The First Asian Tiger: The Transformation Of Japan

Abstract

Japan’s rapid rise seemed a ‘miracle’ to scholars writing in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Now it seems less miraculous, or perhaps one miracle among many. Changes in interpretation reflect the perspectives of the observer. Viewed from the West, as suggested in Chapter 1, interpretations of Japan’s rise have been very much a product of developments in the West. This is true of Asia as well, and viewed from Asia, as will be seen in Chapters 6 and 7, interpretations of Japan’s transformation reflect the fact that the emergence of an industrial economy in Japan destabilized the balance of power in Asia. In this chapter we will attempt to maintain an internal view, and look at Japanese development as experienced by the Japanese.