Rethinking Japan's Modernity

Stories and Translations

M. William Steele

$103.95

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Harvard University Press
06 August 2024

Art of indigenous peoples; Asian history; Social & cultural anthropology

Series: Harvard East Asian Monographs

History is not one story, but many. In Rethinking Japan's Modernity, M. William Steele takes a new look at the people, places, and events associated with Japan's engagement with modernity, starting with American Commodore Matthew Perry's arrival in Japan in 1853. In many cases, this new look derives from visual sources, such as popular broadsheets, satirical cartoons, ukiyo-e and other woodblock prints, postcards, and photographs. The book illustrates the diverse, and sometimes conflicting, perceptions of people who experienced the unfolding of modern Japan. It focuses both on the experiences of people living the events ""at that time"" and on the reflections of others looking back. Also included are three new translations-two of them by Japan's pioneer Westernizer, Fukuzawa Yukichi, and another by Mantei Ōga-parodying Fukuzawa's monumental work advocating Western learning. These and other stories show how Japanese views of modernity evolved over time. Each chapter is prefaced with a short introduction to the topic covered and historiographical approach taken, allowing each to stand alone as well as support the overall goal of the work-to inform and challenge our understanding of the links between Japan's past, present, and future.

By: M. William Steele
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
ISBN: 9780674297562
ISBN 10: 0674297563
Series: Harvard East Asian Monographs
Pages: 372
Publication Date: 06 August 2024
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

M. William Steele is Professor Emeritus of Japanese History at International Christian University in Tokyo.

Reviews for Rethinking Japan's Modernity: Stories and Translations

A fascinating and wide ranging set of new examples of the vibrancy and complexity of Japan’s 19th-century transformation. -- Ian Rapley * Asian Review of Books *