Abstract

The Japanese Puzzle

This article presents information on books related to American occupation of Japan. The books are "Mirror for Americans: Japan," by Helen Mears; "Macarthur's Japan," by Russell Brines and "New Paths for Japan," by Harold Wakefield. Miss Mears' book is in a class by itself and hard to describe. It is an attempt at a kind of post-war revisionism but sometimes is more than that and sometimes less and it is not easy to see the author's point except that she thinks that Japan was more sinned against than sinning. Mr. Brines makes no systematic judgments but he tries to give a rounded picture of Japan after the war. Mr. Wakefield writes more formally and scientifically. He has done a competent, succinct summary of the important aspects of Japanese society before the war and after.