Politics and Culture in Wartime Japan

The Pacific War was the most traumatic experience for Japan in modern times. This book examines the politics and culture of Japan during this period: the establishment of the wartime regime--its character and limitations
the actions and reactions of the emperor, the bureaucrats, and the politicians
the deposing of the Prime Minister in the middle of the war
political developments under his successors
the role of the press
the behavior of the intellectuals
and prevailing attitudes towards the West. Shillony argues that the wartime regime of Japan was very different from contemporary totalitarian states. The political values of the Japanese were part of a wider cultural milieu, in which traditional concepts had already been affected by contact with Western civilivzation.