Description
Book SynopsisFocusing on the post war reconstruction of the education systems in Japan and Germany under U.S. military occupation after World War II, this book offers a comparative historical investigation of education reform policies in these two war ravaged and ideologically compromised countries. While in Japan large-scale reforms were undertaken swiftly after the end of the war, the U.S. zone in Germany maintained most of the traditional aspects of the German education system. Why did Japan so readily accept ideas and values developed in the allied countries while Germany resisted? Masako Shibata explores this question, arguing that the role of the university and the pattern of elite formation, which can be traced back to the period of the formation of Meiji Japan and the Kaiserreich, created the conditions for differing reactions from educational leaders in each country; this had a decisive impact on the proposed reforms. By examining these reactions through a sociological, cultural, and histo
Trade ReviewThe volume is indeed fascinating and insightful . . . relevant and thought-provoking. -- Anni Baker, Wheaton College * H-German *
Written in a comprehensive and accessible fashion. * The Journal of Japanese Studies *
Shibata draws widely yet eclectically on government documents, memoirs, and contemporary newspaper accounts. . . . Recommended. Undergraduate collections. -- S.F. White, Mount St. Mary's University * CHOICE *
Masako Shibata's book, Japan and Germany under the U.S. Occupation, is an excellent comparative analysis of post-war education reform in the two countries. Shibata uses crucial findings from Japanese resources and German newspapers of the era. Many historical facts are misconceived by historians, but Shibata uses her linguistic ability to establish her book as close to the essence of the true history. -- Gary H. Tsuchimochi, Hirosaki University
Table of ContentsChapter 1 List of Tables and Figures Chapter 2 Foreword Chapter 3 Chapter 1: Introduction Part 4 Part I Chapter 5 Chapter 2: State Formation, the State Education System, and Elite Formation in Meiji Japan Chapter 6 Chapter 3: State Formation, the State Education System, and Elite Formation in the German Kaiserreich Part 7 Part II Chapter 8 Chapter 4: The Occupation Reform in Japan, 1945-1952 Chapter 9 Chapter 5: The Occupation Reform in the US-Zone of Germany, 1945-1949 Part 10 Part III Chapter 11 Chapter 6: Conclusion 12 Appendix A: The Emperial Rescript on Education [1980] 13 Appendix B: Archival Documents 14 German Glossary 15 Japanese Glossary 16 Bibliography 17 Index 18 About the Author
