Society and the State in Interwar Japan

The interwar years in Japan represent a neglected area of study which this book addresses from a variety of perspectives such as nationalism, class and gender. Emphasis is given to the diversity of Japanese culture during these formative years.

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The social history of Japan between the First and Second World Wars is a neglected area of study. The contributors to this volume consider factors such as nationalism, class, gender and race. They also explore the ideas and activities of a number of new social and political groups, such as the urban white collar class (including middle class working women), socialists, industrial workers and emigrants. The book questions the myth of Japanese homogeneity, and gives an emphasis to the diversity, cross-currents and socio-political tensions that characterised the 1920s and 1930s.