Historical dictionary of postwar Japan /

The second edition of this dictionary does a fine job of expanding on the original and updating relevant sections (the first edition came out eight years ago). The new addition adds entries on the Great East Japan Earthquake and the upcoming 2020 Olympics, as well as others. The dictionary was clearly reviewed cover to cover, resulting in many revisions. Rarely, a general entry may be a little flat and may not highlight any recent developments or changes, such as the entry on kabuki. But overall, from entries on broad topics such as energy to specific entries such as Nintendo, there are updates and revisions throughout. The chronology and general introduction were brought up to the present.The rich bibliography provides a clear entry into further scholarship on aspects of postwar Japan. It includes internet sites, journals, and (mostly) Japanese newspapers that are valuable for exploring Japan. The appendixes have numerous statistical overviews of the country, although these statistics do not provide their source. The dictionary is easy to use with entry words highlighted, cross-references, and see also entries, although some additional see also references would be helpful. In total, this is a useful one-volume dictionary covering a broad spectrum of topics. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. --Allen Reichert, Otterbein University

The fascinating and multifaceted history of Japan since WWII has found an expert summarizer in Hoover, professor emeritus at the University of Toledo (Ohio) after a 40-year teaching career there. This entry in Scarecrow's Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East covers the high points of politics, economics, business and industry, education, science and technology, sports and entertainment, literature and the arts, the major cities, and relations with key countries. Following a format similar to other titles in the series, Historical Dictionary of Postwar Japan will be of more intrinsic interest to a wide audience than most, which often deal with countries whose interactions with American culture are far less well-known (which is not to say well-understood). Abbreviations and acronyms as well as a map follow other front matter. The 38-page chronology begins with Japan's surrender on August 14, 1945, and ends with the loss of the Democratic Party of Japan's majority on July 11, 2010. It is reassuring to encounter an unfamiliar term (e.g., Zaibatsu) and find a main entry explaining it in the 345-page dictionary section. It is also reassuring that virtually every subject that this reviewer looked for is there: the major authors, film directors, architects, and composers; the famous corporations; Hello Kitty and Pokemon; terms such as Bullet Train (Shinkansen), Bunraku, Burakumin, etc. English main entry terms are followed by romaji (transliteration of the Japanese hiragana or katakana) and by the hiragana or katakana symbols themselves. Fourteen appendixes chart everything from prime ministers, 1945-2010, to birth and death rates, 1950-2008. A 50-page bibliography, extensively subdivided by topic and limited largely to scholarly books, begins with a bibliographic essay. Highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries.--Bunch, Craig Copyright 2010 Booklist

Written for general readers in high school and academic libraries, this contains more than 500 entries on key people, organizations, activities, and events, with a minimum of Japanese terms and expressions. Names are entered in the Japanese fashion of family name first, although organizations and other groups are entered using the English name followed by the Japanese one and often by Japanese characters. A professor of Japanese history for more than 40 years, Hoover prefaces the dictionary entries with a map, a lengthy and detailed chronology from 1945 through 2010, and a list of abbreviations and acronyms. Bolded cross-references where appropriate will assist readers in easily finding more information on a desired topic. A list of prime ministers from 1945-2010 and 13 tables, charts, and graphs covering various issues in Japan close the presentation. BOTTOM LINE This is a valuable, unbiased starting point for finding brief information quickly.-Sara Rofofsky Marcus, Queensborough Community Coll. Lib., Bayside, NY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.