Proving the way : conflict and practice in the history of Japanese nativism.

The underlying issue in all Japanese history is nativism (kokugaku). Some Japanese leaders and commoners over the past century have thought themselves unique among the world's populations and nations. For them, are "laws of history" waived? Did militaristic leaders sincerely believe that Japanese spirit could overcome productivity and demographics, and that they had a right and duty to bring "all corners of the world" under one (Japanese) roof? McNally (Univ. of Hawai'i at Manoa) offers a detailed, technical analysis of several strains of nativist thought during the late Tokugawa period and beyond, which he sees as overlooked or mistakenly interpreted. The author centers his assessment on the intellectual and social connections of Hirata Atsutane (died 1843), whose ideas were warped by others. McNally's study reveals extensive creativity and vigor in late Tokugawa intellectual life. Rather than a stagnant era between the fertile Genroku and rejuvenating Meiji periods, McNally argues that his key early-19th-century characters remained significant in the ongoing intellectual and political life of Japan. Rich but dense materials (often archival) and complex analytic approaches each serve to limit readership to professional scholars, who will find this work a useful and closely researched evaluation. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate students/faculty. R. B. Lyman Jr. Brandeis University