Meiji Japan in Global History

This book explores the complex interplay between Japanese nation-building and global processes during Meiji Japan (1868-1912), focusing on the individuals who shaped and were shaped by this era of global connectivity. It examines Japan's rise on the modern world stage, highlighting the challenges and opportunities faced by various groups as territorial expansion redefined marginalized communities and diverse populations moved to and from colonized and foreign lands.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 200 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate relationship between Japanese nation-building and the country's engagement with global processes during the Meiji Japan era (1868–1912). Meiji Japan, as perceived from within, represents an era of indeterminate duration and extent, characterized by a fluidity in the length of the emperor's reign and the evolving boundaries of the nation. The questions surrounding who was represented by and who identified with the emerging nation-state remained in constant flux as Japan's modern political, economic, legal, and sociocultural parameters took shape.

To explore Meiji Japan's place in global history, the authors employ a global perspective, focusing on the individuals—whether government leaders, intellectual elites, indigenous communities, or colonial migrants—who both shaped and were shaped by this era of interconnectedness. Within this context, localized challenges and supranational opportunities coexisted, leading to the movement of people as territorial expansion redefined marginalized groups and diverse populations traversed colonized and foreign lands.

This volume aims to uncover how individuals during the Meiji Japan era positioned themselves within a specific time and place, akin to how people in the twenty-first century seek to interpret and commemorate the sesquicentennial of Meiji Japan's inception. The chapters in this book were originally published in the esteemed journal Japan Forum, contributing to the ongoing scholarly discourse on this pivotal period in Japanese history.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367693343