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Book Reviews

Richard Sims, Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation 1868-2000
(London: Hurst & Company, 2001). 395 pages. 395 pages. $59.95.

Reviewed by Scott B. MacDonald

Click here to purchase "Japanese Political History Since the Mejii Renovation" directly from Amazon.com

Richard L. Sims is one of the UK’s foremost academic experts on Japan and has taught Japanese history at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies since 1965. His years of dedication to the study of Japan has resulted in what can only be described as one of the most thorough and well-written books on Japanese political history in a long time. Sims begins with the Meiji Restoration in 1868, a year which "…marks a turning-point in Japanese history comparable with 1789 in France and or 1917 in Russia." He makes an important distinction that what transpired was more than a dynastic restoration. Rather, it was a sweeping political change that provided the foundations for modern Japanese politics.

One of the major points of Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation is that most foreigners are largely unaware of the full dimensions of Japanese politics, including that the country is a constitutional monarchy. It is also not understood that alongside an authoritarian tradition (most evident in the 1868-1945 period) there is a strong anti-Establishment strand, and that localism remains an ongoing factor in today’s electoral system. Sims also notes that Japan’s political system based on the "politics of compromise", despite many faults, has also provided considerable political stability, which stands in sharp contrast to the political experiences of many other Asian nations. Along these lines, he states: "A willingness to accommodate different interests and to exercise restraint in the pursuit of power may have played a key role in the evolution of a viable political system which, for all its faults, allowed an increasing measure of popular participation while remaining basically stable. In this respect, at least, Japanese politics may offer a useful lesson."

Sims provides a well-rounded historical coverage of the modern era of Japanese politics, with the chapters pertaining to the development of constitutional government and its early failure leading up to the Second War being particularly strong. The 1990s receive a little less attention than other periods, but even here Sims makes a valuable contribution in providing the play of political forces in a clearcut fashion. We highly recommend Sims’ Japanese Political History Since the Meiji Renovation for all readers.