In Toshie: A Story of Village Life in Twentieth-Century Japan, published in 2004, author Simon Partner offers an insight on the transformation that underwent Japan through the mid-twentieth century through the life of Sakaue Toshie, a woman born and raised on a farm in the Kosugi hamlet of Yokogoshi, Niigata—a rural region almost 250km from the capital of Japan. Toshie was born in 1925—a year before the 64-year reign of Showa Era by Emperor Hirohito. This was a time when “two out of every ten babies died in childbirth or infancy,”(1) and Toshie’s family, who were poor tenant farmers renting a mere one acre of land, “were not far above”(2) those that were “literally unable to support themselves.”(2). Kosugi was virtually isolated especially in the winter season, when “residents of Kosugi had their hands full just keeping the main paths open in the hamlet,” (5) but also experienced “frequent floods [that] caused losses that small peasant farmers were often unable to recoup.” (7). This small village of Kosugi was thus one of the many rice-growing villages, with limited productivity and western mechanization. However, during the last three quarters of the twentieth century, Japan essentially transformed from an Empire to a Nation State, changing considerably in not only its governmental structure but also its social and economic structure. This paper examines Simon Partner’s contemporary approach of welding these significant historical transformations with the life experiences of a rural villager—a voice often unheard and hidden under the urban perspectives in historical textbooks. It argues that Japan’s socioeconomic metamorphosis did not occur immediately during or after the World War in the 1940s; rather, these changes kicked in af...
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...x understandings that the landowners—the Kofunatos in this case—were of higher standing, and the Sakaues were to comply to the Kofunatos. (112). Thus, the Sakaues returned most of what farmland they had—a mere acre—to the Kofunatos before the land reforms, further compelling Toshie to perform manual labor to maintain a living. Even after the years following the end of the war, these social practices had not changed; Toshie’s father, like many others, firmly believed against risking the relationship between the families by fighting over the land. (112).
It was not until the end of the 1950s that Toshie’s living standards escaped poverty, enabling her to purchase a washing machine and television. During 1955 to 1950, Japan experienced an “extraordinary change in both urban and rural Japan,”(127) where the economy grew so fast that rapid social change was inevitable.
Much of what is considered modern Japan has been fundamentally shaped by its involvement in various wars throughout history. In particular, the events of World War II led to radical changes in Japanese society, both politically and socially. While much focus has been placed on the broad, overarching impacts of war on Japan, it is through careful inspection of literature and art that we can understand war’s impact on the lives of everyday people. The Go Masters, the first collaborative film between China and Japan post-WWII, and “Turtleback Tombs,” a short story by Okinawan author Oshiro Tatsuhiro, both give insight to how war can fundamentally change how a place is perceived, on both an abstract and concrete level.
'Even with all the mental anguish and struggle, an elemental instinct bound us to this soil. Here we were born; here we wanted to live. We had tasted of its freedom and learned of its brave hopes for democracy. It was too late, much too late for us to turn back.' (Sone 124). This statement is key to understanding much of the novel, Nisei Daughter, written by Monica Sone. From one perspective, this novel is an autobiographical account of a Japanese American girl and the ways in which she constructed her own self-identity. On the other hand, the novel depicts the distinct differences and tension that formed between the Issei and Nisei generations. Moreover, it can be seen as an attempt to describe the confusion experienced by Japanese Americans torn between two cultures.
Although the term “revolution from above” is often used to explain the GHQ’s method of postwar reform in Japan (Dower, 1999: p.69), I argue that a similar motivation was in effect in the U.S.’s efforts to isolate all Japanese descendants in America and subject them to coerced American soci...
However, amid a global economic crisis, the military came to the fore, and Japan eventually marched down the road to war. With the end of World War II in 1945 Japan put into effect a new Constitution, committed itself to becoming a peace-seeking democracy, and successful in relaunching its economy. In 1956, the nation’s entry into the United Nations was approved.
Jansen, Marius B.. "Japan Between the Wars." The making of modern Japan. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2002. 495. Print.
