BOOK REVIEW | 'Modern Japan's Place in World History: From Meiji to Reiwa'

Modern Japan's Place in World History (Springer Nature, open access) is an ambitious collection of essays spanning 211 pages. Edited by Masayuki Yamauchi and Yuichi Hosoya, it was published in early 2023. The volume traces Japan's journey from the transformative Meiji Restoration through the symbolic Reiwa era, offering a panoramic view of how Japan has navigated its role on the global stage.

With contributions from 14 leading Japanese historians, the book zeroes in on critical junctures — wars, diplomacy, economy, and identity — with both empirical rigor and philosophical depth.

The project began as a series of lectures conducted at the ruling Liberal Democratic Party headquarters from December 2015 to July 2018. They were part of a group established at the time to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the LDP (p vii). Called the "Study History, Consider the Future Group," it comprised politicians and scholars. A Japanese version of the compilation was published first in 2019, followed by this English version in 2023.

Organization and Themes

The editors organized the volume in a broadly chronological sequence, anchoring each chapter to a decisive historical turning point. While there are no subsections to the 15 chapters (including an Introduction and Afterword), key themes include:

Meiji Restoration and Westernization

Exploring Meiji's early drive toward bunmei-kaika (civilization and enlightenment), the essays show how Japan selectively emulated Western models in education, governance, and industry — not merely copying, but synthesizing new forms of identity and statehood.

Imperial Wars and Expansion

Chapters on the First Sino-Japanese War, Russo-Japanese War, and Manchurian Crisis examine how military victories and territorial ambitions reshaped national confidence and global perception, establishing Japan as an imperial power.

World Wars and Rupture

The interconnected narratives of World War I and World War II illustrate how global conflicts forced Japan into alliance systems, total war, and ultimately, collapse. These provide raw material for the book's central inquiry: how Japan moved from aggressor to ally.

Postwar Reconstruction and United States Occupation

Reflective essays cover economic revival under American oversight, constitutional reform, and the paradigm shift from imperial empire to pacifist democracy — laying the groundwork for Japan's new alignment in the Asia-Pacific.

Japan–China Relations & Regional Diplomacy

The editors dedicate thoughtful space to the normalization of diplomatic ties in the 1970s, and the evolving Sino-Japanese relationship — from Cold War tensions through modern interdependence.

Contemporary Japan in Global Context

These concluding essays consider Japan's role in globalization, decolonization, and multilateral institutions, into the Reiwa era. They touch on soft power, technological influence, and ongoing identity negotiations.

Scholarly Contributions

Modern Japan's Place in History shines through its integration of fresh research and historiographical self-reflection. The Japanese contributors challenge traditional Western-centered narratives. For example:

The Meiji modernization is reframed as Japan crafting a hybridized identity, not merely West-mimicking, but West-informed innovation.
Imperial military actions are analyzed in light of domestic political struggles and emergent pan-Asian ideologies.
The postwar occupation is revisited not as a unilateral imposition, but as a negotiated transformation with shared, though unequal, agency.

By weaving global history with Japanese perspectives, the book achieves a conceptual unity: Japan has been inseparable from the world — sometimes leading, sometimes following, and always adapting

Strengths

There are several strengths to the book, including:

Global–Local Dialogue

Each essay connects Japanese domestic developments to international forces, reinforcing the thesis that Japan has never been historically insular.

Authoritative Voice

With fourteen specialists — including editors Yamauchi (Musashino University / University of Tokyo) and Hosoya (Keio University), who each wrote chapters — the book guarantees scholarly depth from an entirely Japanese perspective.

Short Yet Comprehensive

At 211 pages, it's condensed yet wide-ranging, suitable for scholars, students, and informed lay readers.

Accessibility

Open access publication lowers barriers, facilitating global scholarly engagement. This is particularly valuable in current debates on intellectual equity.

Introduction (Yuichi Hosoya)

First Chapter: The Meiji Restoration as a Constitutional Revolution (Kazuhiro Takii)

Second Chapter: The First Sino-Japanese War and East Asia (Takashi Okamoto)

Third Chapter: The Russo-Japanese War and Modern International Society (Yuichi Hosoya)

Fourth Chapter: World War I and the Origin of the Sino-Japanese Conflict (Soichi Naraoka)

Fifth Chapter: Transformational Period in Japan-China Modern Relations (Shin Kawashima)

Sixth Chapter: The Manchurian Incident and Party Cabinets (Michihiko Kobayashi)

Seventh Chapter: Disarmament Conferences and a Crisis of Diplomacy in the Interwar Period (Ken Kotani)

Eighth Chapter: The Southward Advance and Going to War with the United States (Atsushi Moriyama)

Ninth Chapter: US Policy for the Occupation of Japan and Changes to It (Ayako Kusunoki)

Tenth Chapter: Law and Politics in the Tokyo Trial (Yoshinobu Higurashi)

Eleventh Chapter: Japanese Colonial Rule and the Issue of Perceptions of History (Kan Kimura)

Twelfth Chapter: Postwar Japan-China Relations (Masaya Inoue)

Thirteenth Chapter: The Issue of Historical Perspective from the Post-Heisei Era (Hiroshi Nakanishi)

Afterword: Japan's Modern History: A Reiwa Era Perspective (Masayuki Yamauchi)

Target Audience

In publishing in English, the editors clearly hoped the book would reach an international audience. This is hinted at in the Acknowledgments (p xi) to the English version. They seem to have in mind fellow students of modern Japan as the main audience. Additionally, this book will likely interest non-specialists curious about Japanese modern history, who will appreciate its accessible essays and rich historical arcs, as well as scholars exploring global history, war and diplomacy, cultural imperialism, and postcolonial studies. In short, the writing balances academic rigor with broader readability. The global framing helps those less versed in Japanese specifics.

About the Book

Title: Modern Japan's Place in World History From Meiji to Reiwa

Editors: Masayuki Yamauchi, Yuichi Hosoya

Publisher: Springer Nature, 2023

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9811995923

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9811995927

Additional Information: This is an Open Access book. It is available to readers for free on the publisher's website. It is also available in softcover or hardback versions, at a cost, from the publisher or through online booksellers.