Book Review: Japan and the Shackles of the Past – A Necessary and Unflinching Look

Japan and the Shackles of the Past argues that Japan's modernization is profoundly uneven, with economic strength contrasting with political and social weakness. The critique connects today's secretive, corrupt institutional elites directly to the Tokugawa period, highlighting a cultural "magic realism" where contradictory ideas coexist, creating systemic inertia. The book offers a crucial, clear-eyed perspective for understanding modern Japan's dilemmas.