|
|
|
|
 | The Autobiography of Ozaki Yukio: |
Ozaki Yukio, who was returned to his seat in the Japanese Diet twenty-five times, served in that body from its inception in 1890 to 1953. He was several times a cabinet member and, for ten years, mayor of Tokyo. A strong advocate of representative government, he both witnessed and propelled Japan's transformation from a late feudal society to a modern state. His autobiography, available in English for the first time, gives an insider's account of key episodes and leaders over seven decades of Japanese history. Ozaki's political life spanned the Meiji rise to power and Japan's defeat in World War II, and he played a significant role in each phase of that epic. As a young reporter, he gained preeminence with incisive calls for supremacy in East Asia. A European trip that showed him the devastation of World War I converted him to advocacy of arms reduction and international cooperation. He watched with dismay as Japan encountered isolation and military disaster. Known for the courage of his convictions, he became a marked man, carrying a death poem in his pocket. His sturdy independence survived the American Occupation, as he deplored his associates' readiness to heed occupation dictates. Ozaki's story reverberates with the immediacy of his personal knowledge of every major Japanese political figure for three-quarters of a century. It is the account of a man who made history as well as writing it. His story is the story of modern Japan. Through it, readers will gain first-hand knowledge of Japanese constitutional history, one with rich relevance for contemporary Japanese politics. "While minister of education in 1898, [Ozaki] achieved notoriety for a speech which led to the break-up of the first party cabinet in Jananese history, and his version of this episode adds significantly to what has previously been written about it in English. It is, however, just one of many highlights in Ozaki's uninhibited account of opposition tactics and political rivalries, the readability of which is enhanced by many vivid descriptions of his political friends and enemies."--Richard Sims, History Endorsements: "Ozaki Yukio's autobiography examines the triumphs and tragedies of modern Japanese political history. Often at the heart of the fray, and exceptionally well informed about his peers, his account of the inner life of the Japanese political world for nearly seventy years is full of important insights, information, and careful analysis. When one reads this book, one realizes that Japan's heroes in the modern age were not always those most honored, or those most facile at making the political system serve their ends, but figures such as Ozaki who steered a steady course toward a more open and democratic society. . . . The work is also useful in showing the reader that the sources of contemporary Japanese political problems are clearly based in the Japanese political and social structure that dates to earlier times."--Fred Notehelfer, University of California, Los Angeles, author of Japan through American Eyes LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS vii Other Princeton books by Marius B. Jansen: Subject Areas: Prices subject to change without notice File created: 11/5/2009 | |
Questions and comments to: webmaster@press.princeton.edu | |