The Autobiography of Ozaki Yukio by Ozaki Yukio
Ozaki Yukio, who was returned to his seat in the Japanese Diet twenty-five times, served in that body from its inception in 1890 to 1953. He was several times a cabinet member and, for ten years, mayor of Tokyo. A strong advocate of representative government, he both witnessed and propelled Japan's transformation from a late feudal society to a modern state. His autobiography, available in English for the first time, gives an insider's account of key episodes and leaders over seven decades of Japanese history. Ozaki's political life spanned the Meiji rise to power and Japan's defeat in World War II, and he played a significant role in each phase of that epic. As a young reporter, he gained preeminence with incisive calls for supremacy in East Asia. A European trip that showed him the devastation of World War I converted him to advocacy of arms reduction and international cooperation. He watched with dismay as Japan encountered isolation and military disaster. Known for the courage of his convictions, he became a marked man, carrying a death poem in his pocket. His study independence survived the American Occupation, as he deplored his associates' readiness to heed occupation dictates. Ozaki's story reverberates with the immediacy of his personal knowledge of every major Japanese political figure for three-quarters of a century. It is the account of a man who made history as well as writing it. His story is the story of modern Japan. Through it, readers will gain first-hand knowledge of Japanese constitutional history, one with rich relevance for contemporary Japanese politics.
While minister of education in 1898, [Ozaki] achieved notoriety for a speech which led to the break-up of the first party cabinet in Jananese history, and his version of this episode adds significantly to what has previously been written about it in EnglishIt is, however, just one of many highlights in Ozaki's uninhibited account of opposition tactics and political rivalries, the readability of which is enhanced by many vivid descriptions of his political friends and enemies. hard Sims, "History
Fujiko Hara is a professional interpreter and the grand-daughter of Ozaki Yukio. She translated this work with the assistance of Martin Blakeway. Marius B. Jansen, Emeritus Professor of Japanese History at Princeton University, is the author of Sakainoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration, Japan and its World Two Centures of Change (Princeton), and The Making of Modern Japan.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780691050959 |
| ISBN 10 | 0691050953 |
| Title | The Autobiography of Ozaki Yukio |
| Author | Ozaki Yukio |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Publisher | Princeton University Press |
| Year published | 2001-04-29 |
| Number of pages | 416 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |