How has the Japanese government persuaded its citizens to save
substantial portions of their incomes? And to care for the elderly
within the family? How did the public come to support legalized
prostitution as in the national interest? What roles have women's
groups played in Japan's "economic miracle"? What actually unites
the Japanese to achieve so many economic and social goals that have
eluded other polities? Here Sheldon Garon helps us to understand
this mobilizing spirit as he taps into the intimate relationships
everyday Japanese have with their government. To an extent
inconceivable to most Westerners, state directives trickle into
homes, religious groups, and even into individuals' sex lives,
where they are frequently welcomed by the Japanese and reinforced
by their neighbors. In a series of five compelling case studies,
Garon demonstrates how average citizens have cooperated with
government officials in the areas of welfare, prostitution, and
household savings, and in controlling religious "cults" and
promoting the political participation of women.
The state's success in creating a nation of activists began
before World War II, and has hinged on campaigns that mobilize the
people behind various policies and encourage their involvement at
the local level. For example, neighborhoods have been socially
managed on a volunteer basis by small-business owners and
housewives, who strive to rid their locales of indolence and to
contain welfare costs. The story behind the state regulation of
prostitution is a more turbulent one in which many lauded the
flourishing brothels for preserving Japanese tradition and
strengthening the "family system," while others condemned the
sexual enslavement of young women.
In each case, we see Japanese citizens working closely with the
state to recreate "community" and shape the thought and behavior of
fellow citizens. The policies often originate at the top, but in
the hands of activists they take on added vigor. This phenomenon,
which challenges the conventional dichotomy of the "state" versus
the "people," is well worth exploring as Western governments
consider how best to manage their own changing societies.
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