Book Review: Far East: The Economic Development of China and Japan
| DOI | 10.1177/002070206502000128 |
| Published date | 01 March 1965 |
| Date | 01 March 1965 |
| Author | J. L. Cranmer-Byng |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
BOOK
REVIEWS
135
almost
equally
incisive.
Chapter
I,
"Japan
in
the
Early
Nineteenth
Century,"
contains
an
extremely
able
summary
of
the characteristics
of
pre-Meiji
Japan.
Chapter
II,
"Economic
Problems and
Reforms,"
is
also
excellent
in
showing
the
shift
in
the
balance
of
economic
powers
from
the military
to
the
rising
merchant
class
in
the
latter
part
of
the
Tokugawa Shogounate.
Only "The Modern
History
of
Japan"
contains
a
few
points
which
raise
doubts
in
the
mind
of
this
reviewer.
Although
it
is
quite
true
that
ability
has
been
generally
the
deter-
mining
factor
in
the
access to
higher
education
in
Japan
since
the
Meiji
restoration,
it
is
arguable
whether
the
author
has
not
gone
too
far
in
creating
the
impression (p.
177)
that
almost
any
commoner
in
Meiji
Japan
could
reasonably
look
forward
to
becoming
baron
or
viscount.
It
is
questionable
also,
as
stated
on
page
318,
whether
"equality
between
man
and
wife
.. .
is
fast
becoming
a
reality"
in
today's
Japanese
family.
This
reviewer
feels
that
it
would
have
been
preferable
not
to
pursue
this
study
right
up
to approximately
1962
since
it
is
quite
obvious
that
Prime
Minister
Ikeda's
record
is
much
too
close
to
us
to
be
properly
assessed in
terms
of
history.
If
for
some
reason
the
cur-
rent
period
had
to
be
covered,
it
should
have
been
dealt
with
only
in
the
broadest
terms.
Nevertheless,
The
Modern
History
of
Japan
is
probably
among
the
best
of
its
type.
It
has
certainly
no
equal
in
French
and
It
stands
above
all
those
with
which
this
reviewer
is
familiar
in
the
English
language.
It
is
to
be
highly
recommended
in
particular
to readers
already initiated
into
the
history
of
Japan
and
to all
those
who
wish
to
get
a
balanced
and
accurate
picture
of
the
modern
history
of
this
Far
Eastern
country.
UniversitM
de
Montr6al
GILLES
LALANDE
THE
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
OF
CHINA
AND
JAPAN.
Studies
in
Economic
History and Political
Economy.
Edited
by
C.
D.
Cowan.
1964.
(New
York:
Frederick
A.
Praeger.
Toronto: Thomas
Nelson.
255pp.
$8.75)
This
book
consists
of
nine
papers
written
for
a
study
group
held
at
the
School
of
Oriental
and
African
Studies,
London,
and
devoted
to
the
economic
history
of
modern
China
and
Japan.
Six
are
concerned
with
China,
three
with
Japan,
and
together
they
probe
into various
aspects
of
the
subject
ranging
from
the late
eighteenth
century
until
the
present
day.
In
his
Introduction
the
editor
points
out
that
the
economic
history
of
modern
Asia
needs
further
study
if
we
are
to
under-
stand certain
of
the
world's
more
pressing
problems
of
today
and
tomorrow.
In stressing
some
of
the
conclusions
implicit
in
these
papers
he
shows
that
they
have
added
to
our
understanding
of
certain
specific
problems,
for
example
the failure
of
China
to
develop
a
modern
economy
in
the
nineteenth century
which,
it
appears,
was
mainly
caused by
the
reluctance
of
the
Chinese
officials
either
to
allow
effective
management
to
pass
into
the
hands
of
those competent to
exercise
it,
or
to
adapt
their
own
ideas
to changed circumstances.
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