results from skilled employees working against a background of high technology. The argument of the book is based on intensive field-work, consisting of a series of interviews with veteran workers on the shop floor, and on an explicit comparative study between the USA and Japan.
A valuable companion reference Concentrating on the period following Admiral Perry's visit in the 1850's, the encyclopedia examines the historical events, leaders, and societal pressures in the country's recent past that affected Japan's entry into the modern age. Like its companion volume, the encyclopedia covers important political topics, the arts, religion, business, literature, education, journalism, and other major social, cultural, and economic forces. Looks at the emperor and nationalism Emphasizing the close ties that always existed between the emperor system and nationalism, the encyclopedia carefully explores the various forms of nationalism that flourished since the middle of the last century, discusses how hte supernationalism of the beginning of the century ultimately led to World War II, looks at the uniquely Japanese custom of national self-analysis, and examines the country's remarkable postwar market-building economic nationalism. Charts major influences and contemporary concerns The Encyclopedia brings together in a single volume the major themes and currents that influenced and shaped Japan into a modern economic giant. Ranging over the entire spectrum of modern Japanese history, expert contributors provide concise entries on specific episodes and individuals, as well as longer articles on broad topics such as militarism, labor, cinema, censorship, and returning students. The Encyclopedia also examines many of the forces driving Japan today: trade relationships, attitudes towards World War II, the role of national defense, whether to revise the constitution, dealing with unskilled foreign labor, and more. All major entries are followed by an English-language bibliography for pursuing subjects in depth.
An exploration of the dark side to Japanese literature and Japanese society. A wide range of fantasists form the basis for a ground breaking analysis of the fantastic.
The issue of how Japanese society operates, and in particular why it has `succeeded', has generated a wide variety of explanatory models, including the Confucian ethic, classlessness, group consciousness, and `uniqueness' in areas as diverse as body images and language patterns. In Ideology and Practice in Modern Japan the contributors examine these models and the ways in which they have sometimes been used to create a sense of `Japaneseness', that obscures the fact that Japan is actually an extremely complex and heterogenous society. In particular, `practice' at the micro-level of society is explored to illuminate or express a broader ideology. The contributors investigate a wide variety of subjects - from attitudes to death to the role of education, from film making to gender segregation - to see what can be said about the phenomenon in particular, what it tells us about Japan in general, and what conclusions can be drawn for our understanding of society in the broadest sense.
Ranging from the Tokugwa period to the present day, this text provides a concise and fascinating introduction to the social, cultural and political history of modern Japan. Tipton covers political and economic developments and shows how they relate to social themes and developments. Her survey covers traditional political history as well as areas growing in interest: gender issues, labor conditions and ethnic minorities.
