John Dower’s Embracing Defeat challenges the idea that history is written from the perspective of the winner, a concept widely taught and promoted as true. Embracing Defeat is far more than simply a history book; it is the examination of the multiplicity of reactions, the outbreak of culture and counter-culture, as well as the development of various stereotypes that the loss in World War II brought upon the Japanese.
Embracing Defeat is incredibly complex and covers a wide range of Japanese responses in the aftermath of the Second World War. While Dower’s research on the variety of elements of the book is astounding, much of it gets lost within the many layers of the narrative. It is easy to forgive some generally confusing or unclear
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Perhaps the most striking line in the book is when Dower states, “Like insects in amber, lines and phrases from the broadcast soon became locked in popular consciousness” (36). This example of Dower’s mastery of writing is used to show the impact that the Emperor’s speech had on an entire nation. The Emperor urges the nation to “endure the unendurable,” (36) foreshadowing what soon would become true for the nation. Ravaged by hyperinflation, extreme hunger, and a loss of identity Dower takes the reader through the heart-breaking nature of postwar Japan creating a lasting and powerful image of the time by including photographs and poems. However, from this broken nation rose grass-roots activism and …show more content…
Western materialism and consumerism, especially products like lipstick and nylon stockings, became a trademark for the pan pan look. It is with these Western goods that the metaphorical transition of the Japanese image from brutish, masculine dominant threat to the vision of a docile female body was formed. Here Dower explicitly depicts the interconnectivity of Japanese and Western cultures through commercialism.
Additionally, the explosion of poetry and literature published in magazines despite the extreme lack of paper supplies championed Dower’s idea of free expression. As the publishing sector became one of the first to recover, the obsession with the “new” made its way onto the titles of hundreds of magazines. Kasutori, meaning self-indulgence, culture combined both sexual license and literature with the introduction of widespread sexually oriented entertainment. While these trends do not define modern day Japan, it is interesting to note the response to the oppressing militaristic
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.
The sympathy of loss is persuaded as a devastating way on how a person is in a state of mind of losing. A person deals with loss as an impact on life and a way of changing their life at the particular moment. In the book My Losing Season by Pat Conroy he deals with the type of loss every time he plays basketball due to the fact, when something is going right for him life finds a way to make him lose in a matter of being in the way of Pat’s concentration to be successful.
Being a relative neophyte to medieval Japanese history I found Conlan’s State of War to be an enlightening series of chapters about the changes that developed out of the Nanbokucho experience. With the requirement for compensation, rewards being imperative for service, and the often times capricious nature of loyalty; Conlan demystifies the Japanese warrior, revealing them to be no gods or buddhas, rather by and large merely pragmatists.
The bombing on Pearl Harbor impaired America, which brought an increase to racial tension. However, this impairment brought all nationalities together. “Thirty-three thousand Japanese Americans enlisted in the United States Armed Forces. They believed participation in the defense of their country was the best way to express their loyalty and fulfill their obligation as citizens” (Takaki 348). Takaki proves to us that the battle for independence was grappled on the ends of enslaved races. The deception of discrimination within the military force didn’t only bewilder Americans that sensed the agony of segregation, but also to the rest of world who honored and idolized America as a beam of freedom for
John Dower's "Embracing Defeat" truly conveys the Japanese experience of American occupation from within by focusing on the social, cultural, and philosophical aspects of a country devastated by World War II. His capturing of the Japanese peoples' voice let us, as readers, empathize with those who had to start over in a "new nation."
...feat of Japan in World War 2). With the changes of the nature of power, Japan by balancing out aggressive economic policies and a quiet military buildup, was able to build herself up to become a prominent player in the international sphere today. In closing, while Japan’s policies today in general have been skewered towards the arguments of the ‘Gentleman’, increasingly Japan has considered more realist concerns of security in the escalation of tensions of the East Asian geopolitical sphere. Chomin’s Discourse has nonetheless served as a prophetic blueprint for more than a century of Japan policy-making.
Throughout December of 1937, the historic city of Nanking was invaded by the Japanese military, which will gradually proceed on to rape and kill helpless civilians as well as carry the death toll to exceed that of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, put together. What took place there is certainly retold throughout three views, that of the troops who executed the assault, of the people who survived and suffered, and lastly of the chosen number of Europeans and Americans who battled to save over three hundred thousand people in this abomination. That sort o...
