JAPAN'S LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WEST

the long version

"Here in print at last is Hirakawa's life-long project, illuminating a pathway to a better understanding of an age-old and controversial 'East-West' debate, that is both provocative and pragmatic, but revealing the author cerebrally at his best." "Following the introductory chapters on Japan's historic love-hate relationship with China, Hirakawa turns to an in-depth analysis of the central focus of the book, which is divided into three themes: 1. Japan's Turn to the West; 2. Japan's Return to the East; 3. From War to Peace." "By definition, all the essays are driven by a commitment to cross-cultural elucidation, made possible by the author's extensive experience of living and teaching outside Japan, and underpinned by his own conviction that he is 'at home' in the cultures of East Asia as well as Western Europe." "At the same time, and with rare insight, he is able to explain why Japanese modern writers oscillate between East and West, and in conclusion, examines the West's changing appreciation of Japanese literature, which in itself symbolically reflects the West's underlying ambivalence towards Japan." "This volume will have wide appeal at many scholarly and general-reference levels, and may lead some to argue that it raises more questions than it solves."--BOOK JACKET.