Description
This essay discusses how the nature of the Japanese state can be understood through an anthropological lens. It argues that the Western perception of Japan as a paradoxical society is due to the lack of understanding of Japanese culture. The essay goes on to discuss how this understanding can be improved by engaging with Japanese scholars and practitioners.
Brian J. McVeigh uses a unique anthropological approach to step outside flawed stereotypes of Japanese society and really engage in the current debate over the role of bureaucracy in Japanese politics. To many in the West, Japan appears as a paradox: a rational, high-tech economic superpower and yet at the same time a deeply ritualistic and ceremonial society. This adventurous new study demonstrates how these nominally conflicting impressions of Japan can be reconciled and a greater understanding of the state achieved.
Related Products
