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In the Realm of a Dying Emperor: A Portrait of Japan at Century's End
In the Realm of a Dying Emperor A Portrait of Japan at Century's End Author:Norma Field This book captures a historical moment -- the year that the Japanese emperor lay dying -- and shows us the import of the emperor system for the world's most sophisticated society. Norma Field delves beneath the oppressiveness and conformity many observers have noted and makes clear the impact of these forces on the lives of three ordinary indivi... more »duals driven to become extraordinary resisters:
- A supermarket owner from the island of Okinawa who burns the Japanese flag on the eve of the national athletic games.
- A widow whose husband, a member of the Self-Defense Force (Japan's ominously sizable military establishment), has been deified against her wishes.
- The mayor of Nagasaki, whose comments about the emporer's war guilt provoked a nationwide furor, leading to an assassination attempt.« less