Liberalism in Modern Japan

Ishibashi Tanzan and his Teachers, 1905-1960

Sharon Nolte

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN: 9780520370906
• eBook ISBN: 9780520333192
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Asian History
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Liberalism in Modern Japan: Ishibashi Tanzan and His Teachers, 1905-1960 offers a compelling exploration of the evolution of liberal thought in Japan during a period of profound social, political, and economic transformation. By focusing on the lives and ideas of figures such as Tanaka Odo, Ishibashi Tanzan, and Shimamura Hogetsu, the book illuminates the intellectual currents that shaped Japan’s modernization. These thinkers championed principles such as individual dignity, freedom of expression, gender equality, and democratic participation, adapting Western liberal ideas to the unique context of Japanese society. Their vision, however, was not without its complexities, as they sought to balance imported ideologies with Japan’s historical and cultural realities. The result is a nuanced narrative that sheds light on how liberalism became both a force of reform and a subject of contention within modern Japan.

The study also situates Japanese liberalism within broader global and historical paradigms, challenging simplistic comparisons with Western models. Japan’s trajectory—marked by rapid industrialization, bureaucratic governance, and a patriarchal social order—defies easy categorization within frameworks of colonialism or revolution. By examining the interplay of Western influences and indigenous developments, the book underscores the distinctiveness of Japan’s modern experience. The thinkers profiled here not only grappled with tensions between institutional structures and cultural values but also redefined Japan’s identity on the world stage. Their work provides an invaluable lens for understanding the complexities of modernization and the enduring relevance of liberal ideals in shaping national and global histories.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1987.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Introduction: Liberal Intellectuals and Their Institutional Context
• 1 Ethics: Tanaka Ōdō and John Dewey
• 2 Literature: Shimamura Hōgetsu’s Naturalism and Its Liberal Critics
• 3 The Woman Problem: Shimamura, Tanaka, and Ishibashi Tanzan
• 4 History as Taisho Politics: Tanaka and Ishibashi
• 5 Taisho Democracy: Tanaka and Ishibashi
• 6 The Social Problem: Ishibashi on Labor, Tenants, and Finance
• 7 The Pacific War: Ishibashi and the Tōyō keizai shinpō, 1931—1945
• 8 History as Postwar Politics: Ishibashi, the Allied Occupation, and the Liberal Democratic Party
• Conclusion: The Legacy and Limits of Taisho Liberalism
• Bibliography
• Index