Known for her work as a historian and rather outspoken political activist, Yamakawa Kikue was also the author of her book titled Women of the Mito Domain (p. xix). At the time she was writing this work, Yamakawa was under the surveillance of the Japanese government as the result of her and her husband’s work for the socialist and feminist movements in Japan (p. xx-xxi). But despite the restrictions she was undoubtedly required to abide by in order to produce this book, her work contains an air of commentary on the past and present political, social, and economic issues that had been plaguing the nation (p. xxi). This work is a piece that comments on the significance of women’s roles in history through the example of Yamakawa’s own family and
Nakae Chomin’s Discourse was published in 1887, a period that demarcated a crucial turning point in Japan’s politics and economy. The book itself suggested the great debate that the people of Japan were having in deciding the future of the nation, and draws on Chomin’s studies on Western politics in France and his journalistic and political involvements in Japan.
The biggest component which marked the shift in Ju/‘hoansi life would be the change from a hunter gatherer society to an agricultural society. The transition was not an easy one, as the unreliable rainfall and drastic seasonal changes made settling in one area a challenge. However, the Jus managed to raise livestock such as cattle and goats and grow ten different crops including tobacco, sorghum and maize.(Lee, 2003) Although these changes were beneficial as it increases the stability of the food supply in a community, it also restricted the mobility of the people. Farm life resulted in children having to start working at a young age and the subordination of women became more prevalent as they became housebound while their spouses left to seek job opportunities. Men started to leave home grounds to work at the mines to buy food and other goods. It was observed that these men incorporated the hxaro exchange system to the goods they bought, preserving traditional pra...
War played a central part in the history of Japan. Warring clans controlled much of the country. A chief headed each clan; made up of related families. The chiefs were the ancestors of Japan's imperial family. The wars were usually about land useful for the production of rice. In fact, only 20% of the land was fit for farming. The struggle for control of that land eventually ga...
...s. These lands were “usually in less desirable locations and discouraged any successful transition to agriculture”.24
Matsumoto studies three generations, Issei, Nisei, and Sansei living in a closely linked ethnic community. She focuses her studies in the Japanese immigration experiences during the time when many Americans were scared with the influx of immigrants from Asia. The book shows a vivid picture of how Cortex Japanese endured violence, discriminations during Anti-Asian legislation and prejudice in 1920s, the Great Depression of 1930s, and the internment of 1940s. It also shows an examination of the adjustment period after the end of World War II and their return to the home place.
Tsuzuki, Chushichi. The Pursuit of Power in Modern Japan, 1825-1995. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. Questia. Web. 28 Apr. 2011.
Though it seems that it was the Western influence that set off this revolutionary change, a more scrutinizing look into Japanese society at the time reveals that Japan was in fact on the brink of supplanting the fixed, hierarchical Tokugawa order for one that was better suited for its fast evolving, capitalistic society. As historian David Lu states, “Our people began to discover [modern civilization’s] utility and gradually and yet actively moved towards its acceptance. However, there was an old fashioned and bloated government that stood in the way of progress.” (Lu, 351). Therefore in a way we can view the intrusion of Western powers in Japan on that infamous July day in 1853 as an event that occurred during a time when Japan was ready for a world renewal, and not a direct and complete cause of modernization of Japan; in fact it was Japan’s revaluation of modernization and what it meant to be Japanese amidst strong western influences that eventually ...
The theme of the story is midevil japan in a small village
Our preliminary class gave a brief, yet detailed outline of major events affecting the East Asian region. Within that class, prompted by our limited geographical knowledge of Asia, we were given a fundamental explanation of the geographical locations of the various events taking place in the region. In subsequent classes, we were introduced to the major wars, political shifts, and economic interests which shaped Japan, China and Korea to what they are today. We examined the paradigm of pre-modern Japanese governance, the Shogunate, and the trained warriors which defended lord and land, Samurai. In addition, we examined the socio-economic classes of Medieval Japan, which included the Samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and the merchants. We also examined pre-1945 Japan’s policies toward foreign entities, notably the Sakoku Policy, which sought to expunge all foreign presence and commerce in an effort to protect its borders and culture. 1945, however, saw ...