Japan"s Response to the Gorbachev Era, 1985-1991 (ebook)

Argumento de Japan"s Response to the Gorbachev Era, 1985-1991 (ebook)

Gorbachev's transformation of both Soviet socialism and the Cold War world atmosphere kindled a far-reaching debate in Japan. Would Japan at last free itself of its secondary postwar standing? Would a new Soviet system and world order soon be established? Gilbert Rozman argues in Japan's Response to the Gorbachev Era, that Japanese perceptions of the Soviet Union are distinctive and are helpful for understanding what will become an influential worldview. Focusing on diverse opinion leaders and the relationship between the Japanese media, policy-making, and public opinion, Rozman shows how long-standing negative images of Soviet socialism and militarism have been reconsidered since the mid-1980s. His analysis treats burning issues such as the Northern Territories dispute, the Soviet commitment to reform, and the Soviet-American relationship. It also sheds light on Japanese views of Soviet history, modernization, and national character. Such views reveal some of the building blocks for the emergent Japanese worldview.

Originally published in 1992.

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"This is a valuable, detailed case-study of Japanese perceptions of the rise of Gorbachev that sheds considerable light not only on this subject but on Japanese decision-making, domestic politics and attitudes toward the outside world."--Foreign Affairs0Preface Chronology Pt. 1 The Contemporary Background Ch. 1 The Japanese Worldview 3 Ch. 2 The Foreign Policy Establishment 20 Ch. 3 The Spectrum of Political Debate 44 Ch. 4 The Information Society 57 Pt. 2 A Chronology of Changing Perceptions Ch. 5 The Historical Background 73 Ch. 6 The First Cycle, 1985-1987 98 Ch. 7 The Second Cycle, 1987-1989 108 Ch. 8 The Third Cycle, 1989-1991 136 Pt. 3 The Building Blocks for Perceptions Ch. 9 Views of the Russian Heritage 173 Ch. 10 Views of Soviet Development 187 Ch. 11 Views of Soviet Society 209 Ch. 12 Views of Soviet Politics and New Thinking 224 Pt. 4 The Soviet Debate and Japan's Future Ch. 13 Patterns of Perceptions 245 Ch. 14 Strategy toward the Soviet Union 271 Ch. 15 An Early Look at the Japanese Superpower 303 Epilogue 330 Notes 335 Index 365