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China and Japan: Facing History Hardcover – July 30, 2019
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One of the world’s most eminent scholars of East Asia reveals the important touchstones in the long history between China and Japan and argues that for the sake of world stability they must forge a new relationship for the twenty-first century.
China and Japan have cultural and political connections that stretch back fifteen hundred years. But today their relationship is strained. China’s military buildup deeply worries Japan, while Japan’s brutal occupation of China in World War II remains an open wound. In recent years less than ten percent of each population had positive feelings toward the other, and both countries insist that the other side must deal openly with its history before relations can improve.
From the sixth century, when the Japanese adopted core elements of Chinese civilization, to the late twentieth century, when China looked to Japan for a path to capitalism, Ezra Vogel’s China and Japan examines key turning points in Sino-Japanese history. Throughout much of their past, the two countries maintained deep cultural ties, but China, with its great civilization and resources, had the upper hand. Japan’s success in modernizing in the nineteenth century and its victory in the 1895 Sino-Japanese War changed the dynamic, putting Japan in the dominant position. The bitter legacy of World War II has made cooperation difficult, despite efforts to promote trade and, more recently, tourism.
Vogel underscores the need for Japan to offer a thorough apology for the war, but he also urges China to recognize Japan as a potential vital partner in the region. He argues that for the sake of a stable world order, these two Asian giants must reset their relationship, starting with their common interests in environmental protection, disaster relief, global economic development, and scientific research.
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Print length536 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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PublisherBelknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
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Publication dateJuly 30, 2019
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Dimensions6.5 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches
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ISBN-100674916573
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ISBN-13978-0674916579
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“Will become required reading…Vogel delves broadly into Japanese and Chinese societies to urge less acrimony and better mutual understanding…Displays a lifetime of deep engagement with sources in English, Chinese and Japanese…He is one of the few thinkers alive with sufficient traction to speak equally with leaders in both countries as well as people on the street.”―Alexis Dudden, Times Literary Supplement
“For 1,500 years, China and Japan have taken turns as the major Asian power players, shaping each other’s destinies even as they’re often at odds. Vogel traces the nuances.”―New York Times Book Review
“The importance of this book―by one of the great Asian specialists from the U.S. of the modern era―is in alerting what will hopefully be a wide readership to how complex, and crucial, Sino-Japanese relations are, and how any complacency about the two being able to get on easily and unproblematically can be cured by attending to their long, complex and frequently acrimonious history.”―Kerry Brown, Times Higher Education
“Vogel uses the powerful lens of the past to frame contemporary Chinese-Japanese relations…With scholarly care and an eye on contemporary policy, Vogel suggests that over the centuries―across both the imperial and the modern eras―friction has always dominated their relations.”―Sheila A. Smith, Foreign Affairs
“A sweeping, often fascinating, account…Impressively researched and smoothly written, China and Japan is a timely reminder of how public perceptions are shaped by political expediency, how new leaders and propaganda can efface existing goodwill.”―Nicolas Gattig, Japan Times
“While it is not easy for outsiders to plumb the deep-seated emotions and complex psychology of the Sino-Japanese relationship, no one is better qualified to help us than Ezra Vogel. As the author of many important and influential books on both countries and possessing an extraordinary network of contacts among scholars and policy makers in China, Japan, and the United States, he is truly a unique scholar of Asia, and it is no surprise that his new volume is a work of exceptional learning.”―Kenneth Pyle, Monumenta Nipponica
“Ezra Vogel’s China and Japan is more than just an important, new addition to scholarship. Based on more than half a century of Vogel’s own work, along with that of many others, this masterful book traces the long relationship between China and Japan in a way that favors neither over the other and covers a wide range of social, political, economic, and cultural ties. General readers and scholars alike have much to gain from reading this marvelous and welcome history of the interactions between China and Japan.”―Joshua A. Fogel, author of Articulating the Sinosphere
“Vogel’s wonderful book offers a compelling account of over a millennium of China–Japan history…Powerful and riveting.”―Edward Friedman, China Review International
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Product details
- Publisher : Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press (July 30, 2019)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 536 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0674916573
- ISBN-13 : 978-0674916579
- Item Weight : 2.05 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.5 x 1.5 x 9.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,162,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,433 in Asian Politics
- #1,562 in Japanese History (Books)
- #2,085 in Chinese History (Books)
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The book is split into 12 chapters but the first two cover the archaeological evidence from the first voyages between the two countries. The book quickly moves into the 19th century and discusses Japan's modernization and both the internal and external pressures that were caused by it. China in the 19th century was in decay as its imperial system ossified as it remained completely insular. Japan on the other hand joined in the imperial ambitions that were occurring with Western powers and the author discusses the rivalries created by Japan's presence in Korea and also the first Sino - Japanese war right before the turn of the century. The author discusses the growing frictions that were caused by broad imperialism and in particular Japan's increasing confidence due to its military victories. Japan imperial ambitions grew and it claimed Taiwan and Manchuria as it's territories after defeating China while it was weakened. The author spends time discussing the domestic politics of the time in both nations. Japan in particular was going through an internal upheaval as its warrior class was stripped of its historic titles and the existential crisis created by that led to strong nationalist undercurrents. The growth of militarism in Japan is discussed as a consequence of its regional relative advancement alongside the politics of the samurai class. The author then spends time on the most historically formative years for Japan and China's relationship today, the run up to WWII. China was a poorly governed country and exploited by warlords while it was undergoing a civil war. Japan, a resource poor country exploited China's resources for its industrial engine and there was a growing resentment to their colonialism. With the onset of the war, relationships deteriorated further. The tactics that came from the Manchuko government had strong Japanese nationalist streaks, furthermore any tit for tat escalation of violence was completely disproportionate coming from the Japanese and the height of barbarism came with the rape of Nanjing. That episode has left and irreparable stain on the relationship between the two countries. The author then moves into the post war period when Japan had been decimated by the war, and in atoning for its sins tried to help China industrialize. The author discusses the pragmatic improvement in relationship as China was in need of expertise and Japan was in need of restoring its image as a neighbor. The industrializing of China had quite a bit of dependency on skill transfer from Japan, which the author talks about alongside the moral imperative felt by most of Japan's population to try to right its wrongs of the past. The author ends with the deterioration of relationships as China's strength came to exceed Japan's and the political calculus changed from depending on Japan to considering Japan a potential villain that could help unify support for the party, which claimed to be the party to liberate China of the imperialists, namely Japan. The change in narrative was of course highly self interested, but the consequence was an abrupt change of temperature that has not significantly improved. The author discusses what each side sees as dangerous about each other, the overall Chinese position, from a western point of view, is not credible, it largely uses Japan to flame nationalist sentiments as and when it is useful to do so. Japan on the other hand is seen as a country who has atoned for its past, but is tired of apologizing for events of the past from a previous generation. It is hard not to sympathize.
China and Japan is a good overview of the intertwined history of the two countries. It spans from 600 AD to the present so it discusses a lot, it focuses on 19th century onwards. One learns about how each country modernized, where it took its cues from and how the paths to modernization were fraught with regional conflict. The author also discusses the late industrialization of China and how Japan's involvement was instrumental but now it is somewhat obsolete. The relationship between Japan and China is of utmost importance and to understand it better, this is a great starting point.
Brought up in China, a young Chinese adult like me can solve more than 90% of doubts on issues between China and Japan. The history covered went back to Sui-Tang dynasties to Xi's presidency. To know about Sino-Japanese history quickly, there is nothing else to look to.
This book has provided much detail and "versions" of stories we have heard/been told/never known. As the author puts it, this book is meant to reconcile the versions of history taught in China and in Japan.
For example, it mentioned how Qing tried to keep Korea peninsula in control before collided with Meiji Japan, a history that is only partially told during my middle school.
An impressive amount of knowledge, Chinese, Japanese and Western readers will very likely be drawn to different parts of the narration. But we will all be led to believe and hope a more peaceful and co-prosperous world.
Still, 4 stars and another great contribution from Professor Vogel.
Doug Shinsato
Co-Translator of For That One Day: The Memoirs of Mitsuo Fuchida, Leader of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Top reviews from other countries
I am writing this review after reaching the 12th and final chapter of this book. I'd like to express my gratitude to Prof. Vogel for - once again, laying out a long, complicated subject in detail and committing himself as a neutral reporter to all the historical events.
Our history is not a fairy tale and deserve better treatment than what mainstream media makes of it.
Final remarks: Wished the Japanese and Chinese names of all Japanese and Chinese figures were kept. As a Chinese reader, they carry more meaning than its romanized translations and are thus easier to remember.
谢谢您傅高義先生!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 20, 2019
I am writing this review after reaching the 12th and final chapter of this book. I'd like to express my gratitude to Prof. Vogel for - once again, laying out a long, complicated subject in detail and committing himself as a neutral reporter to all the historical events.
Our history is not a fairy tale and deserve better treatment than what mainstream media makes of it.
Final remarks: Wished the Japanese and Chinese names of all Japanese and Chinese figures were kept. As a Chinese reader, they carry more meaning than its romanized translations and are thus easier to remember.
谢谢您傅高義先生!