Bruce Loyd Batten

While readable, this monograph on the cultural, economic, and political boundaries relevant to Japan presumes a fair amount of background study. On one hand, Batten examines how Japan essentially became "Japanese" in the wake of arrival of the "Yamato People," with particular emphasis on relations with the Ainu and other existing cultures prior to the arrival of the mainland conquerors over time. On the other, Batten considers how Japan might be analysed in relation to world history and world-system theory, with a particular emphasis on what economic and cultural flows tell us about the interactions Japanese society had with their neighbors, despite trying to maintain an arms-length relationship. This is all good stuff for the students of anthropology and world history in particular.… (más)