Reconsidering the origins of World War II in Asia and the Pacific, this book focuses on the diplomatic and cultural interactions between the United States and Japan in the interwar period. Challenging as well as amplifying accepted interpretations, historian John Gripentrog argues that competing ideologies of world order-particularly the rift between liberal internationalism and Pan-Asianism-was at the heart of the conflict between the two powers. He also explores the US reception of the Japanese government's efforts to legitimize its regionalist aspirations through soft power, and how these efforts ended up backfiring.

In this absorbing account of the origins of the Asia-Pacific War, historian John Gripentrog argues that competing ideologies of world order--chiefly the rift between liberal internationalism and Pan-Asian regionalism--lay at the heart of the conflict. Drawing from a rich diversity of primary and secondary sources, the author also examines the Japanese government's vigorous cultural diplomacy in the U.S., which sought to win over American hearts and minds and soft-pedal its imperialist ambitions in Asia. The result is a book that both challenges and amplifies standard interpretations of US-Japan relations in the interwar era, while weaving diplomatic, political, intellectual, and cultural history. Moreover, the author's wide-angle lens offers readers insights into a fascinating assemblage of historical actors--from Japanese and American diplomats, politicians, and military leaders, to cosmopolitan art enthusiasts and major league baseball players.