Tsurumi Shunsuke, "Occupation: the American Way of Life as an

Imposed Model" and "Legends of Common Culture" from A

Cultural History of Postwar Japan 1945-1980 (London and

New York: Kegan Paul International, 1987) 1-12, 62-78.

These two articles are chapters from a book looking at the cultural aspects of postwar Japan and written by a Japanese, which gives the reader a different slant on the period than if a Westerner had written the book. One can tell the book was written with the goal of educating and as a good research tool for those looking into the subject. The first chapter looked at, "Occupation: the American Way of Life as an Imposed Model," deals with the occupation of Japan after their surrender. Not only does the chapter look at the imperialist control America exercised over Japan for several years during the postwar period, but also the inadvertent control it had over the culture and the ways that American culture of the time shaped the Japanese culture as well. The second chapter that was reviewed, "Legends of Common Culture," dealt with the introduction of television to Japan and the effects it had on the country. Television helped shape the early formations of Japanese popular and visual culture. It also looks into the entertainment available prior to television as well as the other facets of entertainment that was popular in Japan such as the mystery novel.

The two chapters of the book serve two different purposes, but can both be looked upon as sources for valid information. Neither of the texts, however, goes into much detail, but rather provide the reader with an outline of the subject being covered. If one wanted a more in depth look at the subject of Japanese culture during the postwar period, they may have to look to another source. Despite that, both chapters are well organized and easy to follow. They provide a good introduction into the subject for the reader who is uninformed of it.

-Eloise Melzer