Japanese banners soaring overhead, as bombs scream their warnings of death as they slam the ground. “BOOM!” Smoke fills Tomi’s nostrils as he runs for shelter- and his life. These moments of extreme panic opened a door to new threats on Tomi’s life and altered the perspective of his life entirely. With the right help, Tomi can fight through these new hardships, but life after this day will, undoubtedly, be tough. After the Day of Infamy, Tomi loses his family and irreplaceable treasures, encounters racial discriminations and bullying, and struggles to find a way to return to the luxury of the before time.
Hasegawa, Tsuyoshi. “Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman and the Surrender of Japan.” Taking Sides: Clashing View in United States History. Ed. Larry Madaras & James SoRelle. 15th ed. New York, NY. 2012. 289-298.
...direct assistance of a male. In Japan’s Comfort Women, the “weakness” of women is seen again. Rape and sexual trade became a power play by individual men all the way up to the highest levels of government. But it was also a story of strength and courage on the part of victimized women. The Pacific War changed many things in Japan and the evolution of those institutions of Japanese society happened rapidly. The changes, however drastic, however gruesome, however sorrowful, were what shaped the history and future of Japan.
(p. 4) Dower acknowledged that warfare in the Pacific was particularly harsh with both side frequently killing imprisoned enemy soldiers rather than keeping them as prisoners, and the collection of human remains of enemy for mementos was typical. He also showed the brutal Japanese treatment of whites and Asians in wartime camps and the Americans' internment of over 100,000 Japanese/American people. If he had discussed Japanese anti-Jewish and pro-Muslim attitudes and a more equal comparison of battle brutalities in the Pacific region, and some on the Eastern Front would have given the reader a greater comprehension. Overall, Dower’s work was thoroughly researched and was a innovation in acknowledgment of W.W.II propaganda in the Pacific
From the moment Japan opened its ports to Western ships, Japanese people from all over the country played catch-up to Western technology, ideas, and beliefs. However, they quickly noticed that Japanese national and cultural identity was rapidly disappearing in favor of the seemingly more sophisticated Western style of thought. The Meiji Period, lasting from 1868-1912, was a huge pivotal point in the fusion of Japanese and Western styles. Novelists penned many works during this time, detailing the aspects of the transition from traditional to modern such as the benefits and consequences of moving forward versus centering life on core, old-fashioned values. In addition, new standards were set out on what defines a novel. The Essence of the Novel by Tsubouchi Shoyo and Fukuzawa Yukichi ideas pushed the framework of the Western novel as the more preferred style of writing than the Japanese writing style, as well as introducing contemporary literary criticism to the Japanese literary community. Despite many writers gradually accepting their criticisms, there were some pundits who believed that Japan shouldn’t blindly accept everything Western at the cost of their own, unique identity. Nagai Kafu’s The River Sumida and Kanagaki Robun’s “The Beefeater” explore the Western-Japanese cultural fusion, each placing their praise and criticism of Western indulgence at similar but unique points.
Davidson, J. F, 1954. Memory of Defeat in Japan: A Reappraisal of "Rashomon". The Antioch Review, , 492-501.
Fifty years after the end of the second World War, it is easy to look back on the American occupation of Japan and see it as a mild nudge to the left rather than a new beginning for the country. We still see an emperor, even if only as a symbol. Industry, when it was rebuilt, was under much of the same leadership as before the war. Many elements of the traditional lifestyle remained–with less government support and in competition with new variants. The Japanese people remained connected to a culture which was half western and half Japanese. Nevertheless, it is irrefutable that the surrender in 1945 had a major impact on the lives of the Japanese. Political parties, elected by the populous, became a great deal more influential in the government. This changed the dynamics of Japanese industry, even if the zaibatsu were sill the foundation of the economy. Financial success took on a new character; the production of high tech goods for sale to the world’s most developed countries was now a better source of income. The affluence of the upper class was more evenly distributed. On a broader scale, for the first time, America had more influence than European powers. The prevention of the formation of a military put the focus of the government on trade, the United Nations, and the cold war rather than an empire in Asia. Simultaneously, social attitudes and lifestyle were more independent of the government and consumer led.
Keene, Donald. Anthology of Japanese literature, from the earliest era to the mid-nineteenth century. New York: Grove P, 1955.