Imperial Japan's Forever War, 1895-1945

[soryang]

2. James Bradley

Great historian. His book The China Mirage is remarkable as well. I don't think any other book I've read on Asian history had such an impact except perhaps Bernard Fall's work on Vietnam.

Haven't read the one you mentioned. Thanks for the reference.

No doubt imo that Japan modeled its modern imperialism on the western examples. In fact, the two things modernization and imperialism were felt to go together. Among other examples Ito Hirobumi studied the so called Cromer model English imperialism provided in Egypt. German militarism and state organization was also the subject of great interest in Japan. The problem now is that some of the current crop of LDP leaders are nostalgic about this period and in denial of the excesses in their violent history. I think the description in the linked article of the significance of the Yasukuni Shrine to the Japanese militarist ideology is significant because currently it is undergoing a political and social revival since the advent of the Abe administration.