The Japanese Today: Change and Continuity, by Edwin O. Reischauer

The Japanese Today was first written by the American ambassador to Japan Edwin O. Reischauer in 1977, and updated in 1988. Reischauer, who grew up in Japan himself and attended the American School in Japan, was considered one of the leading American experts on Japan. Reischauer wrote this book as an introduction to the history and geography of Japan, and in particular the society, politics, business, and international relations of postwar (modern) Japan.

This is an indispensable introduction of Japan to Westerners because of the breadth of information it covers, and is reinforced by Reischauer's intimate knowledge of the Japanese society. However, what it gains in its breadth it loses in depth, so other resources are necessary to delve deeper into specific subjects. Further, much of this book will be irrelevant to people learning about Japanese values and culture. The sections on government and business may be of interest to those learning about those specific topics, but for those interested in the culture and values, the sections on setting, historical background, and society, as well as the final two chapters titled "language" and "uniqueness and internationalism" contain most of the pertinent information. Finally, as opposed to books such as Shutting Out the Sun and In the Realm of a Dying Emperor, Reischauer makes very few value statements, instead choosing to give an objective report on Japan.

Discussion Questions: