Reconisidering Postwar Japanese History: A Handbook

After war defeat in 1945, Japan underwent historic political, economic and social transformations resulting in the country’s rebirth as an economic powerhouse and exemplar of liberal democracy in East Asia. This handbook expands and enriches our understanding of this tumultuous contemporary era in Japan’s modern history.

Simon Avenell is professor at the Australian National University. He specializes in modern Japanese history, with a particular interest in civil society, social activism, and the history of ideas in postwar Japan. His latest book, Asia and Postwar Japan: Deimperialization, Civic Activism, and National Identity, was published by Harvard University Press in 2022.